BoxRec

Another Light-Heavyweight Champion who doesn't get much attention these days is big punching "Bold" Mike McTigue.

This New York based fighter was by all accounts somewhat of a 'late bloomer' in the Boxing ring but still became Champion and fought the likes of Harry Greb, Battling Siki, Battling Levinsky, Larry Gains, Tommy Loughran, Mickey Walker, Tiger Flowers, Jack Delaney, Johnny Risko & Jack Sharkey,

Quite remarkable

Any thoughts, stories or opinions on this outstanding fighter?

You must be joking when you said "big punching"

McTigue was a great tactician, yes, and quite the elusive one at that, but punching prowess was not in his repitoire...his greatest "win" over Battling Siki was a hoax, a fraud and a farce if there ever was one, losing likely 18 of the 20 rounds but still got the decision on Saint Patrick's Day in Dublin, Ireland all because McTigue was Irish.

A great fighter, though, nonetheless.

Where did you read or hear that Siki dominated the fight and won 18 out of 20 rounds? I have never heard a description of the fight that was anything like that.

The decision was "unaminous" for McTigue, saying he won 18 of 20, but in all actuality it was Siki who won 18 of 20 rounds. Even the Irish reporters said it was a travesty that Siki lost; but was Siki's own stupid mistake of fighting an Irishman on Saint Patrick's Day during an Irish civil war in the most famous city in all of Ireland.

What remains of the fight film is a heavily edited version of what took place, showing the "good parts" of McTigue getting his shots in, when in fact it was McTigue alot of the time running away and Siki piling on the points.

RING magazine posted the story not too long ago, but I have heard of that for years. You never heard of that?

HomicideHenry wrote:You must be joking when you said "big punching"

I've read he was a good puncher? Maybe 'big' puncher was the wrong word to use.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

A decent puncher may be the best desricption. He did stop Paul Berlandbach in 4 rounds. Most of McTigue's other big wins were by decison. He didn't have a high ko %, but of course back then fights weren't stopped as easily.

HomicideHenry wrote:The decision was "unaminous" for McTigue, saying he won 18 of 20, but in all actuality it was Siki who won 18 of 20 rounds. Even the Irish reporters said it was a travesty that Siki lost; but was Siki's own stupid mistake of fighting an Irishman on Saint Patrick's Day during an Irish civil war in the most famous city in all of Ireland.

What remains of the fight film is a heavily edited version of what took place, showing the "good parts" of McTigue getting his shots in, when in fact it was McTigue alot of the time running away and Siki piling on the points.

RING magazine posted the story not too long ago, but I have heard of that for years. You never heard of that?

No, I didn't see the Ring Magazine article, and am skeptical of it's accurracy.

I checked through a few of my books and found nothing that supports the idea that Siki was ripped off against McTigue.

Harry Carpenter's Boxing: An Illustrated History doesn't say anything about the decision being bad.

Gilbert Odd's Encyclopedia of Boxing does point out that the fight was in Dublin on St Patrick's Day (which may be a hint that McTigue may have gotten the benefit of the doubt), but doesn't say that it was a bad decision.

Nat Fleischer and Sam Andre's Illustrated History of Boxing says that McTigue "battered" Siki in winning the title.

If you look up Battling Siki on Cyberboxingzone.com you can see where it specifically says that "Observers do state that McTigue deserved to win and was not the recipient of a hometown decision".

The Bridgeport Telegram
16 March1926


DELANEY IS VICTOR
OVER MIKE M'TIGUE
IN FORTH ROUND
FIGHT IS STOPPED

Bridgeport Boxer Is First to
Knock Out Former World's
Light-Heavyweight Champion


Caesar had met his Brutus and Mike McTigue his Jack Delaney— both on the ides of March. Turn back the pages of History and you will find how the famous emperor was put out of the picture by one of his closest friends, and now gaze about the newly finished page of pugilism's records and you will learn how the once light heavyweight champion of the world fell before the dynamite beating fists of Bridgeport .Jack Delaney and how the famed Park-City warrior shook all the jinxes of his career and the day.

With only one or two seconds to go in the fourth round of a scheduled 12 round battle here tonight, referee Patsy Haley stepped between the reeling and groggy McTigue and stopped one of the most sizzling battles ever staged in Tex Rickard's boxing amphitheatre. A right cross to the chin as McTigue backed away spilled him to the canvas with the round half over.

The former champion rose to meet a cool collected fighter who backed him to the ropes, and showered him with punches until another right sent the Irishman sprawling through the ropes. McTigue rose again at
nine but the referee stopped the contest to save the former champion from further punishment.

He had no sooner finished his act than the bell rang. And many of the fans were bewildered thinking that The gong had saved McTigue from oblivion.

Goes Into Oblivion.


It is truly oblivion that McTigue was sent into here tonight. The veteran of 14 years of ring campaigning has never been sent to the canvas before and perhaps some of his Celtic superstition may be coupled
with his failure tonight. McTigue has barely nosed out of his heavyweight title by Paul Berlenbach last summer and was promised a return bout if victorious tonight. that plum and huge purse w ill go to Jack Delaney.

