"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 Avery

Nat 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

New Book --   HITTERS DANCERS and RING MAGICIANS   by Kelly Nicholson



McGovern-Gans 1900 Fight Video Clip

(Press the  button 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
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 Frank "Pinky" Evans        Yonkers, NY                       W  8
Apr 15 Fred Mayo                  Waterbury, Ct                    KO  6
May  5 George Munroe              Yonkers, NY                       D 20
Jun 11 George Munroe              Brooklyn, NY                     KO 24
Jul 23 Tim Callahan               Brooklyn, NY                     LF 11
Aug  4 George Munroe              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
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 11 James J. Corbett Jr.       Chicago, Il                      KO  2
          -This man was black, a pupil of Frank Childs
Dec 12 Clarence Sandy             Chicago, Il                     SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Dec 12 Kid Black                  Chicago, Il                      KO  3
Dec 13 Chicago Kid                Chicago, Il                      KO  3
Dec 14 Alaska Kid                 Chicago, Il                     SCH   
Dec 14 Benny Yanger               Chicago, Il                     SCH   
          -The previous 2 bouts were scheduled; The outcomes are not known
Dec 15 Alaska Kid                 Chicago, Il                      EX  4
          -McGovern was better
Dec 15 Clarence Forbes            Chicago, Il                      EX  3
Dec 16 Johnny Murphy              Chicago, Il                     SCH   
Dec 16 Clarence Forbes            Chicago, Il                     SCH   
          -The previous 2 bouts were scheduled; The outcomes are not known
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
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
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
Oct  3 Billy Willis               Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Oct 20 Jimmy Briggs               Boston, Ma                        W 15
Dec 19 Billy Willis               Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6

1904
Jan  1 Yock Henniger              Allentown, Pa                    KO  2
Oct 10 Eddie Hanlon               Philadelphia, Pa                 TK  4
Dec 16 John Burdick               Pittsfield, Ma                   EX  4

1905
Mar 29 George "Kid" Decker        Milwaukee, Wi                    EX  3
Oct 18 "Harlem" Tommy Murphy      Philadelphia, Pa                 TK  1
Dec    John Burdick               Boston, Ma                       EX   

1906
Mar 14 Oscar "Battling" Nelson    Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
May 28 Jimmy Britt                New York, NY                     ND 10
Oct 17 Young Corbett II           Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6

1908
May 16 Young Loughrey             Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
May 26 Frank "Spike" Robson       New York, NY                     ND  6
          -Some sources report 5/27/08

1913
Apr  4 Young Corbett II           New York, NY                     EX  3

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

Undated
       Billy Irwin                                                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known

1904
Apr 10 George Barton              St. Paul, Mn                      L  6

Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization