Thursday, October 1, 2026
It’s safe to say that Long Beach resident and professional boxer Seanie Monaghan’s life could easily be turned into a movie (“The Fighter,” Long Beach Herald, Feb. 23 — March 2). Monaghan, a 28-year-old former bricklayer who went pro last year, is currently 6-0 with four technical knockouts.
On March 12, Monaghan defeated opponent Billy Cunningham by a unanimous decision after four rounds at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut, just before the main event featuring middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, which was broadcast
on HBO.
Monaghan, who trains at the Freeport PAL, is gearing up for his next fight on March 29 at B.B. King’s Blues Club. Tickets are on sale through DiBella Entertainment and start at $55 and can be purchased by calling (212) 947-2577.
It will be his last fight before he takes a short break to spend time with his family, as he and his wife, Beverly, are expecting a baby in May. The Herald recently caught up with the Irish pugilist, who discussed his favorite movies about boxing that have given him inspiration as a fighter — and revealed why the first “Rocky” movie isn’t on the list.
“The Fighter” starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale (2010): This was the most realistic boxing movie I’ve ever seen. It shows all the ins-and-outs of the business, the guys behind the scenes. In the movie, [the promoters] gave Wahlberg’s character another boxer to fight, who was 20-pounds heavier. That’s kind of what I’m going through right now. For my first fight, I was supposed to fight a guy who was 1-0, but when we got to the weigh-in, he couldn’t make it. They announced a last-minute replacement, and they wanted me to go into the ring with a fighter who was 5-0 — and much heavier than me. We didn’t go for it. This movie often shows the dark side of boxing.
“Raging Bull” starring Robert DeNiro (1980): Sugar Ray Robinson is one of my favorite fighters, and it’s great to see his character in the movie. I know the film is based on Jake La Motta’s life, but he fought Robinson six times. Plus, DeNiro is the man and he’s my favorite actor.
