Charles McCoy
Titles: middleweight champion 1897
Record: 86-6-6
Born: October 13, 1872 in Rush County, Indiana (USA)
Years active: 1891-1916
Nickname: Kid or The Corkscrew Kid
Charles "Kid" McCoy is best known for his "corkscrew punch" in which he rotated
his fist just before and during the impact of the punch to create cuts on his
opponents face. But he was much more than just a one punch boxer, he was
clever, controversial and also a very popular at the beginning of the new
century. He was popular the world over as he traveled the world to box in
England, France and South Africa. He was a crowd favorite who toyed with his
opponents, he would point into the crowd or a opponents feet during a bout and
if his opponent would be dumb enough to look he would punch him while he was
looking away. In a weird twist the American phrase"The Real McCoy" was also
credited with being created because of him Charles. McCoy always looking for a
psychological as well as physical advantage would feign sickness or state that
he had not trained for a particular fight. But come the day of the fight McCoy
would show up ever fit and ready, the press and people surrounding McCoy would
state that "the real McCoy" had shown up for a fight. It is also claimed he
would take dives in fights which might have also lead to the nickname? Because
of his skill and the times McCoy would also often fight heavyweights like Joe
Choynski, Peter Maher and former champ James J. Corbett. At heavyweight he
found better than average success but at middleweight through light heavyweight
he was the top of his class at the turn of the century. Outside of the ring
life was just as turbulent as inside of it, as McCoy would be married 8 times
(it is claimed he married up to 10 times to 8 women) and owned a bar and did
detective work on the side! Born in Indiana he ran away from home at a early
age because of a fanatically religious father, thus getting the nickname "kid"
when he entered fights at the age of 17 while on the run from home. He took the
name McCoy (real name was Norman Shelby) from a popular burglar in novels of
the time. He found success early as 12 of his first 18 opponents were knocked
out and traveled all over the USA for fights. McCoy was thought of (but never
officially a world champion) as world after defeating Tommy Ryan and Mysterious
Billy Smith in 1896 by disqualification. McCoy only got the fight Tommy Ryan
because he told Ryan he was dying of consumption and wanted one last payday. In
the Ryan fight McCoy also asked Ryan (a former partner) to take it easy on him
since he was ill and was not getting much money for the bout. Ryan foolishly
did so, after 3 rounds McCoy turned into a windmill of punches and had Ryan
confused and hurt. After 15 rounds Ryan could take no more and was knocked out
in the 15th round. McCoy gained even more credibility after Bob Fitzsimmons
vacated the middleweight crown and McCoy knocked out Dan Creedon in the 15th
round. McCoy never once defended his title and instead fought more lucrative
bouts in the heavyweight division (some things never change). He won two of his
first three bouts in that weight including a win over Gus Ruhlin and ever tough
and seasoned Joe Choynski. But would loose to Tom Sharkey who was the equal to
McCoy in toughness and dirty tricks. In 1900 McCoy sought the heavyweight title
and knocked out and Jack Bonner among others. When he took on James Corbett at
heavyweight it was a step up in boxing size and skill he was not ready for.
Corbett knocked McCoy out in 5 very dull, very one sided rounds and rumors of a
fix abounded.... was it "the real McCoy" who fought? The rumors were finally
brought to a end when famous sportsman and president Theodore Roosevelt
declared that the fight was not fixed. When a newly created light heavyweight
was opened up it was natural for them to ask the popular McCoy to fight for the
title. McCoy was near the end of his career however and had taken a lot of
punishment at the heavyweight level. His reputation was far better than the man
who stepped into the ring. In Detroit's Metropolitan Athletic Club Jack Root
won a decision, with McCoy hitting the canvas in almost every round because of
mauling type fight it turned out to be. Root pulled way late in the fight to
earn a well deserved but lustily booed victory in the fight. He would also
loose to future light heavyweight king Philadelphia Jack O'Brien. It was the
last fight of any importance that McCoy would take part in even though he would
fight 11 more time in the next 13 years, until the age of 43. After his career
was over McCoy like many other boxers of his time tried acting but was not
popular and did not find much success. A affair with a wealthy married woman
after his acting career flopped led to her filling for divorce. But Theresa
Mors was shot to death in her apartment which she shared with McCoy in 1924.
Charles McCoy was charged with the murder and the injuring of 3 others during
the spree. He was found guilty of manslaughter not murder because of his own
dramatic testimony that Mors killed herself and was not murdered. It must have
worked to a extent because he was given 24 years of prison and only served 7
before he was released from jail. Charles left prison in 1940 and once again
married. He got a job at the Ford Motor company (some say as a gardener) but 3
years after his release from prison was found dead of an overdose of sleeping
pills.
Charles McCoy
Career Record: 86 W, 6 L, 6 D, 11 NC (56 K.O's)
- 1891 -
W (Jun-2-1891, Saint-Paul) Pete Jenkins 4
- 1892 -
W (Jun-6-1892, Indianapolis) Billy Barlow 6
W (Sep-14-1892, Indianapolis) Bob Lewis ko 1
D (Sep-29-1892, Columbus) Herb Hall 8
- 1893 -
W (Jan-11-1893, Hot Springs) Jim Dickson ko 5
W (Jan-23-1893, Hot Springs) Jim Connors ko 3
W (Feb-12-1893, Milen) ko 2
W (Feb-22-1893, Nouvelle-Orleans) Frank Lamode ko 3
W (May-4-1893, Indianapolis) Frank Murray ko 2
W (Jun-14-1893, Muncie) Kid Mc Carthy ko 3
D (Jul-23-1893, Muncie) Ike Boone 22
W (Jul-30-1893, Marion) Dick Harris ko 1
W (Aug-15-1893, Indianapolis) Frank Merritt ko 2
D (Sep-26-1893, Akron) George Bennett 8
N.C. (Oct-13-1893, Wheeling) Jack Welsh 9
W (Oct-22-1893, Pittsburgh) Deaf Mute ko 4
- 1894 -
W (Jan-8-1894, Providence) Pat Hayden ko 2
W (Feb-12-1894, Fall River) Joe Burke ko 2
W (Mar-16-1894, New Bedford) Jim Scully 6
L (May-10-1894, Cleveland) Billy Steffers ko 1
D (May-18-1894, Minneapolis) Jim Barron 10
W (Jun-1-1894, Akron) Charles Maxwell 6
W (Jul-2-1894, Cleveland) Harry O'Connor ko 3
W (Aug-12-1894, Cleveland) Jack Grace ko 7
W (Aug-29-1894, Cleveland) Billy Steffers 10
D (Oct-12-1894, Cincinnati) Al Roberts 10
- 1895 -
W (Jan-19-1895, Cincinnati) Al Roberts ko 5
W (Mar-13-1895, Memphis) Shadow Maber 10
W (Apr-19-1895, Boston) Jack Wilkes ko 2
D (May-20-1895, Boston) Dick O'Brien 25
W (Aug-1-1895, Louisville) Charles Siefert 3
W (Aug-8-1895, Louisville) Joe Sheers 3
W (Aug-15-1895, Louisville) Joe Sheers 3
W (Aug-25-1895, Louisville) Charles Siefert 3
W (Sep-2-1895, Louisville) Dick Moore ko 6
W (Oct-7-1895, Baltimore) Abe Ullmann ko 13
N.C. (Oct-13-1895, Jersey City) Arthur Walker 3
L (Nov-25-1895, London) Ted White 10
- 1896 -
W (Jan-31-1896, New York) Tommy West ko 2
W (Mar-2-1896, Maspeth) Tommy Ryan ko 15
N.C. (Mar-21-1896, New York) Joe Choynski 4
W (Apr-22-1896, Memphis) Frank Bosworth ko 2
W (May-7-1896, New York) Jim Daly ko 3
W (May-18-1896, Boston) Mysterious Billy Smith disq.6
(World, Middleweight)
W (May-30-1896, Brooklyn) Dick Moore 10
W (Dec-26-1896, Johanesburg) Billy Doherty ko 9
(World, Middleweight)
