Vintage boxing artwork
THE RING ALMANAC
THE RING ALMANAC
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Bantamweight–Featherweight · Bare-Knuckle & Gloves (1880–1919)

Terry McGovern

"Terrible Terry"

Top 100 · #94 · 53.5 points
66
Wins
5
Losses
8
Draws
45
KOs
68%
KO %
Born
1880
Died
1918
Nationality
USA
Career
1897–1908

An explosive two-division champion whose all-out aggression made him a turn-of-the-century sensation.

Titles & Honours

Career Timeline

1897–1908
  1. Milestone

    First recorded professional bout

    vs Johnny Snee · L DQ

    View fight record
  2. Milestone

    25th recorded win

    vs Patsy Haley · KO. Newspaper decisions excluded.

    View fight record
  3. Title history

    Title reign begins

    World Featherweight Champion (1900–1901). Year from profile title history; exact title-winning bout not identified.

    View title / honour details
  4. Signature fight

    vs George Dixon

    W TKO · Broadway A.C., 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.

    View fight record
  5. Milestone

    50th recorded win

    vs Joe Bernstein · KO. Newspaper decisions excluded.

    View fight record
  6. Signature fight

    vs Joe Gans

    W KO · Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.. Archive selection: one of the first three wins over distinct fighters profiled here, not an expert-selected signature fight.

    View fight record
  7. Milestone

    Latest recorded bout

    vs Young Corbett II · D NWS. Not necessarily the retirement date.

    View fight record

Title wins · dates not yet documented

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

Full-length portrait of pugilist Young Corbett wearing a light colored sweater and dark pants, leaning back with his left fist forward, standing in a stairwell hallway in the Chicago Daily News buildi
Full-length portrait of pugilist Young Corbett wearing a light colored sweater and dark pants, leaning back with his left fist forward, standing in a stairwell hallway in the Chicago Daily News buildi
Terry McGovern (1880 - 1918), a boxer who held the world bantamweight and featherweight titles
Terry McGovern (1880 - 1918), a boxer who held the world bantamweight and featherweight titles
Terry McGovern, american boxer.
Terry McGovern, american boxer.
Title: Scribner's Gay Morning Glories Abstract: 1 print : color lithograph ; sheet 107 x 69 cm. (poster format)
Title: Scribner's Gay Morning Glories Abstract: 1 print : color lithograph ; sheet 107 x 69 cm. (poster format)
Photograph of George Dixon
Photograph of George Dixon

5 archival photographs under their original licences.

Fight-by-Fight Record

DateResultOpponentMethodRoundVenue
1897-04-03LJohnny SneeDQ4Greenwood A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1897-04-17WFrankie BarnesPTS10Greenwood A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1897-05-05WEddie AveryPTS4Polo A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1897-05-22WKid DoughertyPTS10Greenwood A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1897-06-07WTom McDermottPTS10Greenwood A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1897-06-19DTommy SullivanPTS10Greenwood A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1897-08-16WEddie GoodbodyPTS10Greenwood A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1897-08-23WBilly BarrettPTS10Greenwood A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1897-09-18WJack LeonTKO7Greenwood A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1897-10-02WJohnny ReaganTKO6Greenwood A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1897-10-09WJack DoyleTKO7Greenwood A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1897-10-23NCEddie GoodbodyND1Greenwood A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1897-11-13WHarry PetersonPTS6Polo A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1897-12-18WCharles RodenPTS6Polo A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1897-12-31WJack KellyKO2National A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1898-02-25WBilly MaynardPTS8Waverly A.C., Yonkers, New York, U.S.
1898-03-12WPinky EvansPTS8Waverly A.C., Yonkers, New York, U.S.
1898-04-15WFred MayoTKO6Jacque's Auditorium, Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S.
1898-05-05DGeorge MonroePTS20Waverly A.C., Yonkers, New York, U.S.
1898-06-11WGeorge MonroeKO24Greater New York A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1898-07-23LTim CallahanDQ11Pelican A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1898-08-04WGeorge MonroeDQ7Greenwood A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1898-08-20DTim CallahanPTS20Pelican A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1898-09-15WEugene GarciaKO5Greenwood A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1898-10-01WHarry ForbesKO15Pelican A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1898-11-19WTim CallahanKO10Greenwood A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1898-11-26WPatsy DonovanKO3Nonpareil A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1898-12-17WJimmy RoseKO2Greenwood A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1898-12-31WAustin RiceKO14Pelican A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1899-01-30WCasper LeonKO12Greenwood A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1899-02-18WFred SnyderNWS6Nonpareil A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1899-03-14WPatsy HaleyKO18Lenox A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1899-04-28WJoe BernsteinPTS25Broadway A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1899-05-26WSammy KellyKO5Broadway A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1899-06-08WBilly BarnettKO10Broadway A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1899-07-01WJohnny RitchieKO3Westchester A.C., Tuckahoe, New York, U.S.
1899-09-12WPedlar PalmerKO1Westchester A.C., Tuckahoe, New York, U.S.
1899-09-29WFred SnyderTKO2Westchester A.C., Tuckahoe, New York, U.S.
1899-10-09WBilly RotchfordKO1Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1899-11-18WPatsy HaleyKO1Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1899-11-18WTurkey Point Billy SmithKO3Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1899-11-30WEddie SpragueKO2Coliseum, Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
1899-12-11WJames J Corbett Jr.KO2Trocadero, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1899-12-12WKid BlackKO3Trocadero, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1899-12-18WCharlie MasonKO2People's A.C., Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
1899-12-18WFreckles O'BrienKO1People's A.C., Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
1899-12-22WHarry ForbesTKO2Broadway A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1900-01-09WGeorge DixonTKO8Broadway A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1900-01-29WJack WardTKO1North Avenue Rink, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
1900-02-01WEddie SantryTKO5Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1900-03-09WOscar GardnerKO3Broadway A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1900-03-15WEddie LennyKO2Industrial Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1900-04-17DTommy WhiteNWS6Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1900-04-20WTommy WarrenTKO1Broadway A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1900-05-21WEllwood McCloskeyNWS6Penn Art Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1900-06-12WTommy WhiteKO3Seaside A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1900-06-23WGeorge DixonPTS6Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1900-07-16WFrank ErneTKO3Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
1900-11-02WJoe BernsteinKO7Nonpareil A.C., Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
1900-11-13WKid BroadPTS6Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1900-12-13WJoe GansKO2Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
1901-04-30WOscar GardnerKO4Mechanic's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S.
1901-05-29WAurelio HerreraKO5Mechanic's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S.
1901-11-28LYoung Corbett IIKO2Coliseum, Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
1902-02-02WDave SullivanTKO15Southern A.C., Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
1902-02-06WJoe BernsteinNWS6Industrial Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1902-02-25WBilly MaynardKO4Penn Art Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1903-03-31LYoung Corbett IIKO11Mechanic's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S.
1903-09-26WLew RyallNWS6National A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1903-10-03WBilly WillisNWS6National A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1903-10-20WJimmy BriggsPTS15Criterion A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
1903-12-19WBilly WillisNWS6National A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1904-01-01WYock HennigerKO2Lyric Theatre, Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1904-10-10WEddie HanlonTKO4Industrial Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1905-10-18WHarlem Tommy MurphyTKO1National A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1906-03-14LBattling NelsonNWS6National A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1906-05-16DYoung LoughreyNWS6National A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1906-05-26DSpike RobsonNWS6National A.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
1906-05-28DJimmy BrittNWS10Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
1906-10-17DYoung Corbett IINWS6National A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Showing 80 of 80 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).

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