Fred and Victor McLaglen

[Cynthia14]

I have posted info about these two: Fred McLaglen and Victor McLaglen, his brother who both boxed and wrestled in Australia, Canada and the USA. I posted pics of them both in the ring with Jack Johnson. Fred sparred with and trained with Jack Johnson and a team in Canada and Australia and there are pictures of this.
Victor became famous as an Oscar winner, but he had good memories of Johnson and was proud to have stood in and fought in the ring with the first Afro-American Heavyweight Boxer in the World in 1908. Both the brothers fought under the name Fred MacKay or Fred McKay. Victor also fought with Jack Jonson in a display fight , after he became famous as an Oscar winning actor, in which he was knocked out in the third round. He tell this story in "This is your Life" 1953.

[Brute]

I remember seeing Victor McLaglen in "The Quiet Man" where he played the brother of Maureen O'Hara's character. John Wayne played maureen's husband. In the movie Wayne won a fight against Mclaglen. In real life McLaglen would have torn Wayne apart.

[Beltane]

Victor joined the British Army at age 14 and had to leave the army when his age was discovered. Four years later, he moved to Canada, where he earned a living as a wrestler and heavyweight boxer, with several notable wins in the ring. One of his most famous fights was against Heavyweight Champion Jack Johnson, in a 6 round exhibition bout. (This bout was Johnson's first bout since winning the heavyweight title from Tommy Burns.) Between bouts, McLaglen toured with a circus, which offered $25 to anyone who could go three rounds with him. He returned to England in 1913 and during World War I served as a Captain (acting) with the 10th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, part of The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires). Later he claimed to have served with the Royal Irish Fusiliers. He served for a time as military Provost Marshal for the city of Baghdad. He also continued boxing, and was named Heavyweight Champion of the British Army in 1918. After WW1 he appeared in British silent films then went to Hollywood where he became a popular character actor, with a particular knack for playing drunks.

The fight scene between Victor and John Wayne in The Quiet Man is regarded as one of the best ever staged, and can be viewed via this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bm0RIs-VJU

Wayne’s character in the film was Sean, a former boxer in the United States, a heavyweight challenger known as "Trooper Thorn." After accidentally killing an opponent in the ring, Sean hung up his gloves, vowing never to fight again.

As Brute confirms, in real life John Wayne would not have last 3 minutes with Victor in the ring.

[Brute]

Victor's brother Fred was reported to have been killed in action in World War I. This is strange because he is also reported to have fought Mike McTigue in 1921.

[Beltane]

There is a strong possibility that the Fred McKay, who fought Mike McTigue back on 18th July 1921, was another boxer either fighting under the alias of Fred Mckay or a totally different Fred McKay, if Fred McLaglen lost his life in WW1, which seems to be the assumption out there in Google land.

There is a big discrepancy in the weights that Mike McTigue and Fred McKay fought at, which indicates that 2 different Fred Mckays were involved. Mike fought around 160lbs, where as Fred McKay/McLaglen weighed in around 210lbs back in 1915, the last time Fred fought previous to the dubious 1921 bout.

One can assume that there may be an error in the books of Boxrec.

[Brute]

There is a strong possibility that the Fred McKay, who fought Mike McTigue back on 18th July 1921, was another boxer either fighting under the alias of Fred Mckay or a totally different Fred McKay, if Fred McLaglen lost his life in WW1, which seems to be the assumption out there in Google land.

There is a big discrepancy in the weights that Mike McTigue and Fred McKay fought at, which indicates that 2 different Fred Mckays were involved. Mike fought around 160lbs, where as Fred McKay/McLaglen weighed in around 210lbs back in 1915, the last time Fred fought previous to the dubious 1921 bout.

One can assume that there may be an error in the books of Boxrec.

Wouldn't be the first time.

[Brute]

"Bould Mike " McTigue went on to beat Battling Siki in 1923 to win the Light Heavyweight title. God knows who he fought in 1921.

[Mike Fitz]

I have never seen the photo of Victor And Fred with Jack Johnson. Would it be possible to E-mail it to me? Thanks Mike

[Caractacus]

Victor's brother Fred was reported to have been killed in action in World War I. This is strange because he is also reported to have fought Mike McTigue in 1921.

? ? ? just read somewhere that Fred (McLaglen) McKay joined an Australian regiment and was killed in action at Gallipoli.