March 22, 2016 By Michael Florio
A former boxing champion and current actor will be in Sunnyside Wednesday to attend the screening of a new film featuring Irish gangsters.
Steve Collins, 51, a former World Boxing Organization (WBO) middleweight and super middleweight champion, plays a major role in the film Jack Mulligan, a 30-minute crime drama about Irish gangsters in London.
Screenings of the film began in the United States this week at venues in Boston and New York City, according to the film’s Facebook page.
The film will be playing at 9pm at Maggie Mae’s (41-15 Queens Blvd) Wednesday. There will be no charge.
Collins, who was an enormously successful Irish boxer, will be at the bar for the screening.
“People can meet Steve and take photos of him and his [championship] belts,” said James Moore, co-owner of Maggie Maes.
The film also stars Dean Smith and Terri Dwyer. It was written by Andrew Nolan and directed by Tom Begley.
Moore said other people associated with the film might attend, although they had yet to confirm.
Moore, who was also a professional boxer, said the team behind Jack Mulligan reached out to him to host a screening.
“They reached out to me because of my boxing background,” he said.
Moore started boxing as an amateur on the Irish boxing team in 2003. He went professional in 2004, going 17-3 in his 20 professional fights, with 10 of those wins by knockout.
Moore believes that this will be a big attraction to his customers, many of whom are Irish.
“A lot of my customers love boxing and would love the opportunity to get to meet Steve [Collins],” Moore said. “He is a legend in the Irish boxing circles.”
This is not the first time a boxing champion has made an appearance at the Sunnyside bar.
Last May, Andy Lee, the current WBO middleweight champion, attended the bar to sign autographs and take photos with fans.
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