On This Day In Boxing History!

1880: Terry McGovern Was Born!

Terry McGovern

Born: March 9th, 1880

Birth Name: Joseph Terrence McGovern

Birth Place: Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Residence: Brooklyn, New York

Pro-Debut: April 3rd, 1897

Alias: Terrible

Division: Featherweight

Stance: Orthodox

Height: 5′ 3″  

Reach: 65″  

Bouts: 68

Rounds: 462

Ko’s: 65%

Record: 59-5-3, 44Ko’s

Died: Age 37, February 22nd, 1918

International Hall of Fame: Class of 1990

McGovern, World Bantamweight Champion (September 12th 1899 – vacated 1900) with a first round KO of Pedlar Palmer, 1899 and World Featherweight Champion (January 9th, 1900 – November 28th, 1901) with an eighth round stoppage of George Dixon while many claimed “Terrible” Terry was also heir to the World Lightweight Title  stopping then title holder Frank Erne in three rounds July 16th, 1900 most sources have the Erne fight as a non-sanctioned title fight.

Terry “Terrible” McGovern (born Joseph Terrence McGovern on March 9, 1880, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania; died February 22, 1918) was an American professional boxer who became one of the most feared punchers of the early 20th century. Standing about 5 feet 3 inches tall and fighting out of Brooklyn, he competed primarily in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions and was known for his aggressive style and exceptional knockout power.

McGovern turned professional as a teenager in the late 1890s and quickly built a reputation for ferocious, crowd-pleasing fights. On September 12, 1899, at just 19 years old, he won the vacant world bantamweight championship with a first‑round knockout of British boxer Pedlar Palmer, a bout noted as the first world title fight under Queensberry Rules to end in a one‑round knockout. He never defended that bantamweight crown, instead moving up in weight and relinquishing the title the following year.

On January 9, 1900, McGovern captured the world featherweight championship by stopping George Dixon in the eighth round at the Broadway Athletic Club in New York. He went on a dominant run as featherweight champion, defending the title multiple times—often by knockout—against contenders such as Joe Bernstein, Tommy White, Aurelio Herrera, and Oscar Gardiner. McGovern’s reign ended on November 28, 1901, when he was knocked out in the second round by Young Corbett II, who also defeated him again in a later title bout.

Although primarily a bantamweight and featherweight, McGovern also ventured into lightweight territory, including a notable 1900 victory over world lightweight champion Frank Erne in a non‑title bout at Madison Square Garden. Over the course of his career he fought through the mid‑1900s, with later contests including a hard, fast six‑round newspaper decision loss to Battling Nelson in 1906. His official record is commonly listed at around 60–65 wins with more than 40 knockouts, against only a handful of losses and draws, with additional “no decision” bouts typical of the era.

Outside the ring, McGovern’s all‑action style and personality made him a popular figure, and he also earned money as a vaudeville performer during and after his boxing career. Boxing historian Nat Fleischer later ranked him as one of the greatest featherweights of all time, and in 2003 he appeared on The Ring magazine’s list of the 100 greatest punchers. He was posthumously inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990, cementing his legacy as one of the era’s most formidable small‑man champions.

       Dmitry Bivol vs Joe Smith Jr.        

March 9th, 2019

World Boxing Association World Light Heavyweight Title

Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona, New York

March 9th

1880: Terry McGovern was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania

1900: “Terrible” Terry McGovern KO3 Oscar Gardner

1955: Raul Macias KO11 Chamrern Songkitratn

1956: Hans Stretz W12 Willi Hoepner

Ludwig Lightburn W10 Hoacine Khalfi

Rory Calhoun TKO8 Andre Tessier

Luis Ignacio TKO1 Miguel Rodriguez

1973: Danny Green was born in Perth, Western Australia

1976: Marvin Hagler W10 Willie Monroe

1979: Wilfredo Gomez KO5 Nestor Jimenez

1984: Tim Witherspoon W12 Greg Page

Carlos De Leon W12 Anthony Davis

1985: Milton McCrory W12 Pedro Vilella

1986: Donald Curry KO2 Eduardo Rodriguez

Myung Woo Yuh W15 Jose DeJesus

1987: George Foreman KO4 Steve Zouski

1989: Raul Perez W12 Lucio Lopez

1998: Sherry Cole and Chevelle Butts filed a $22 million lawsuit against boxer Mike Tyson claiming he verbally and physically abused them March 1 at a Washington bistro after his sexual advances toward one of them were spurned.

2001: Dale Crowe KO10 Greg Page

2002: Paul Spadafora W12 Angel Manfredy

2012: Monica Acosta W10 Michelle Bonassoli

2013: Bernard Hopkins W12 Tavoris Cloud      

Keith Thurman W12 Jan Zaveck

Erica Anabella Farias KO3 Liliana Palmera

Argenis Mendez KO4 Juan Carlos Salgado

2018: Regis Prograis TKO2 Julius Indongo

2019: Shawn Porter WSD12 Yordenis Ugas

Dmitry Bivol W12 Joe Smith Jr.

Maurice Hooker W12 Mikkel LesPierre           

Delfine Persoon RTD7 Melissa St Vil

Jessica Nery Plata W10 Alondra Garcia

Joana Pastrana W10 Ana Arrazola