“Terrible” Terry Shows His Power
“Terrible” Terry McGovern proved to be a rare fighter at the turn of the Twentieth Century. While smaller boxers packed no power in their punches, McGovern, who scaled between 110 and 126 pounds, possessed tremendous knockout power. “Terrible” Terry often finished his opponents in the first four rounds.
“Terrible” Terry McGovern in His Boxing Prime
On July 1, 1899, Brooklyn based McGovern met Chicago’s Johnny Richie at the Westchester Athletic Club in Tuckahoe, New York. Both men weighed 110 pounds, eight pounds under the bantamweight limit. The 19-year-old McGovern’s body was still developing. Within a year, McGovern would no longer be able to bring his weight under the bantamweight limit of 118 pounds.
The correspondent for the July 2, 1899 edition of the Indianapolis Journal noted Richie looked pale and drawn, while McGovern’s muscles looked full and his complexion was normal. Richie’s condition could indicate a rough weight cut but both men were well under the weight limit. None of the accounts of the fight indicate it was contracted for a weight of 110 pounds, so Richie could have simply been recovering from an illness.
“Terrible” Terry McGovern Posing with One of His Championships
“Terrible” Terry usually tried to knock his opponent out quickly. He didn’t make an exception for this match.
In the first round, Richie threw a left hook at McGovern’s head but missed. McGovern countered with a left to the head. McGovern’s blow missed but got Richie’s attention.
Richie started clinching McGovern every time he got close enough. This tactic played right into McGovern’s strength. McGovern let loose with a withering body attack every time he was clinched.
To begin the second round, McGovern rushed across the ring and landed a right hand which staggered Richie. McGovern followed up with a second right hand to the neck, which dropped Richie.
Richie beat the count but was struck with another right hand to the head. Richie again dropped to the ground. Richie possessed notable toughness as he stood back up and returned to the fight. At the end of the second stanza,McGovern trotted back to his stool, while Richie showed noticeable fatigue.
McGovern possessed clever boxing skills in addition to his unusual punching power. Sensing Richie would not last much longer, McGovern let Richie take the lead in the third and final round. McGovern slipped and side-stepped Richie’s wild blows until he saw his opening.
McGovern slipped a clumsy right hand from Richie and countered with a powerful left hook. As Richie staggered from the effects of the blow, McGovern followed up with a right cross to the chin. Richie dropped as if shot by a cannon.
Richie showed tremendous toughness as he tried to regain his feet. After his second unsuccessful attempt to regain his feet, he fell face first in a heap in his own corner. The referee counted 10 and Richie’s corner immediately attended to their fighter.
McGovern would soon contest for the World Bantamweight Boxing Championship in September 1899. Before his career ended, boxing aficionados considered him one of the best featherweights of all time. His reputation was built on performances like this one.
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