Al McCoy (boxer)

2.1. Birth and background

Al McCoy was born Alexander Rudolph on October 23, 1894, in Rosenhayn, Deerfield Township, New Jersey. His family, who were of Jewish heritage, later relocated to Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York City, where his father worked as a kosher butcher.

2.2. Start of boxing career

McCoy began his boxing journey at the young age of 14, stepping into the ring for preliminary fights at local boxing clubs when scheduled boxers failed to appear. This informal start helped his family financially. His manager, Charley Goldman, is speculated to have advised him to change his surname to McCoy from Rudolph, possibly to conceal his boxing career from his religious parents who might have disapproved. Notably, for the first nine years of his career and through 139 fights, McCoy remained undefeated. This impressive streak was likely aided by the prevalence of "no-decision bouts" in that era, which did not officially count as losses.

2.3. Early career progression

McCoy initially started as a bantamweight before moving up in weight classes. By 1912, fighting as a 138 lb ^{(138 lb)} lightweight, he began to gain recognition. On November 9, 1912, in Philadelphia, he defeated Young Erne, a skilled Philadelphia lightweight, in a six-round bout. Newspapers noted that Erne was out of condition compared to the fit sixteen-year-old McCoy.

Transitioning to welterweight, McCoy defeated the more experienced boxer Terry McGraw in a ten-round newspaper decision on March 2, 1912, despite outweighing him. He also secured a ten-round newspaper decision victory against Dave Kurtz on July 3, 1916, in Queens. However, the then seventeen-year-old McCoy faced a setback when he fought Young Otto, an accomplished Jewish lightweight boxer from New York's Lower East Side, who was nine years his senior and known for a record of consecutive first-round knockouts. McCoy, fighting at 155 lb ^{(155 lb)} in the light middleweight range, lost to the lighter Otto.

In 1913, McCoy challenged even more formidable boxers, though knockouts became less frequent for him. In no-decision bouts, he entered the middleweight range, facing Jewish boxer Soldier Bartfield, who was known for engaging in close contests or defeating many of the era's top boxers. McCoy also fought Terry Mitchell, Billy Grup, KO Brennan, Bull Anderson, and the Zulu Kid. Newspapers generally reported him as winning these standard ten-round New York fights, with the exception of a draw against the skilled welterweight Zulu Kid. On August 11, 1913, he notably defeated Soldier Bartfield, knocking him down three times. McCoy would never again achieve such a decisive victory over Bartfield, though they met at least four more times. Bartfield, despite never winning a world title, frequently fought and often defeated more champions and top contenders than almost any other boxer of his time. McCoy also fought Wildcat Ferns to two draws by decision in Ohio, where referees were permitted to determine the outcome of a bout without a foul or knockout.

3.1. Winning the world title

On April 7, 1914, Al McCoy was originally scheduled to fight Joe Chip. However, when Joe Chip fell ill, his brother, the reigning Middleweight World Champion George Chip, agreed to step in. Chip likely underestimated the nineteen-year-old McCoy, considering it improbable that he would lose by knockout, which was required for a title change in New York. McCoy's knockout rate in his previous 100 bouts was only 23%, not typically seen as a serious threat to a champion.

McCoy's manager, Charley Goldman, advised him to aggressively pursue a knockout from the opening bell, anticipating that Chip might box cautiously against McCoy's unorthodox, left-handed style. Following this advice, McCoy landed a powerful left punch to Chip's jaw early in the first round, lifting him off the canvas and securing a victory that astonished many. The knockout occurred just one minute and fifty seconds into the first round. The Pittsburgh Press noted that the Broadway Sporting Club in Brooklyn was only "fairly filled," as spectators may have expected a loss or a poor performance from their local fighter. Robert Edgren vividly described the decisive blow, stating, "McCoy's left fist started somewhere near his knees. He brought it up with all his strength. His body swung upward with the blow as though he had been swinging at a bag. His fist landed fairly on the point of the crouching champion's unguarded chin." The Gazette Times described McCoy's winning punch as a counterpunch, writing, "Chip, eager to grasp his opportunity, started a right swing that had all the earmarks of a haymaker. McCoy crossed in with his left, shooting over a hybrid punch which was half swing and half uppercut, and the New Castle fighter (Chip) went down flat, his head striking the floor of the ring." At 19 years old, McCoy became the youngest person and the first left-handed boxer to win a Middleweight World Championship. It was also the shortest fight on record in which a boxer claimed a World Title from an opponent.

