Any idea where the information for Jack McKenna (boxer_id=084271) was obtained? He is listed as Australian Middleweight, Hometown Toronto, Ontario.
My father's father Jack McKenna was a well known Canadian boxer born and raised in North Sydney, Nova Scotia who later moved to the Chicago area to fight. He was classified at various times as a welterweight and as middleweight.
From 'A History of Boxing in Canada' on the Canadian Boxing Federation website:
"September 14, 1927 – Cape Breton Post – North Sydney champ gets revenge
It took Jack McKenna, Canada’s Middleweight Champion just thirty seconds of the 4th round to rock his opponent with a snappy right to the jaw of John Alex McIntyre, former Glace Bay welterweight. Up to the final round of the bout there had been no doubt in the minds of the spectators as to the ultimate outcome. The North Sydney boy was too big, strong and hard punching for the former Glace Bay lad, taking a liberal dose of punishment. McIntyre’s backers and handlers would have showed good judgment had they tossed in the towel in the third round as McKenna had him practically at his mercy and showered him with punches from every angle. The Glace Bay boy however preferred to go out in ring glory and as a result went under from McKenna’s crashing and famous right hand punch. Just as the gong rang at the end of the second round McIntyre was knocked to his knees and in the third and start of the fourth was dropped for the count of two by the Bar Town lad."
http://www.canadianboxing.com/profiles_content.htm
He was also listed under the 'Fighters of the Decade' for Canada in the 1920's and 1930's.
I would suspect that the New Year's Day 1924 bout with Johnny McIntyre in Sydney, Nova Scotia listed for Jack McKenna (boxer_id=084271) is the match that he got revenge for in the September 14th, 1927 fight with John Alex McIntyre.
I would also be very surprised if the fights in Sydney and Halifax, Nova Scotia from 1924 to 1928 were not also my grandfather, as I at one time perused local newspapers from the era in the Nova Scotia archives and never ran across any references to another fighter of that name fighting in the area at the time.
The Illinois fights are less certain, but I know that he was still active as a fighter after he moved to the Chicago area. The move was interesting in its own right. Jack was of Irish Catholic descent and he married my grandmother Evelyn (ne: Cann) of Protestant Scottish descent. During those less permissive times they literally had to leave not only their town, but the country. It was several years before things settled down enough for them to return.
The one fight that does not correlate with what I know of my grandfather's history is the 1930 bout in Bellingham, Washington. My guess would be that there may have been a second Jack McKenna active in the ring in North America at the time, and that the information for boxer_id=084271 is some overlap of the two.
Jack spent his later years on the Halifax Harbour Police force patrolling the docks. They were not issued firearms, but he was more than a force to be reckoned with regardless. It might have helped that their 'billy clubs' were meter long steel rods thinly wrapped in leather.
He remained active in the ring, serving as coach for the Dalhousie University boxing team until 1948 and helping with Olympic team training on at least one occasion.
Jack McKenna
I entered most of his bouts (11 of the 14 entered). The Canadian ones I entered probably came from the MONTREAL HERALD. I'm unsure where I found the Chicago ones. No doubt there were from wire reports I found in my local newspapers of the day. The Bellingham one was amended by some other BoxRec Editor, so I am unsure whether this is your father. I suspect it wasn't, but when I'm next at my local University library and can double-check the Bellingham paper, I will. BTW: I noted this in McKenna's bio: "According to the June 1, 1929 MONTREAL HERALD, McKenna married Evelyn Cann."
Thanks for the bio info. Do you have dates of birth/death, birthplace, height, reach, manager & trainer's name? Any other bouts to add to his record?
Thanks for the bio info. Do you have dates of birth/death, birthplace, height, reach, manager & trainer's name? Any other bouts to add to his record?
Hi Ric,
Jack was actually my father's father (i.e. grandfather) so I have had to do a bit of checking with older members of the family to track down some of the details for you.
Jack McKenna was born in Pictou, Nova Scotia (Canada) on March 1st, 1905 and raised in North Sydney, Nova Scotia. His height was 5'8", and I am still seeing if we can track down his reach. He passed away on August 17th, 1967.
The newspaper information on his bouts from the Nova Scotia archives was hardcopy I made of newspaper microfich. These copies are still in Nova Scotia, while I am currently in Vancouver, BC, so someone else is going to look up the references.
Best Regards,
RossAllan McKenna
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Jack was actually my father's father (i.e. grandfather) so I have had to do a bit of checking with older members of the family to track down some of the details for you.
Jack McKenna was born in Pictou, Nova Scotia (Canada) on March 1st, 1905 and raised in North Sydney, Nova Scotia. His height was 5'8", and I am still seeing if we can track down his reach. He passed away on August 17th, 1967.
The newspaper information on his bouts from the Nova Scotia archives was hardcopy I made of newspaper microfich. These copies are still in Nova Scotia, while I am currently in Vancouver, BC, so someone else is going to look up the references.
Best Regards,
RossAllan McKenna
Vancouver, BC, Canada