Vintage boxing artwork
THE RING ALMANAC
THE RING ALMANAC
← A–Z Index
Welterweight · Golden Age (1920–1959)

Jimmy McLarnin

"Baby Face"

Top 100 · #57 · 58.4 points
55
Wins
11
Losses
3
Draws
21
KOs
38%
KO %
Born
1907
Died
2004
Nationality
Ireland / Canada
Career
1923–1936

A hard-hitting Irish-born welterweight who beat a remarkable list of Hall of Famers.

Titles & Honours

Career Timeline

1923–1936
  1. Milestone

    First recorded professional bout

    vs Young Fry · W KO

  2. Signature fight

    vs Fidel LaBarba

    W PTS · Vernon Arena, Vernon , California, U.S.. Archive selection: one of the first three wins over distinct fighters profiled here, not an expert-selected signature fight.

  3. Signature fight

    vs Pancho Villa

    W PTS · Oaks Park , Emeryville , California, U.S.. Archive selection: one of the first three wins over distinct fighters profiled here, not an expert-selected signature fight.

  4. Milestone

    25th recorded win

    vs Bud Taylor · DQ. Newspaper decisions excluded.

  5. Signature fight

    vs Billy Petrolle

    W UD · Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York , U.S.. Archive selection: one of the first three wins over distinct fighters profiled here, not an expert-selected signature fight.

  6. Milestone

    50th recorded win

    vs Benny Leonard · TKO. Newspaper decisions excluded.

  7. Title history

    Title reign begins

    World Welterweight Champion (1933–1934, 1935–1936). Year from profile title history; exact title-winning bout not identified.

  8. Title history

    Title reign begins

    World Welterweight Champion (1933–1934, 1935–1936). Year from profile title history; exact title-winning bout not identified.

  9. Milestone

    Latest recorded bout

    vs Lou Ambers · W UD. Not necessarily the retirement date.

Derived from the current archive and profile honours. Title-reign years are not exact bout dates; title claims are not independently verified. Signature fights use existing profile selections, or clearly labelled wins over other archived fighters when no selections exist. Year-only dates retain their original precision.

Photo Archive

Jimmy McLarnin in a boxing pose
Jimmy McLarnin in a boxing pose

1 archival photographs under their original licences.

