42

In 1903 a new light heavyweight division was created. McCoy battled Jack Root for the

title. He lost in 10 rounds. He was on a downhill slide.

By 1924 he had been married at least

eight times, he had owned a tavern, he

starred in some movies, and worked

as a private detective. In 1924 he was

convicted of manslaughter in the

shooting death of a married woman,

Therese Mors, who lived with him. He

was sentenced to 24 years in prison.

He secured an early release from

prison and, in 1940 he committed

suicide by overdosing on sleeping

pills.

McCoy's

―

corkscrew

‖

punch lived on

when Muhammed Ali used a similar

technique many years later and

claimed he invented it.

An article entitled

―

McCoy's Ring Tactics are Peculiar

‖

appeared in New York's

The

Evening World

on January 19, 1900. The writer wrote

―

The 'Kid

‖

is the most exasperating

fighter imaginable. He dances around an opponent,

slapping at the other's guard, feinting, and trying

to worry him into an imprudent move.

‖

Kid McCoy (

The San Francisco Call

photo).

On January 2, 1900,

The San Francisco Call

reported

on Kid McCoy's New Year's Day knock-out fight

with Irish Pugilist Peter Maher. The fight took

place in New York and lasted five rounds. When

interviewed after the fight, Kid McCoy said

―

Peter

looked fresher than he felt when he came out this

time. I fanned his face, then put in a left hook on

his neck. He rushed at me, and I left hooked him on

the neck again, but he bored right on me like a

runaway horse and hurled me upon the ropes. As I

got off I missed a left hook at his neck and banged

his short ribs with a right corkscrew.

‖

McCoy got a

hefty $12,000 for the fight while Maher got $4,000.