Tom Cowler
(the "Cumberland Giant")

BORN   March 2 1892; Hensingham, Whitehaven, England
DIED   February 20 1951; Broadmoor, Berkshire, England
HEIGHT 6-1 1/2
WEIGHT 205-221 lbs
MANAGER Will Kay (in England)
Cowler was a big, powerful man who was considered a title contender and fought most of the top men of his day; Jim Corbett saw him as championship material

Among those he defeated during his career were George "Boer" Rodel, Ben Taylor, Joseph "Jewey" Smith, William "Iron" Hague, Denver Ed Martin, Andre Anderson, Joe Bonds, "Sailor" Jack Carroll, Homer Smith, Tom "Bearcat" McMahon, George "One-Round" Davis, Al Reich, Erminio Spalla, Hans Breitenstraeter, Paul Journee, Arthur Townley, Bill Warren, and "Sunny" Jim Williams

He was a White Hope of the teens
1910
Sep  7 Hugh Quinn                  Whitehaven, Eng                  KO  1
          -Some sources report 10/03/10
Dec  5 Tot Keen                    Cleator Moor, Eng                KO  3

1911
Jul  8 Gunner McMurray             Rochdale, Eng                    KO  2
Sep 16 Charlie Wilson              London, Eng                      TK  4
Sep 29 Hubert Roc                  London, Eng                       D  3
Oct  9 Frank Moran                 London, Eng                      LK  6
Oct 25 Harry Croxon                Oxford, Eng                       W  6
Nov 25 Seaman Parsons              London, Eng                      KO  8
Dec  2 Gunner McMurray             London, Eng                      TK  2
Dec 11 Fred Drummond               London, Eng                      KO  1
          -Some sources report "KO 3"
          Some sources report "KO 2" in 1912
Dec 18 Jack Gibson                 London, Eng                      TK  1
Dec 28 George "Boer" Rodel         Liverpool, Eng                   WF  6
          -Some sources report 12/27/11;
          Some sources report "LF 6"

1912
       George "Boer" Rodel                                          KO  7
Jan  6 Bob Scanlon                 London, Eng                       W 15
Jan 19 "Gunner" Alfred Hewitt      Plymouth, Eng                    KO  3
Jan 27 "Gunner" Gus Rawles         London, Eng                      KO  2
Jan 29 Bob Armstrong               London, Eng                      EX  3
Mar  9 Bombardier LeGassick        London, Eng                      KO  2
          -Some sources report "KO 3"
Mar 28 "Battling" Jim Johnson      London, Eng                       L 15
          -Some sources report 3/30/12
Apr 13 Ben Taylor                  London, Eng                      TK  4
          -Some sources report "TK 5"
Apr 27 "Bandsman" Dick Rice        London, Eng                       L 15
          -Some sources report "L 10"
May 11 "Young" Jack Johnson        Sheffield, Eng                   TK 15
Jul  1 Joseph "Jewey" Smith        Sheffield, Eng                   TK  9
          -Some sources report 6/24/12;
          Some sources report "TK 8"
Jul  8 Gunner McMurray             Rochdale, Eng                    TK  4
Jul 29 Andre Goddard               Rochdale, Eng                    KO  4
Aug  5 William "Iron" Hague        Mexborough, Eng                  KO  8
          -Some sources report "KO 9"
Oct 21 Bill Chase                  London, Eng                      WF  2
Oct 28 Jack Peil                   Carlisle, Eng                    ND  6
Dec 28 Kid Jackson                                                  KO  5

1913
       Jack Daniels                                                 KO  2
       Ben Taylor                                                   KO  2

1914
Mar  7 "Denver" Ed Martin          Steveston, BC, Can               KO  2
       William "Casey" Jones       Tacoma, Wa                       KO  4
          -This bout was promoted as a Heavyweight Championship
          of Canada contest
Jul 24 Chet McIntyre               Brighouse Arena, Can             TK 10
          -Some sources report 7/25/14

1915
Apr 10 Les O'Donnell               Sydney, NSW, Aus                 KO  6
May  8 Gordon Coghill              Melbourne, Vic, Aus              KO  3
May 29 Ben Doyle                   Sydney, NSW, Aus                 KO  2
Jul 28 Ed "Gunboat" Smith          New York, NY                     ND 10
Sep  1 Jack Hemple                 New York, NY                     TK  3
Nov 15 Battling Levinsky           New York, NY                     ND 10
Nov 26 Tom McCarty                 New York, NY                     TK  2
Dec 22 Dan "Porky" Flynn           New York, NY                     ND 10