Fight-by-Fight Record

DateResultOpponentMethodRoundVenue
1923-12-19WYoung FryKO1Hasting Gym, Vancouver , British Columbia
1923-12-28WMickey GillMD7Hastings Gym, Vancouver , British Columbia
1924-02-13WFrankie SandsPTS4Oakland Auditorium Arena , Oakland , California, U.S.
1924-02-22WEddie CollinsTKO3Oakland Auditorium Arena , Oakland , California, U.S.
1924-03-05WJoe CondeTKO3Oakland Auditorium Arena , Oakland , California, U.S.
1924-03-19WFrankie SandsPTS4Oakland Auditorium Arena , Oakland , California, U.S.
1924-03-26WSammy LeePTS4Oakland Auditorium Arena , Oakland , California, U.S.
1924-04-04WJimmy GriffithsPTS4Oakland Auditorium Arena , Oakland , California, U.S.
1924-04-09WFrankie GrandettaPTS4Oakland Auditorium Arena , Oakland , California, U.S.
1924-04-24WJohnny Jockey LightnerPTS4Oakland Auditorium Arena , Oakland , California, U.S.
1924-04-30WJockey Joe DillonPTS4Oakland Auditorium Arena , Oakland , California, U.S.
1924-05-02WJimmy GriffithsPTS4L-st Arena, Sacramento , California, U.S.
1924-05-14WAbe GordonKO2Oakland Auditorium Arena , Oakland , California, U.S.
1924-08-15WMickey GillMD10Arena, Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada
1924-09-30WBenny DiazPTS4Vernon Arena, Vernon , California, U.S.
1924-10-07WFrankie DolanPTS4Vernon Arena, Vernon , California, U.S.
1924-10-14WYoung NationalistaPTS4Vernon Arena, Vernon , California, U.S.
1924-10-28WFidel LaBarbaPTS4Vernon Arena, Vernon , California, U.S.
1924-11-11DFidel LaBarbaPTS4Vernon Arena, Vernon , California, U.S.
1924-12-09DMemphis Pal MoorePTS4Vernon Arena, Vernon , California, U.S.
1925-01-13WFidel LaBarbaPTS10Vernon Arena, Vernon , California, U.S.
1925-03-24WTeddy SilvaPTS10Vernon Arena, Vernon , California, U.S.
1925-04-11WYoung FarrellPTS6Lyceum A.C., Los Angeles, California, U.S.
1925-04-18WEddie Spec RamiesKO6Recreation Park , San Francisco, California, U.S.
1925-06-02LBud TaylorPTS10Vernon Arena, Vernon , California, U.S.
1925-07-04WPancho VillaPTS10Oaks Park , Emeryville , California, U.S.
1925-11-12WJackie FieldsKO2Olympic Auditorium , Los Angeles, California, U.S.
1925-12-08WBud TaylorDQ2Vernon Arena, Vernon , California, U.S.
1926-01-12LBud TaylorPTS10Vernon Arena, Vernon , California, U.S.
1926-03-03WJoey SangorKO3Olympic Auditorium , Los Angeles, California, U.S.
1926-03-17LJohnny FarrPTS10Olympic Auditorium , Los Angeles, California, U.S.
1926-09-07WJoe GlickPTS10Vernon Arena, Vernon , California, U.S.
1926-10-15LDoc SnellPTS10Legion Stadium, Hollywood , California, U.S.
1927-02-22DTommy CelloPTS10Recreation Park , San Francisco, California, U.S.
1927-04-05WTommy CelloPTS10Olympic Auditorium , Los Angeles, California, U.S.
1927-05-06WFreeman BlackKO2San Diego Coliseum, San Diego , California, U.S.
1927-05-27WJohnny LamarPTS10Legion Stadium, Hollywood , California, U.S.
1927-06-24WLope TenorioPTS10Legion Stadium, Hollywood , California, U.S.
1927-09-09WCharlie McBrideKO2San Diego Coliseum, San Diego , California, U.S.
1927-09-23WDon LongKO3San Diego Coliseum, San Diego , California, U.S.
1927-10-18WLouis KaplanKO8Chicago Stadium , Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1927-11-23WBilly WallacePTS10Olympia Stadium , Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
1928-02-24WSid TerrisKO1Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York , U.S.
1928-05-21LSammy MandellUD15Polo Grounds , New York City, New York , U.S.
1928-06-21WPhil McGrawTKO1Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York , U.S.
1928-08-02WStanislaus LoayzaKO4Olympia Stadium , Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
1928-11-30LRay MillerRTD7Olympia Stadium , Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
1929-01-11WJoe GlickUD10Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York , U.S.
1929-03-01WJoe GlickKO2Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York , U.S.
1929-03-22WRay MillerUD10Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York , U.S.
1929-10-09WSergeant Sammy BakerKO1New York Coliseum , Bronx , New York , U.S.
1929-11-04WSammy MandellUD10Chicago Stadium , Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1929-12-13WRuby GoldsteinKO2Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York , U.S.
1930-03-01WSammy MandellUD10Chicago Stadium , Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1930-03-28WJack ThompsonUD10Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York , U.S.
1930-09-11WAl SingerKO3Yankee Stadium , Bronx , New York , U.S.
1930-11-21LBilly PetrolleUD10Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York , U.S.
1931-05-27WBilly PetrolleUD10Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York , U.S.
1931-08-20WBilly PetrolleUD10Yankee Stadium , Bronx , New York , U.S.
1932-08-04LLou BrouillardSD10Yankee Stadium , Bronx , New York , U.S.
1932-10-07WBenny LeonardTKO6Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York , U.S.
1932-12-16WSammy FullerTKO8Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York , U.S.
1933-05-29WYoung Corbett IIITKO1Wrigley Field , Los Angeles, California, U.S.
1934-05-28LBarney RossSD15Madison Square Garden Bowl , Queens , New York , U.S.
1934-09-17WBarney RossSD15Madison Square Garden Bowl , Queens , New York , U.S.
1935-05-28LBarney RossUD15Polo Grounds , New York City, New York , U.S.
1936-05-08LTony CanzoneriUD10Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York , U.S.
1936-10-05WTony CanzoneriUD10Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York , U.S.
1936-11-20WLou AmbersUD10Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York , U.S.

Showing 69 of 69 recorded fights · last updated 2026-10-11. Imported record tables are not independently verified and may be incomplete. Early-era logs include newspaper decisions (NWS), which are not counted in the official totals above.

Record notes

Fight record last retrieved: 2026-10-11. Title histories remain subject to archival review.

Historical-era totals differ between record-keeping conventions (newspaper decisions, exhibitions).

Compare with another fighter