- 1897 -
W (May-26-1897, New York) Dick O'Brien 10
W (May-31-1897, Philadelphia) Jack Bonner 6
W (Jul-21-1897, Buffalo) Dick Moore ko 2
N.C. (Sep-8-1897, Syracuse) Tommy Ryan 5
N.C. (Oct-18-1897, Philadelphia) Jim Hall 6
W (Nov-12-1897, Dayton) George La Blanche ko 1
W (Nov-12-1897, Dayton) Beach Ruble ko 1
W (Nov-15-1897, Chicago) Texas Billy Smith ko 2
W (Dec-17-1897, Long Island City) Dan Creedon retiring 16
(World, Middleweight)
- 1898 -
W (Jan-18-1898, Louisville) Doc Payne ko 4
W (Feb-15-1898, Dayton) H. Long ko 2
W (Mar-4-1898, Hot Springs) Nick Burley ko 2
W (Mar-7-1898, Indianapolis) James Blackwell ko 2
W (Mar-7-1898, Indianapolis) John Tierney ko 3
W (Mar-11-1898, Fort Wayne) Jim Bates ko 1
W (Apr-4-1898, Indianapolis) Dan Molson ko 1
W (Apr-5-1898, Dayton) Tom Shea ko 2
W (May-20-1898, Syracuse) Gus Ruhlin 20
W (Dec-26-1898, Philadelphia) Joe Goddard disq.5
- 1899 -
L (Jan-10-1899, New York) Tom Sharkey ko 10
W (Mar-24-1899, San Francisco) Joe Choynski 20
W (Aug-10-1899, Dubuque) Tom Dugan ko 2
W (Aug-10-1899, Dubuque) Jack Graham 4
W (Aug-14-1899, Joplin) Jim Carter ko 5
L (Aug-18-1899, Chicago) Jack Mc Cormick ko 1
W (Sep-5-1899, New York) Geoffrey Thorne ko 3
W (Sep-19-1899, New York) Steve O'Donnell ko 6
W (Sep-27-1899, New York) Jack Mc Cormick 8
D (Oct-6-1899, Chicago) Joe Choynski 8
W (Oct-27-1899, Saint-Louis) Billy Stift ko 13
W (Nov-9-1899, Buffalo) Jack Mc Donough ko 4
- 1900 -
W (Jan-1-1900, Coney Island) Peter Maher ko 5
W (Jan-12-1900, New York) Joe Choynski ko 4
W (May-18-1900, New York) Dan Creedon kot 6
W (May-29-1900, Chicago) Tommy Ryan 6
W (Jun-1-1900, New York) Jack Bonner ko 13
L (Aug-30-1900, New York) James J. Corbett koby 5
- 1901 -
W (Dec-2-1901, London) Dave Barry ko 2
W (Dec-2-1901, London) Jack Scales ko 1
W (Dec-2-1901, London) Jack Madden ko 4
- 1902 -
N.C. (May-2-1902, Philadelphia) Fred Russell 6
N.C. (May-19-1902, Philadelphia) Kid Carter 6
- 1903 -
N.C. (Feb-23-1903, Philadelphia) Jack Mc Cormick 6
L (Apr-22-1903, Detroit) Jack Root 10
- 1904 -
W (Apr-5-1904, Philadelphia) Herr Placke ko 2
N.C. (May-14-1904, Philadelphia) Jack O'Brien 6
W (Sep-27-1904, Los Angeles) Jack Twin Sullivan 20
- 1905 -
W (Mar-8-1905, Hot Springs) Jack Crawford ko 1
- 1908 -
W (Jul-25-1908, New York) Peter Maher ko 2
N.C. (Oct-16-1908, New York) Jim Stewart 6
- 1911 -
N.C. (Mar-20-1911, Philadelphia) Jack Fitzgerald 6
W (Sep-5-1911, Toronto) Bob Day ko 1
W (Sep-22-1911, New York) Kid Ely ko 1
W (Oct-6-1911, New York) Jim Savage ko 4
W (Nov-23-1911, Paris) Hubert Roe 10
W (Dec-20-1911) Harry Croxon ko 3
- 1912 -
W (Jan-19-1912) Matthew Curran 12
W (Feb-21-1912, Nice) Petty Curran 20
- 1916 -
W (Aug-4-1916, Mission) Artie Sheridan 4