William John Neeson was born June 7, 1952, in the small market town of Ballymena, Northern Ireland.
Liam became active in the sport as a teenager, earning his distinctive broken nose in the process. He stayed with boxing until he began experiencing black-outs from repeated blows to the head.
Initially interested in a career as a teacher, Neeson attended Belfast's Queens College, but he aborted his studies after developing a desire to act.