It's a short movie clip, shot on a whim by filmmaker Sandi Bachom, who recently bumped into McDonagh in the States and thought he was "the most charismatic man" she had ever met.

On meeting Bachom, McDonagh did what he always does when he meets new people: he whipped out a photograph of the moment that he hit Holyfield. "It just happened to be in my pocket, " McDonagh told the Sunday Tribune, his voice laced with selfdeprecation.

"I said, 'I'm the white guy, ' and she just seemed really interested in my story. Shortly later, she asked me to do some shadow-boxing, and let her film it."

McDonagh agreed, Bachom set the cameras rolling and the results were uploaded onto the highly popular website Current. tv.

The clip ran for just one minute and 53 seconds. It was an instant runaway success. Shortly after it appeared online, it had received more hits than anything on the site and shot to the number-one spot.

It also got a rash of 'greenlights', which meant viewers were voting for it to be aired on Al Gore's global television network Current TV, which has an audience of 38 million viewers. "I really don't know why it was so popular, " said McDonagh. "But people seemed to like it, and now it's being watched by 38 million people every day for a month. It's surreal, really."

The 44-year-old Irishman was particularly surprised that boxing has once again catapulted him into the limelight. He had long since said goodbye to his boxing career, which had effectively ended with that fateful fight on 1 June 1990.

That night, Holyfield had been paid $1.2m for his night's work. McDonagh had been paid $100,000 to stop him.

And for a brief few seconds, when McDonagh landed the punch that made him briefly famous, it seemed as if the Irishman might have a chance. But minutes later Holyfield returned a swing that sent his opponent crashing to the ground. End of fight. End of fame.

"Your whole sense of self-worth can be completely smashed, " said McDonagh. "After the last fight, I didn't know what to do. I was completely suicidal. I turned to drink for a long time. Definitely, I thought I'd seen the end of boxing. I never really liked it anyway. I always said, 'I'm a drinker, not a fighter.' But now I don't drink anymore either, so I don't know what I am."

However, the unexpected success of the Current TV movie has led to a revival of hope for Seamus Patrick McDonagh. He has worked with Bachom to make another movie clip, which is attracting considerable attention on Current. tv. The exposure to a 38 million-strong audience has also gained McDonagh a cult following. He hopes it might all be one big stepping stone to his dream career.

"Acting is always something I've wanted to do, " he said. "I'd particularly like to make a film about my old boxing club in Ireland. I think there's a great story to be told there. Whatever happens, doors that have been closed for years are finally opening for me again. I want to have the best life I can have, and I want to have it now."