"Terrible" Terry McGovern
(John Terrence McGovern)
BORN March 9 1880; Johnstown, Pennsylvania DIED February 26 1918; Brooklyn, New York (Some sources report February 22 1918) HEIGHT 5-4 WEIGHT 112-127 lbs MANAGERS Jimmy Dunn, Sam Harris, Joe Humphreys McGovern was a dynamic, aggressive fighter and a very hard hitter; He was not very stylist but he was rough and ready and came to fight; During his career, he was Bantamweight Champion of the World and Featherweight Champion of the World
McGovern defeated such men as Joe Gans, George Dixon, Frank Erne, Thomas "Pedlar" Palmer, Tommy White, Oscar Gardner, Casper Leon, Eddie Santry, Dave Sullivan, Tim Callahan, "Harlem" Tommy Murphy, Aurelio Herrera, Patsy Haley, Joe Bernstein, Eddie Lenny, Austin Rice, Harry Forbes and Eddie AveryNat Fleischer ranked McGovern as the #1 All-Time Featherweight; Charley Rose ranked him as the #1 All-Time Bantamweight; Terry was inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1955 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990
McGovern-Gans 1900 Fight Video Clip (Press thebutton at the top of the screen to return)
1897 Apr 3 Jack Snee Brooklyn, NY LF 4 -Some sources report "KO 1" against "Jack Shea" Apr 17 Frank Barnes Brooklyn, NY W 10 -Some sources report 4/24/97 Mar 17 William Downey Brooklyn, NY SCH -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known May 3 Eddie Avery New York, NY W 4 May 22 Kid Dougherty Brooklyn, NY W 10 Jun 7 Tom McDermott Brooklyn, NY W 10 -Some sources report "Tom Dermot" Jun 19 "Brooklyn" Tommy Sullivan Brooklyn, NY D 10 -Some sources report 6/12/97 Aug 16 Eddie Goodbody Brooklyn, NY W 10 Aug 23 Billy Barrett Brooklyn, NY W 10 Sep 18 Jack Leon Brooklyn, NY KO 7 Oct 2 Johnny Reagan Brooklyn, NY TK 6 -Some sources report "W 6" Oct 9 Jack Doyle Brooklyn, NY TK 7 -Some sources report "W 6" Oct 23 Eddie Goodbody Brooklyn, NY D 4 -Police intervened; Some sources report 10/22/97 Nov 13 Harry Peterson New York, NY W 6 Dec 18 Charles Roden New York, NY W 6 Dec 31 Jack Kelly Brooklyn, NY KO 2 1898 Feb 25 Billy Maynard Yonkers, NY W 8 Mar 12 Pinkey Evans Yonkers, NY W 8 Apr 15 Fred Mayo Waterbury, Ct KO 6 May 5 George Monroe Yonkers, NY D 20 Jun 11 George Monroe Brooklyn, NY KO 24 Jul 23 Tim Callahan Brooklyn, NY LF 11 Aug 4 George Monroe Brooklyn, NY WF 7 Aug 20 Tim Callahan Brooklyn, NY D 20 Sep 15 Eugene Garcia Brooklyn, NY KO 5 Oct 1 Harry Forbes Brooklyn, NY KO 15 Nov 19 Tim Callahan Brooklyn, NY KO 10 Nov 26 Paddy Donovan Philadelphia, Pa KO 3 Dec 17 Jimmy Rose Brooklyn, NY KO 2 Dec 31 Austin Rice Brooklyn, NY TK 14 1899 Jan 30 Casper Leon Brooklyn, NY KO 12 Feb 18 Fred Snyder Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 -Some sources report "W 6" Mar 14 Patsy Haley New York, NY KO 18 Apr 28 Joe Bernstein New York, NY W 25 May 26 Sammy Kelly New York, NY KO 5 Jun 8 Billy Barrett New York, NY KO 10 Jul 1 Johnny Ritchie Tuckahoe, NY KO 3 Sep 12 Thomas "Pedlar" Palmer Tuckahoe, NY KO 1 -Bantamweight Championship of the World Sep 29 Fred Snyder Philadelphia, Pa TK 3 -Some sources report "KO 2" Oct 9 Billy Rotchford Chicago, Il KO 1 Nov 18 Patsy Haley Chicago, Il KO 1 Nov 18 "Turkey Point" Billy Smith Chicago, Il KO 3 Nov 30 Eddie Sprague Hartford, Ct KO 2 Dec 12 James J. Corbett Jr. Chicago, Il KO 2 Dec 18 Charlie Mason Cincinnati, Oh KO 2 Dec 18 Freckles O'Brien Cincinnati, Oh KO 1 -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date Dec 22 Harry Forbes New York, NY TK 2 1900 Jan 9 George Dixon New York, NY TK 8 -Featherweight Championship of the World Jan 29 Jack Ward Baltimore, Md KO 1 Feb 1 Eddie Santry Chicago, Il KO 5 -Featherweight Championship of the World Feb 21 George Dixon New York, NY EX 3 Mar 9 Oscar Gardner New York, NY KO 3 -Featherweight Championship of the World Mar 15 Eddie Lenny Philadelphia, Pa TK 2 Apr 17 Tommy White Chicago, Il ND 6 Apr 20 Tommy Warren New York, NY TK 1 -Some sources report 4/19/00 May 21 Elwood McCloskey Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 -Some sources report "W 6" Jun 12 Tommy White Brooklyn, NY KO 3 -Featherweight Championship of the World Jun 23 George Dixon Chicago, Il W 6 Jul 16 Frank Erne New York, NY TK 3 Nov 2 Joe Bernstein Louisville, Ky KO 7 -Featherweight Championship of the World Nov 13 Ned "Kid" Broad Chicago, Il W 6 Dec 8 Tommy White Milwaukee, Wi EX 4 Dec 13 Joe Gans Chicago, Il KO 2 1901 Jan 18 Louden Campbell Pittsburgh, Pa EX 4 Apr 12 Danny Dougherty Denver, Co EX 4 Apr 12 Danny Dougherty Denver, Co EX 4 -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date Apr 30 Oscar Gardner San Francisco, Ca KO 4 -Featherweight Championship of the World May 2 -McGovern refereed the Al Neill-Jim Trimble bout in Bakersfield, Ca May 29 Aurelio Herrera San Francisco, Ca KO 4 -Featherweight Championship of the World; Some sources report "KO 5" Sep 28 Joe Tipman Baltimore, Md EX 2 Nov 10 Barney "Kid" Abel Chicago, Il EX 4 Nov 28 Young Corbett II Hartford, Ct LK 2 -Featherweight Championship of the World Dec 3 John Donahue Reading, Pa EX 2 1902 Feb 22 Dave Sullivan Louisville, Ky TK 15 -Some sources report Lightweight Championship of the World 1903 Feb 6 Joe Bernstein Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 -Some sources report "W 6" Feb 25 Billy Maynard Philadelphia, Pa KO 4 Mar 31 Young Corbett II San Francisco, Ca LK 11 -Featherweight Championship of the World Sep 26 Lew Ryall Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 -Some sources report "W 6" Oct 3 Billy Willis Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 -Some sources report "W 6" Oct 20 Jimmy Briggs Boston, Ma W 15 Dec 19 Billy Willis Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 -Some sources report "W 6" 1904 Jan 1 Leo "Yock" Henninger Allentown, Pa KO 2 Apr 10 George Barton St. Paul, Mn L 6 Oct 10 Eddie Hanlon Philadelphia, Pa TK 4 Dec 16 Johnny Burdick Pittsfield, Ma EX 4 1905 Oct 18 "Harlem" Tommy Murphy Philadelphia, Pa TK 1 Dec Johnny Burdick Boston, Ma EX 1906 Mar 14 Oscar "Battling" Nelson Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 -Some sources report "L 6" May 28 Jimmy Britt New York, NY ND 10 -Some sources report "W 10" Oct 17 Young Corbett II Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 -Reports vary - "W 6" and "D 6" 1908 May 16 Young Loughrey Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 -Reports vary - "W 6" and "L 6" May 26 Frank "Spike" Robson New York, NY ND 6 -Some sources report 5/27/08; Some sources report "D 6" 1913 Apr 4 Young Corbett II New York, NY EX 3 *** The Following Bout Is Reported But Not Confirmed *** Undated Billy Irwin SCH -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Record courtesy of Barry Deskins, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization
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