Steve Taylor

Name: Steve Taylor
Alias: John Mahan
Hometown: Jersey City, New Jersey, USA
Birthplace: Kells, Ireland
Height: 183cm
Pro Boxer: Record

Exhibition bouts:

1884-10-06 Turn Hall, New York, NY, USA
vs Jack Burke
vs Mike Cleary

1886-12-10 Masonic Hall, Portland, OR, USA
vs Jimmy Carroll, 3 rounds

Background

Steve Taylor was born John McMahan and, before taking up boxing, was the coroner of Jersey City. He later joined the notoriously corrupt Tammany Hall political machine led by William "Boss" Tweed. Taylor spent much of his free time at Henry Hill's bar, the center of New York's sporting culture. He worked as a sparring partner for bare knuckle champion Joe Goss and helped train another bare knuckle boxer, Paddy Ryan, to defeat Goss.

On March 31, 1881, Taylor engaged in an impromptu boxing match with future heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan and was decisively beaten in two rounds.

Sources:
Isenberg, Michael T. John L. Sullivan and His America
Cyber Boxing Zone biography