1916
Jan 11 Battling Levinsky           Boston, Ma                        L 12
Feb  1 Jack Dillon                 Brooklyn, NY                     LK  2
Sep 26 Ed "Gunboat" Smith          Brooklyn, NY                     ND 10
          -Some sources report "New York, NY"
Oct 31 "K.O." Bill Brennan         Brooklyn, NY                     ND 10
Nov 20 "K.O." Bill Brennan         Rochester, NY                    ND 10
Dec  2 Ed "Gunboat" Smith          Rochester, NY                    ND 10
Dec 12 Homer Smith                 Brooklyn, NY                     TK  7
Dec 25 Ed "Gunboat" Smith          Rochester, NY                    ND 10

1917
Jan  9 Fred Fulton                 Brooklyn, NY                     LK  1
Feb 26 Andre Anderson              Rochester, NY                    KO  1
Mar  5 "K.O." Bill Brennan         Buffalo, NY                      ND 10
Mar 16 Joe Bonds                   New York, NY                     KO  1
Apr  4 "Sailor" Jack Carroll       Bronx, NY                        KO  1
Apr 13 Frank Moran                 New York, NY                     LK  4
Jun  4 Kid Norfolk                 Rochester, NY                    ND 10
Jun 25 Kid Norfolk                 Rochester, NY                    ND 10
Jul 19 Kid Norfolk                 Buffalo, NY                      LT  8
Sep  4 Tom "Bearcat" McMahon       Wheeling, WV                      W 10
Nov  6 Kid Norfolk                 Providence, RI                   ND 12
Nov 13 Willie Meehan               Boston, Ma                        D 12

1918
Jan 29 Charley Weinert             Boston, Ma                       LF  2
Mar 11 Fred Fulton                 St. Louis, Mo                    LK  5
Apr  8 Billy Miske                 Minneapolis, Mn                  LT  7
       Bartley Madden                                                L 10
Nov  8 Jack Brennan                Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1
          -Some sources report 11/04/18
Nov 23 Spike McFadden              Philadelphia, Pa                 TK  1
Dec 21 Bill Daley                  Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1

1919
Jan 11 Billy Miske                 Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Feb 10 Joe Jeannette               Jersey City, NJ                  ND  8
Mar 28 Billy Miske                 Baltimore, Md                    LK  4
Apr  7 Jack Johnson                Mexico City, Mx                   D 10
Apr 22 George "One-Round" Davis    Buffalo, NY                      KO  2
          -Some sources report 4/21/19
May 23 Joe Jeannette               Buffalo, NY                      ND 10
Jun  2 Jack Johnson                Mexico City, Mx                  LK 12
Oct  7 Jack Thompson               Oakland, Ca                       L  4
          -Some sources report "ND 4" on Jul 1919 in "San Francisco, Ca"
Dec  1 Jack Renault                Boston, Ma                       LF  3
Dec 29 Al Reich                    Jersey City, NJ                  WF  3

1920
Jan 21 Fred Fulton                 Philadelphia, Pa                 LT  3
Apr  5 Frank Moran                 London, Eng                       L 15
Jul 19 Arthur Townley              Wallsend, Eng                    LF  2
Nov 18 Erminio Spalla              Berlin, Ger                      KO  6
Nov 28 "Guardsman" Charlie Penwill London, Eng                      LT  9
Dec  6 Paul Journée                Sheffield, Eng                   TK  5

1921
Jan 31 Arthur Townley              Sheffield, Eng                    L 15
Mar 31 Hans Breitenstraeter        Berlin, Ger                      KO  2
          -Some sources report 3/31/20
Apr 15 Giuseppe Spalla             Berlin, Ger                      TK  7
          -Some sources report "TK 6" on 4/15/20
Sep  5 Arthur Townley              Liverpool, Eng                    W 12

1922
Sep 21 Arthur Townley              Liverpool, Eng                   WF 12
Oct 20 Bill "Cyclone" Warren       Manchester, Eng                  KO  2

1923
Jan 27 Erminio Spalla              Milan, It                        LK  6
          -Some sources report "Rome, It"
Jun  1 "Big" Bill Tate             New York, NY                     LK  5
Jul 20 "Sailor" Tom Maxted         Freeport, NY                     LT  4
Dec 10 Jack Renault                Rochester, NY                    LK  4

1924
Feb 29 Jack Hogan                  Wilkes-Barre, Pa                 KO  4
Mar  6 Artie Ryan                  Wilkes-Barre, Pa                 KO  2
Mar 21 "Sunny" Jim Williams        Wilkes-Barre, Pa                 KO  2
Mar 31 George Godfrey              Philadelphia, Pa                 WF  2
Apr 28 "Fighting" Bob Lawson       Buffalo, NY                       D  6

*** The Following Bouts Are Reported But Not Confirmed ***

1912
Apr  1 George "Boer" Rodel                                          KO  7

Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, Barry Deskins, and Stuart Templeton,
Historians, International Boxing Research Organization
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