Did the great Terry McGovern win 3 titles???

[elmersalsa]

Did this great little fighter ever won 3 titles in 3 weight classes?

The Ring mentioned that this little giant won 3 world crowns in 3 different weight classes...Is it true?

To me this one of the 50 greats of boxing. I got him at #26 in my list pound per pound

[barry]

Not officially! He won the bantamweight title against Pedlar Palmer and then took the featherweight title from Dixon and a few months later he beat the reigning lightweight champion Frank Erne, though there were stipulations to where the title was not on the line.

[barry]

Here is a little info on his bout with Frank Erne:



Jul 16 vs. Frank Erne: This bout took place in New York, NY at Madison Square Garden. Erne had a record of 28-2-12 (13 KO) prior to the contest. Attendance: 14,000 (est). Erne was certainly the more clever of the two, but McGovern’s onslaught was so fierce, as it always is, that Erne could not hold him off. Erne, the World Lightweight Champion, had agreed to to get down to 128, which is five pounds below the lightweight limit for the bout. McGovern was sent to his knees in the first round after Erne landed a straight left to the chin, but Terry was up and on the attack again. In the third round a fusillade of punches to the body and head put Erne down for a nine count and he was a mask of crimson as he gallantly reached his feet. McGovern met him with another volley of punches and for a short time Erne tried to mix it with Terry, but McGovern’s attack was too fierce and Erne sank to the canvas. Courageously Erne was up again before the ten-count was tolled, but he was visibly in very bad shape and as Terry stalked and measured his opponent Frank’s seconds threw in the sponge signaling that McGovern was Erne’s master by technical knockout in three rounds. It was probably McGovern’s greatest performance and with it came Terry’s third knockout of current world champions all within nine months time; bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight world champions all fell under the furious onslaught that was Terry McGovern in the ring!

[elmersalsa]

Here is a little info on his bout with Frank Erne:



Jul 16 vs. Frank Erne: This bout took place in New York, NY at Madison Square Garden. Erne had a record of 28-2-12 (13 KO) prior to the contest. Attendance: 14,000 (est). Erne was certainly the more clever of the two, but McGovern’s onslaught was so fierce, as it always is, that Erne could not hold him off. Erne, the World Lightweight Champion, had agreed to to get down to 128, which is five pounds below the lightweight limit for the bout. McGovern was sent to his knees in the first round after Erne landed a straight left to the chin, but Terry was up and on the attack again. In the third round a fusillade of punches to the body and head put Erne down for a nine count and he was a mask of crimson as he gallantly reached his feet. McGovern met him with another volley of punches and for a short time Erne tried to mix it with Terry, but McGovern’s attack was too fierce and Erne sank to the canvas. Courageously Erne was up again before the ten-count was tolled, but he was visibly in very bad shape and as Terry stalked and measured his opponent Frank’s seconds threw in the sponge signaling that McGovern was Erne’s master by technical knockout in three rounds. It was probably McGovern’s greatest performance and with it came Terry’s third knockout of current world champions all within nine months time; bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight world champions all fell under the furious onslaught that was Terry McGovern in the ring!

Wow!!! Great info barry!!!

See folks, this forum is the best forum of the whole entire world!!! I LEARN A LOT HERE...GREAT TOPICS!!!

So barry, can you say that Terry was the first American triple champ or is it the great Tony Canzoneri???

[silkov]

I think the fact that Erne had to lose the weight negates Terrys 'claim' to the Lightweight title... you could use the same argument for the Leonard vs Lalonde fight and say that Sugar was never really champion at 175.... which I think myself. The chances are that Mcgovern would still have beaten Erne even had ERNE not lost the weight but you can never know for sure really, so all in all Canzoneri must be the first American to win 3 titles at 3 different weights...

[barry]

I wish the claim of McGovern being a three-division champion was correct, as he is one of my all-time favorites, but it just isn't right as Erne had to come in under the limit and it was clearly stated that it was not for the title. I think McGovern would have destroyed Erne under any condition, but that just was not the case. If the bout were to count for McGovern, then we would have to count all of the bouts that champions lost in non-title affairs as title bouts, which would really do a number on the lineal list as the have been many world champions to lose non-title bouts while holding the belt for they're division. Although they most certainly are three-division champions, I have difficulty giving fighters who won titles in jr and super divisions the same kind of credit that Bob Fitzsimmons, or Henry Armstrong gets as they won titles in three of the eight traditional divisions.

[silkov]

Yes far fewer fighters have won 3 titles in 'genuine' divisions.... though I am not generally against a lot of the 'Junior' titles, if only there weren't about 10 champs at every weight also.
Though it isn't and won't ever be offical, I consider Fighting Harada a 3 weight champion after he was robbed against Famechon in their first bout... and that 3 'genuine' weights also...