Holding the world featherweight boxing championship for more than 11 years, Johnny Kilbane's name became synonymous with the title. His accepted record of 51-4-7, with 78 no decisions and two no contests (25 victories by way of knockout), put him in elite company with other members of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
In October 1917--while still World Featherweight Champion--Johnny Kilbane became a lieutenant in the U.S. Army to serve in World War I. Following his career as fighter, he turned to adjudication and transformed himself into a talented and prolific boxing referee. He did so while juggling other responsibilities such as operating a gym, serving in the Ohio Senate, or acting as Clerk of the Cleveland Municipal Court. As dedicated to public service as he was to pugilism, he gained the respect of his peers and his constituents and was admired for his commitment to family. This is his biography.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction: A Champion in Perpetuity
One. Birth of a Champion
Two. 1910
Three. 1911: Some of These Days
Four. 1912: The Featherweight Champion of the World
Five. 1913: A Second Title Defense
Six. 1914: Better by the Dozen
Seven. 1915: Staying East
Eight. 1916: Another Title Defense
Nine. 1917: World War I
Ten. 1918 and 1919: Boxing and Bayonets
Eleven. 1920: The Roaring Twenties
Twelve. 1921: Nothing Left to Prove
Thirteen. 1922: Let Me Think About It
Fourteen. 1923: One Last Crack
Fifteen. 1924 to 1939: A Transition
Sixteen. 1940 to 1957: All This and World War II
Appendix A: Boxing Record
Appendix B: Referee and Judging Record
Appendix C: Official Records of Associated Members of the International Boxing Hall of Fame
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
Mark Allen Baker, business executive and author of hundreds of articles and more than 25 books, is the only person to serve the International Boxing Hall of Fame as an author, historian, chairperson, sponsor, volunteer and biographer. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame, and was accorded a Lifetime Award of Merit by the State University of New York in 2022.