| Johnny Kilbane | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | John Patrick Kilbane |
| Nickname(s) | Johnny |
| Rated at | Featherweight |
| Nationality | United States Of America |
| Born | April 9, 1889 Cleveland, Ohio |
| Died | May 31, 1957 (aged 68) Cleveland, Ohio |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 62 + 78 ND |
| Wins | 51 |
| Wins by KO | 25 |
| Losses | 4 |
| Draws | 7 |
| No contests | 2 |
John "Johnny" Patrick Kilbane (April 9, 1889 – May 31, 1957) was a featherweight boxer in the early part of the 20th century. He held the featherweight title from 1912 to 1923, the longest period in the division's history.[1] He was the second longest world title holder in boxing history, behind only Joe Louis.
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Kilbane was born to John and Mary (Gallagher) Kilbane in Cleveland, Ohio on April 9th, 1889. His mother died when he was 3 years old and his father went blind when he was 6. He attended school until the sixth grade when he dropped out to help support his family.
Kilbane's first fight was in 1907, a fight in which he made $25.
In 1912 Kilbane took the featherweight title from Abe Atell and held it for 11 years through numerous fights. He finally lost it to Eugene Criqui. (The high number of "no decision"s in his career reflects early boxing rules in many states in the U.S. that dictated "no decision"--ND—unless a fight ended by knockout.)
In October 1917, Kilbane became a lieutenant in the U.S. Army — assigned to Camp Sherman located near Chillicothe, Ohio — training U.S. soldiers self-defense during World War I.[2]
Following his boxing career, Kilbane refereed boxing matches, operated a gym, served in the Ohio State Legislature, and worked as the Clerk of the Cleveland Municipal Court. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1995.
Kilbane was such a popular prizefighter in his day that his name appeared in print as a verb. An unsigned commentary in the sports pages of the New York Times on May 16, 1912, reported on an episode involving Detroit baseball player Ty Cobb, who the day before, in a game between the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees, had gone into the stands after a heckler. The commentary said, "Ty Cobb 'johnny kilbaned' a spectator right on the place where he talks... and stopped the flow of profane and vulgar words..."
Kilbane had relatives in Achill, County Mayo.
He died on May 31, 1957 in Cleveland, Ohio.[1]