The Boxing Biographies Newsletter Volume 8 – No 5 7 May , 2012
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1 The Boxing Biographies Newsletter Volume 8 – No 5 7 May , 2012 www.boxingbiographies.com If you wish to sign up for the newsletters ( which includes the images ) please email the message “NEWS LETTER” [email protected] Name: Charles Kid McCoy Alias: Kid McCoy Birth Name: Norman Selby Born: 1872-10-13 Birthplace: Warsaw, Indiana, USA Died: 1940-04-18 (Age:67) Nationality: US American Hometown: Detroit, Michigan, USA Height: 5′ 11½″ / 182cm Reach: 76″ / 193cm Boxing Record: click The World 2 January 1900 KID M'COY, INVENTOR OF NEWEST KNOCKOUT. Norman Selby, whoso fighting name is Kid McCoy, is an American lad, born Twenty six years ago in Rush County, Indiana. He comes of Kentucky stock, his ancestors having lived for generations in the Blue Grass country. Selby is the newest development in the art of pugilism. He knocked Peter Maher out with a little left-hand punch on the side of the chin. The blow travelled not much more than six inches. Selby invented the blow. He calls it the corkscrew punch. He delivers it with either hand, feinting: apparently at random until he has moved the fist up within six inches of its target, then cracking it in with a twist as if he wore turning a corkscrew. The blow starts from the elbow only, and is not followed by the weight of the body. Selby can throw it in equally well whether coming in or running away. 2 Selby is a tall, thin, pale youth, modest in manner and not much of a talker. He has curly brown hair, sallow skin, and hazel eyes that gleam coldly when he is fighting. His smile in the ring is colder than ice. Story of the Maher McCoy fight told for the World by McCoy FACTS ABOUT THE FIGHT. Place - Coney Island Winner—"Kid" McCoy. Weight—McCoy, 163, Maher, 172. Club lost—$1,000. McCoy Won—$12,000. Maher Won—$4,000. Fought for gross receipts . Referee — Charley White. Knockout blow —Left on jaw Number of Spectators —4,500. In one of the fiercest of heavy-weight battles "Kid" McCoy defeated Pete Maher at the Coney island Sporting club yesterday afternoon. The knockout blow come in the fifth round. The men fought for the gross receipts, which were $16,000, Instead of a purse of $20,000 as previously agreed. McCoy was a strong favorite as the men entered the ring. McCoy tells The World accurately and picturesquely how he won the fight 3 M'COY'S STIRRING' STORY. Winner of Fiercest Fight In Years Tells The World How He Won, Peter Maher is a good man, but he isn't quite good enough. I never saw him so fast as he was this evening, I give him full credit for being one of the best men in the business to-day. I beat him just about as I expected. I had no time limit fixed on the fight. My idea was to block him off and keep out of his way, then throw it into him at the first opening. That idea I carried out exactly as I planned it. I saw an opening in the first round and dropped him, right off the reel. You probably noticed that I didn't get gay with Maher, though, as I did with Sharkey, but took my time and held him safe all the way. Some people thought Peter made a fine showing in the fourth round and had a little the best of it. He didn't though, ho was simply doing his best in a last desperate effort to turn the tide off battle. He made his struggle right there and then. After that he was through with the game. I had simply jolted all the strength out of him. I want to thank William Muldoon for the fine condition I am in and the help his training afforded me in preparing for the fight. What Caused the Delay. There was a long delay in starting the fight. Neither Maher nor myself was responsible for it. The articles of agreement provided that we were to box for a purse of $20,000. which was to be deposited three days before the fight. The money was not put up. Maher and I refused to go on this afternoon until the money was up. Finally the management put the gross receipts, $16,000, in Jimmy Wakely's hands, and we went for that, 75 per cent, to the winner and 25 per cent to the loser. Maher and I entered the ring at the same time from opposite corners. He took the northeast corner, where Jeffries sat in his battles with Fitzsimmons and Sharkey, and I took the southwest corner, which the losers occupied. But I have no superstition, and I'd just as soon have one corner as another. Maher came over and shook hands with me and wished me a Happy New Year. I wished him the same, and gave him a good, hard grip. It's a good thing to give your antagonist the strong hand before you begin to fight him. It makes him understand that you're in good shape and he'd better look out for himself. I noticed that Peter received, a floral horseshoe. That sort of thing would jar me before a fight. If there is such a thing as a hoodoo in this world, it is to have people giving you horseshoes and things and hailing you as the winner before the battle. The safest way is get your decision first; then take all the horseshoes they want to give you. Wrangle Over the Gloves. Maher objected to the gloves I provided for myself on the ground that they were "not new." They are practically new gloves. I sparred in them a few times Just to soften them up a little. Maher 4 said he wouldn't fight unless I wore the gloves the club provided, I refused to put them on because they were too loose, fully an inch and a half too big for me around the knuckles. Every time I'd hit a hook blow with those big gloves I'd be in danger of breaking my wrist or spraining it, because the padded glove stuck out on the side, so as to throw a great strain on my wrist. Maher insisted that hot. wouldn't go on unless I took off my own gloves. His objection was nonsensical. I wouldn't stand for it. The crowd began to yell "Take 'em off!" and "Fake!" and "Woo-oo-oo-do!" but I knew my business, and I wouldn't be bullied. finally Billy Muldoon advised me to "Put them on, take a chance and do him anyhow," so 1 put on the club's gloves. They were a big handicap to me, and .Maher know it. Phew! It was cold when we stripped down to trunks and shoes. The air was just as cold as outdoors. Think of two men-skating a race all naked except for breach clouts! I danced in my corner to keep warm. Then came the bell and we began. The 'Big Fight Begins. Round 1 Maher looked fine when he came out of his corner. He said he weighed 172 pounds and he looked just about that. I weighed 163 pounds. I never felt so well in my life. Peter didn't come for me with a rush as his friends thought he would. I feinted at him, left and right, making play for the body and head as fast as I could keep fiddling, and Peter did the same. As he came in cautiously I backed away. I had him worried and cautious from the start. McCoy's Marvelous Blow. I stopped backing away, and as Peter came in I feinted with left and right very fast for the jaw. Both were short. Peter thought he was safe, just as I wanted him to think. Then I looked down at his belt and he thought I was going there, but instead of that I stuck my left fist up near his jaw and gave it a little twist just as if I was sticking a corkscrew into a cork. At the end of that little twist my fist hit Peter on the point of the chin. Down he flopped as if he was shot. The blow jarred him all the way down his spine. He stayed down six seconds on hands and knees before he was able to get up. Maher was mad when he got up. He rushed at me and I simply pushed his fists away by tapping him on the wrists before he could get "set" for a blow. Then his rush carried him in against me and I clinched and held him safe. The thing is as simple as A, B, C—if you know how to do it. 5 Maher rested himself in the clinch and rushed for me with a left swing. I ducked under it easily. He knew enough not to come too close again, but sent in a long left lead for the belly. I simply stepped away out of distance. He came in again with a left swing for the head, but that was short. He rushed again. But I fooled him and kept away. I leaned far over, feinted both high and low, then gave Peter a long left jab in the belly. It hurt him. He made a wild rush for me and swung his left for the body so hard that when he missed me he flew around and bumped the ropes and sat flown on the floor.