Bridgeport fandom well knew the jinx’s that have been pursuing Jack Delaney in his battles in the New Garden. In every fourth of the four fights that he has had here Delaney made great spurts. Onthree occasions he sent his opponent to the canvas but was never able to finish any of them until tonight

FIGHT BY ROUNDS

ROUND ONE

Delaney hooked a left to the jaw. Jack hooked a left to the nose and another one to the cheek. Mike hooked a left to the center. Jack swung a right to the body. Mike hooked a right to the head. Jack was short with a left to the body. Mike swung a right to the head. Jack led the left to the body and another to the jaw and landed left and right to the face. Mike hooked a right to the face. It was Delaney's round. He was the
aggressor.

ROUND TWO:

They were both short with left leads. Jack jabbed a left to the face. Delaney hooked a solid right over the eye. Mike did some fancy blocking. Jack jabbed a left to the face. Delaney hooked a left to the head. Mike poked two rights on the ribs. Delaney rushed in with both hands to the head. Jack hung a right on the ear. Mike used his right on the body in a clinch. Delaney rushed Mike to the ropes and swung both hands to the head. Mike was unhurt. Delaney's round.

ROUND THREE:

McTigue's left for the body was blocked. Jack Hooked a left to the cheek. He repeated The blow. Mike was short with a left that looked low. Delaney hooked a left to the stomach, but Mike swung a right to the ribs. McTigue was not fighting and the crowd was razzing. Mike jabbed two rights to the nose. Delaney landed a right uppercut and received in return. Mike jabbed two to the nose. Delaney hooked a left to the body. Jack hooked two rights under the heart and received a hard right to the head. McTigue was fighting better but It was Delaney's round on aggressiveness.

ROUND FOUR:

There was not a blow struck in the first half minute. Mike jabbed a left to the head. Delaney hooked a left to the stomach. Delaney missed a wicked left hook in the face. McTigue hooked a left to the face. Jack landed a hard right uppercut to the head and followed with a right that sent Mike to the floor. Mike arose on one knee and took full nine counts. He arose and rushed Into a clinch. Delaney rushed McTigue to the ropes and with several left uppercuts sent Mike to his knees and at nine counts struggled to his feet. Referee Haley saw his condition and stopped the fight. One second later the bell rang. But the fight was over and went to Delaney on a technical knockout in the fourth round.

McTigue would be completely forgotten to history if it werent for a very poor decision win over Siki (who wasnt all that great himself). McTigue was good (not great) defensively but a lot of that reputation is based on the fact that he would go into a shell for long LONG stretches at a time losing round after round. During the no decision era he was chided constantly for doing nothing but trying to survive to the end of the fight. He had a decent right hand punch, not bad not great but he rarely opened up and tried to land it with any force. To his credit he had a sort of resurgance later in his career when he was older and during this period he showed much more heart and skill that in his prime and thats probably because at his age he was forced to use everything in his repertoire just to be able to be competetive. I guess my point is that there were quite a lot of fighters in the two or three weight classes that McTigue fought in who today are barely remembered that were active in McTigues time and much better than him.

Again, I am skeptical that the decison against Siki was bad; as I have pointed out I have seen sources that don't say the decision was bad and haven't seen any that say it was.

As for the barely remembered fighters of Mctigue's era that were in his weight class that were much better than him; Specifically who are you referring to?

HomicideHenry wrote:The decision was "unaminous" for McTigue, saying he won 18 of 20, but in all actuality it was Siki who won 18 of 20 rounds. Even the Irish reporters said it was a travesty that Siki lost; but was Siki's own stupid mistake of fighting an Irishman on Saint Patrick's Day during an Irish civil war in the most famous city in all of Ireland.

What remains of the fight film is a heavily edited version of what took place, showing the "good parts" of McTigue getting his shots in, when in fact it was McTigue alot of the time running away and Siki piling on the points.

RING magazine posted the story not too long ago, but I have heard of that for years. You never heard of that?

I have the film.

McTigue won.

You certainlyy charge in with your half-cocked garbage, don't you Henry?

McTigue's fight with Jack Sharkey (easily available) shows he was a dangerous right hand puncher.

And a very game fighter.

Henry, your posts show you are a loudmouth who charges in on topics where you don't have a clue.

You fool no one.

KOJOE90 wrote:

HomicideHenry wrote:You must be joking when you said "big punching"

I've read he was a good puncher? Maybe 'big' puncher was the wrong word to use.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

KO,

Why do you have to "read" ?

Get the films of his fights and you can see for yourself.

granberry wrote:KO,

Why do you have to "read" ?

Get the films of his fights and you can see for yourself.

granberry. I would love to have some of his fights on tape/DVD but they are not easily available here in the UK.

Of course if you can help me on this matter that would be appreciated (eg UK based, reliable traders etc)

KOJOE90 wrote:

granberry wrote:KO,

Why do you have to "read" ?

Get the films of his fights and you can see for yourself.

granberry. I would love to have some of his fights on tape/DVD but they are not easily available here in the UK.