Due to his youth and unconventional style, many boxing writers and fans regarded McCoy's title win as a fluke. The Tacoma Times, three and a half years after his victory, expressed a common sentiment: "Early in 1914, Chip (George) unfortunately ran into a punch in the first round of his bout with Al McCoy, and the latter assumed the title. McCoy was never a real champion and usually dodged anyone who was likely to knock him out." The New York Evening World commented ten months after his win, "McCoy has held the title technically, as no one has in turn knocked him out. But as a champion our old friend Al is a mirth-producing object."

3.2. Championship defenses

Despite initial skepticism, McCoy's successful defense of the title for 42 consecutive bouts demonstrated his worthiness as Middleweight World Champion. According to Ken Blady, this 42-bout streak was the longest undefeated streak of any boxer to ever hold a title. During his championship reign, he faced many of the world's top contenders. He fought Soldier Bartfield twice, on November 10 and 22, 1914, in Brooklyn. Although McCoy lost both ten-round bouts by newspaper decisions, Bartfield was unable to secure a knockout, allowing McCoy to retain his title.

McCoy also took on top contenders such as Willie Lewis, Willie KO Brennan, Jewish contender Emmit "Kid" Wagner, and Italian Joe Gans. He only lost to Brennan by newspaper decision in their middleweight matchups. His bout with Lewis on October 13, 1914, at the Broadway Sporting Club in Brooklyn, nearly resulted in a knockout of Lewis, a former top welterweight contender, in the fourth round. New London's The Day reported that "the bell saved Lewis in the fourth round. He was tottering, incapable of defense, when the bell rang. He came up for the final round (fifth) groggy," and McCoy subsequently knocked him out with a telling left blow in the fifth.

On January 25, 1915, McCoy defeated the talented Joe Borrell by newspaper decision in a six-round bout in Philadelphia. Borrell had previously ended the career of former welterweight world champion Harry Lewis. McCoy's March 23, 1915, fight with Silent Martin was a close affair, with the Evening News stating McCoy "had the better of Silent Martin in seven of the ten rounds in Brooklyn," though some New York papers favored Martin.

On April 6, 1915, in Brooklyn, McCoy had a thrilling rematch with George Chip. Although the New York Times considered McCoy to have lost the ten-round no-decision bout, Chip could not knock him out, allowing McCoy to retain the world title. The following month, on May 4, 1915, in Brooklyn, he faced contender Jimmy Clabby in another title match, successfully defending against a knockout. The New London Day observed that McCoy's primary goal was to avoid a knockout, and he did not fight with a decisive edge. The paper noted that McCoy "entered the ring with the sole intention of employing every means to stay the limit, and he was successful," adding that the boxing seemed listless, and McCoy often declined to exchange blows at close range, while Clabby was the aggressor. Still fighting in Brooklyn, he also faced top contenders Young Ahearn and Silent Martin, completing both title bouts without being decisively knocked out. In November 1915, he successfully fended off another challenge from Silent Martin.

3.3. Losing the world title

McCoy's demanding schedule against top contenders began to take its toll. In 1916, he again took on Young Ahearn in a title bout and rematched with George Chip in a non-title fight, avoiding knockouts but not gaining an advantage in the New York Times' decisions. He achieved several knockouts against lesser opponents throughout 1916 before facing a critical bout with future 1926 World Middleweight Champion Harry Greb on April 30, 1917. The Pittsburgh Post reported that Greb won every round, with McCoy appearing clearly outmatched, yet Greb could not secure a knockout, even in the tenth round despite attempting to land a decisive blow.

