Jack McAuliffe
Born
Jack McAuliffe

(1866-03-24)March 24, 1866
Cork, Ireland, U.K.
DiedNovember 5, 1937(1937-11-05) (aged 71)
Queens, New York, U.S.
NationalityIrish
Other namesNapoleon of the Ring
Statistics
Weight(s)Lightweight
Height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Stanceorthodox
Boxing record
Total fights38
Wins28
Wins by KO20
Draws10

Jack McAuliffe (March 24, 1866 – November 5, 1937) was an Irish boxer who fought mostly out of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Nicknamed "The Napoleon of the Ring," McAuliffe is one of only fifteen world boxing champions to retire without a loss.[1] He was the first boxer to hold the World Lightweight championship from 1886 to 1893. He was the first European boxer to retire as an undefeated World Champion.

He was inducted into The Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1995.[1]

Early life

1887 color lithograph of Jack McAuliffe, made for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes

McAuliffe's parents were Cornelius McAuliffe and Jane Bailey, who were living at 5 Christ Church Lane, Cork, Ireland (then part of the United Kingdom), at the time of Jack's birth. McAuliffe emigrated to the United States in 1871, where he spent his early years in Bangor, Maine.

Amateur and professional career

He made his first appearance as an amateur boxer in 1883. He turned professional soon after, fighting Jem Carney 78 rounds to a draw at Revere Beach, Massachusetts. He fought Billy Dacey for the lightweight championship and a $5,000 purse in 1888, and knocked him out in eleven rounds.[2] He was known as a strong two-handed fighter with "cat-like" reflexes. In 1897 he successfully defended his title against Billy Myer in a highly publicized match at the Olympic Club, New Orleans .

Personal life

McAuliffe was married twice, both times to stage actresses. His first wife was Katie Hart, who played in farce comedies. After her death, McAuliffe married Catherine Rowe in 1894, whose stage name was Pearl Inman, of the song and dance team The Inman Sisters. Between marriages he dated a third actress, Sadie McDonald. McAuliffe and Rowe moved back to Bangor, Maine, in 1894, where he undertook preliminary training for a fight later that year at the Seaside Athletic Club on Coney Island.[3]

Death and retirement from the ring

McAuliffe retired in 1897. According to the International Boxing Hall of Fame, he had 36 professional fights. McAuliffe was undefeated with 30 bouts, 22 by knockout. He had five draws, one no decision. He successfully defended his world lightweight title against six different boxers.[4]

He died on November 5, 1937, at his home on Austin Street in Forest Hills, Queens.[5]

Professional boxing record

38 fights 27 wins 0 losses
By knockout 19 0
By decision 7 0
By disqualification 1 0
Draws 10
Newspaper decisions/draws 1

All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column.

No. Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
38 Draw 27–0–10 (1) Tommy Ryan PTS 10 Sep 30, 1897 American S.C., Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. Not to be confused with Tommy Ryan
37 Win 27–0–9 (1) Jim Carroll PTS 10 Nov 20, 1896 Woodward's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S.
36 Win 26–0–9 (1) Sam Rogers KO 3 (4) May 8, 1896 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
35 Win 25–0–9 (1) Harry Pigeon KO 7 (6) Apr 8, 1896 Opera House, Hot Springs, Arkansas, U.S. Fight scheduled for six rounds, but they fought another
34 Draw 24–0–9 (1) Owen Ziegler PTS 3 (?) Nov 19, 1894 Atlantic A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
33 Win 24–0–8 (1) Young Griffo PTS 10 Aug 27, 1894 Seaside A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
32 Win 23–0–8 (1) Jim Ryan PTS 6 Jan 16, 1894 Grand Opera House, San Francisco, California, U.S.
31 Win 22–0–8 (1) Horace Leeds NWS 4 Apr 1, 1893 Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
30 Draw 22–0–8 Billy Myer PTS 6 Dec 10, 1892 2nd Regiment Armory, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
29 Win 22–0–7 Billy Myer KO 15 (?) Sep 5, 1892 Olympic Club, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. Retained world lightweight title
28 Win 21–0–7 Bill Frazier KO 3 (6) Jun 2, 1892 Manhattan A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
27 Win 20–0–7 Austin Gibbons TKO 6 (?) Sep 11, 1891 Granite Association Clubroom, Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S. Retained world lightweight title
26 Win 19–0–7 Jim Carroll KO 47 (?) Mar 21, 1890 California A.C., San Francisco, California, U.S. Retained world lightweight title
25 Draw 18–0–7 Mike Daly PTS 15 Dec 5, 1889 Cribb Club, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
24 Win 18–0–6 Paddy Smith TKO 1 (4) Feb 28, 1889 Casino Rink, New York City, New York, U.S.
23 Win 17–0–6 Billy Boltz KO 1 (?) Feb 28, 1889 Elgin, Illinois, U.S.
22 Draw 16–0–6 Billy Myer PTS 64 (?) Feb 13, 1889 Burche's Opera House, North Judson, Indiana, U.S. Retained world lightweight title
21 Win 16–0–5 Young Jacob Hyams KO 9 (10) Dec 26, 1888 Palace Hall, New York City, New York, U.S.
20 Win 15–0–5 Sam Collyer KO 2 (6) Dec 17, 1888 Palace Rink, New York City, New York, U.S.
19 Win 14–0–5 Bill Dacey KO 11 (?) Oct 10, 1888 a barn, Dover, New Jersey, U.S. Retained world lightweight title
18 Draw 13–0–5 Patsy Kerrigan PTS 10 Sep 26, 1888 Way Street Gymnasium, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
17 Draw 13–0–4 Jem Carney PTS 74 (?) Nov 16, 1887 Revere, Massachusetts, U.S. Retained world lightweight title
16 Draw 13–0–3 Jimmy Mitchell PTS 4 Mar 4, 1887 Theatre Comique, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
15 Draw 13–0–2 Bill Frazier PTS 4 Mar 2, 1887 Theatre Comique, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
14 Draw 13–0–1 Walter Campbell PTS 4 Feb 28, 1887 Theatre Comique, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
13 Win 13–0 Harry Gilmore KO 28 (?) Jan 14, 1887 Lawrence, Massachusetts, U.S. Retained world lightweight title
Fought in a barn
12 Win 12–0 Bill Frazier KO 21 (?) Oct 29, 1886 Fair Play Club, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Retained American lightweight title
Won inaugural world lightweight title
11 Win 11–0 Charles Bull McCarthy PTS 4 (?) Jul 24, 1886 Clark's Theatre, Philadelphia, U.S.
10 Win 10–0 Bully Carroll KO 1 (?) Jul 21, 1886 Clarks Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
9 Win 9–0 Charles Bull McCarthy PTS 4 Jul 19, 1886 Clarks Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
8 Win 8–0 Joe Heiser PTS 4 Apr 20, 1886 Turn Hall, New York City, New York, U.S.
7 Win 7–0 Andy Drumm TKO 3 (?) Apr 1, 1886 New York City, New York, U.S.
6 Win 6–0 Jack Hopper TKO 17 (?) Feb 27, 1886 Cedarhurst Country Club, Cedarhurst, U.S. Won vacant American lightweight title
5 Win 5–0 Charles Bull McCarthy PTS 4 Jan 24, 1886 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
4 Win 4–0 Jack Hopper TKO 6 (6) Jan 13, 1886 New York A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
3 Win 3–0 Buck McKenna KO 2 (?) Dec 7, 1885 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
2 Win 2–0 Billy Young DQ 4 (6) Nov 19, 1885 Theatre Comique, Washington, D.C., U.S.
1 Win 1–0 Joe Milletechia TKO 2 (?) Jul 25, 1885 Jersey City, U.S.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b McAuliffe at Cyber Boxing Zone
  2. ^ Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 26, 1894, p. 3
  3. ^ "Jack McAuliffe Married", Brooklyn Daily Eagle, July 30, 1894, p. 1
  4. ^ "Jack McAuliffe, p. 200" (pdf). The Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall Of Fame Official Record Book. International Boxing Hall Of Fame. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  5. ^ "Jack M'Auliffe, 71, Ex-Ring Champion – Retired Undefeated in 1896 After Holding Lightweight Crown for 12 Years". The New York Times. 5 November 1937. Retrieved 18 June 2009. Jack McAuliffe, who retired in 1896 as the undefeated professional lightweight-boxing champion of the world after holding the title for twelve years, died yesterday at his home, 73-20 Austin Street, Forest Hills.

External links

Achievements Inaugural Champion World Lightweight Champion October 29, 1886 – November 1893Retired undefeated VacantTitle last held byGeorge "Kid" Lavigne
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