Of course if you can help me on this matter that would be appreciated (eg UK based, reliable traders etc)

Joe,

Two fights I have are

the Siki fight, where McTigue has a very weird boxing stance, leaning away from Siki

and the Sharkey fight, which is well worth getting.

The ref stopped it in the final round and gave it to Sharkey because of severe cuts on McTigue's face.

It seems to me one of the monitors here (Broncano? Enrique?) has lots of films and used to be willing to trade/exchange them.

These films are easily available from many sources here in the US.

I think you could get them if you put your mind to it.

Get a boxing magazine and read the want ads where people who sell copies of these films put their ads.

Write to each of them and ask for their catalogues of fights.

If an Cranberry really has the film of Siki-McTigue he can see that McTigue got a gift. Unless you can give a guy points for running, cowering against the ropes, turning your back on an opponent, and stick out your left hand in what the reports call a jab but which wouldnt dent a wet paper bag.

granberry wrote:

KOJOE90 wrote:

granberry wrote:KO,

Why do you have to "read" ?

Get the films of his fights and you can see for yourself.

granberry. I would love to have some of his fights on tape/DVD but they are not easily available here in the UK.

Of course if you can help me on this matter that would be appreciated (eg UK based, reliable traders etc)

Joe,

Two fights I have are

the Siki fight, where McTigue has a very weird boxing stance, leaning away from Siki

and the Sharkey fight, which is well worth getting.

The ref stopped it in the final round and gave it to Sharkey because of severe cuts on McTigue's face.

It seems to me one of the monitors here (Broncano? Enrique?) has lots of films and used to be willing to trade/exchange them.

These films are easily available from many sources here in the US.

I think you could get them if you put your mind to it.

Get a boxing magazine and read the want ads where people who sell copies of these films put their ads.

Write to each of them and ask for their catalogues of fights.

Thanks for the information on which fights are out there. It's always usefull to know these things.

I admit I am over-cautious when it comes to using 'film traders' as I have had my fingers burnt in the past and tend to stick to the few I trust.

But hopefully in the fullness of time my collection of pre -WW2 era fights will grow.

Also anyone here read this book?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bloody-Canvas-M ... 25&sr=1-66

Joe,

Be sure to get the McTique fight with Jack Sharkey.

Several lightheavyweight champions tried their luck as heavyweights and ran into Sharkey, who boxed as well or better than they did and was bigger and stronger and hit harder since he was a genuine heavyweight.

In comparison to Loughran (KO'd in 3 rounds) and Jack Delaney (KO'd in one round),

McTique gave Sharkey a real fight.

McTigue shows a vicious, dangerous right hand against the bigger Sharkey.

McTigue also shows great gameness, with the ref stopping the fight in the final round because cuts McTigue suffered.

Granberry, I personally do not like being called a..."loudmouth who charges in on topics you have no clue about"...

The story of the fight is greatly talked about in the novel/biography entitled: Battling Siki, A Tale of Ring Fixes, Race, and Murder in the 1920's written by Peter Benson.

Do you know the original odds of the fight were 2-1 for Siki, only to change to 7-5 for McTigue? Do you also know that Siki lost a good deal of weight on the boat taking him to Ireland and also suffered an injury to his ankle?

How's this for your "great puncher" [McTigue]: 36 No-Decisions throughout his career and won 24 by decision? That's 60 fights that went the distance. Hardly the stuff of punching prowess.

To the best of my knowledge only a film reel of the fight still exists (a newsreel to be exact) that was heavily edited, but showed Siki in the earl rounds pounding away at McTigue, the middle rounds show Siki still in charge, and then in the later rounds it shows McTigue out of the blue turns the tables on Siki showing McTigue one, two, three straight counters....and that's the end of the newsreel.

The New York Times called the fight a "tame affair", The Irish Times called it "disappointing". The Paris Herald stated that Siki was all over McTigue. The Irish Times also said Siki easily won the first six rounds.

Le Populaire has Siki winning the first 10, also rather easily. The British Home Office said that as late as the 17th round McTigue had stayed so passively on the defensive that he no longer had no chance to win.

In the 11th round Siki split McTigue's right eyebrow, and in the 12th (according to Le Populaire) McTigue's blood started to flow. But all the papers stated that McTigue, in this round, scored a flash knockdown; ironically it's never shown in the newsreel or by some other newspaper accounts.

McTigue's biggest moment happened in the 18th [which in the newsreel showed McTigue landing the straight counters], but even then the New York Times said Siki was "well ahead on points" coming into the 19th round. The Irish Times wrote: "[Siki] was driving his man [McTigue] to the ropes."

The Petit Parisien wrote [after McTigue was announced the winner]: "(the decision) was badly enough recieved" and that "violent protests arose within the hall" and that "the Irish themselves were not the last to show their discontemtment."

Siki himself complained that he won at least 17 of the 20 rounds, and he later said: "I will never go to Ireland again, unless I can cross by way of England. I lost so much weight during the ocean trip to Ireland and back that I am now a middleweight."

Another tid bit of information is that the Siki-McTigue bout was one of the last 20-round championship bouts to ever take place.

HomicideHenry wrote:Another tid bit of information is that the Siki-McTigue bout was one of the last 20-round championship bouts to ever take place.