Al McCoy finally lost his Middleweight Title on November 14, 1917, in his home city of Brooklyn, against Mike O'Dowd. He was defeated by a sixth-round knockout. The New London Day described McCoy's struggle to defend himself against O'Dowd's relentless attack: "The men fought toe-to-toe from bell to bell, not because McCoy wished it thus, but because Mike kept boring in and swinging both hands to the head and body. Al tried to clinch after every lead, but O'Dowd forced the champion to break away by the fury of his attack." The report further detailed that McCoy absorbed significant punishment in the first three rounds, and by the fourth, he took much heavier blows to the jaw and midsection, being knocked down more than once. Despite this, McCoy managed to knock O'Dowd down once with his signature left hook. In the sixth round, McCoy was knocked down twice more from head and body blows before his cornermen threw in the towel at a count of six on his third knockdown, signaling the end of his championship reign.

4.1. Southpaw style and unpopularity

McCoy was one of the first southpaw boxers to achieve world champion status across all weight classes, a significant pioneering achievement. However, his southpaw stance was often viewed unfavorably in the boxing world of his time, contributing to his general unpopularity among fans. This sentiment was encapsulated by the derogatory moniker "Cheese Champ" (へぼ王者_{hebo ōja}^Japanese), which criticized his perceived lack of aggressive, crowd-pleasing fighting.

4.2. Career assessment

Despite the criticisms and his unpopularity, McCoy's career record and achievements, particularly his long undefeated streak as champion, suggest that he was often underestimated. His ability to retain his title through numerous no-decision bouts, where a knockout was required for a loss, highlights his defensive skill and resilience. While some contemporary boxing writers questioned his legitimacy as a "real champion," his reign and the caliber of opponents he faced demonstrate a significant impact on the middleweight division of his time. Many argue that his impressive record warrants a re-evaluation, suggesting he was an undervalued fighter.

5.1. Post-championship career

Even after losing his Middleweight Title, McCoy continued to demonstrate his willingness to face top talent. He rematched with future middleweight champion Harry Greb on May 13, 1918, though he was again outmatched by Greb's superior strength and aggression. This willingness to fight strong opponents persisted despite having endured 46 title defenses as champion against some of the toughest contenders.

5.2. Film and later activities

Retiring from East Coast boxing, McCoy moved to Los Angeles with his wife, Ruth. He ventured into the film industry, appearing in the 1933 20th Century Pictures film The Bowery in a role credited as "pug." The film also featured other New York Jewish boxers such as Phil Bloom, Joe Glick, and Abe Hollandersky, alongside "Fireman" Jim Flynn and heavyweight Frank Moran. Set in the New York Bowery in the Lower East Side around the 1890s, the film included many non-professional fights and centered on a rivalry between bar owner Chuck Connors and the central character Steve Brody. Actor George Walsh portrayed the real-life character Steve Brodie, who indeed owned a Bowery bar and gained fame for jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge. The other primary character, Chuck Connors, played by Wallace Beery, managed a professional boxer. In a brief segment, Walsh's character is revealed to be the Irish heavyweight boxing champion John L. Sullivan.

On October 9, 1937, McCoy participated in the "Night of Memories" benefit event held at the Hollywood Legion Stadium. This event was organized to support Wad Wadhams, a boxing promoter who had suffered a stroke and faced mounting medical bills. Wadhams had previously worked as a matchmaker for legendary boxing promoter "Colonel" Jack Doyle, who handled contracts for Jack Dempsey. Other notable boxers featured at the benefit included Henry Armstrong, Jack Silver, Jimmy McLarnin, and Jackie Fields. Additional boxers present included Mushy Callahan, Fidel La Barba, Maxie Rosenbloom, and Jim Jeffries.

8.1. Official Record

Al McCoy's official record, as recognized by record-keeping bodies, excludes newspaper decisions from the win/loss/draw columns, treating them as "no decision" bouts.

• Wins by knockout:** 27
• Wins by decision:** 4
• Losses by knockout:** 5
• Losses by decision:** 7
• Losses by disqualification:** 2
• Draws:** 6
• No decision bouts (newspaper decisions):** 108

8.2. Unofficial Record

This expanded record includes newspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw columns, offering a broader view of Al McCoy's fight outcomes.

• Wins by knockout:** 27
• Wins by decision:** 49
• Losses by knockout:** 5
• Losses by decision:** 42
• Losses by disqualification:** 2
• Draws:** 34