Kid McCoy
Encyclopedia
Charles "Kid" McCoy, who was born Norman Selby (October 13, 1872 – April 18, 1940) was an American
world champion boxer
.
, McCoy would eventually weigh 160 pounds, stand 5' 11", and go on to a record 81 wins (55 by KO, with 6 losses, 9 no decision, and 6 disqualifications). McCoy was noted for his "corkscrew punch"–a blow delivered with a twisting of the wrist. According to McCoy, he learned the punch one evening while resting in someone's barn after a day of riding the rails. He noticed a cat strike at a ball of string and imitated its actions. Whether true or not, McCoy was known as a fast, "scientific" fighter who would cut his opponents with sharp blows. He reportedly would wrap his knuckles in mounds of friction tape, to better cut his opponents faces. He was listed # 1 Light Heavyweight of all time in Fifty Years At Ringside, published in 1958. He was also regarded as a formidable puncher, and was included in Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.
champion Tommy Ryan
into a false sense of security before their non-title match by rubbing flour on his face and pretending to be ill. McCoy was also alleged to have invented the ruse of informing his opponent that his shoe was untied to enable McCoy to strike a blow when the unwary adversary would look down at his feet.
Another one of McCoy's tactics was demonstrated while McCoy was on a tour of Australia and some Pacific Isles. To supplement his income, he would take on all comers. In one unidentified port, McCoy, who scarcely weighed 160 pounds (72.6 kg), agreed to box a huge native reputed to weigh in excess of 250 pounds (113.4 kg). McCoy watched him train and noted the man fought in his bare feet. When the fight began, McCoy's corner threw handfuls of tacks into the ring, causing the bare-footed challenger to drop his guard and raise up one foot. As soon as he did so, McCoy lowered the boom on his distracted adversary.
It was thought that the expression The Real McCoy
originally referred to him. With regard to this, once again, stories abound. One scenario involves a local tough who bumped into McCoy in a bar. McCoy, who was slight of build and a dapper dresser, did not look like a fighter. The bar room bully reputedly laughed when told the slender fellow he was annoying was Kid McCoy. He then challenged McCoy to fight, and upon reviving from being knocked out allegedly remarked "Oh my God, that was the real McCoy". However, it is believed that the first recording with this spelling occurred in Canada in 1881. In James S. Bond's The Rise and Fall of the "Union club": or, Boy life in Canada, a character utters, "By jingo! yes; so it will be It's the 'real McCoy,' as Jim Hicks says. Nobody but a devil can find us there." Kid McCoy was only nine years old when this was published.
Although slight of build, McCoy captured the world middleweight championship by defeating Don Creedon. McCoy never defended the title, choosing to abandon the crown to enable him to pursue the world heavyweight championship. Despite his handicap in size, McCoy battled the best heavyweights of his era, and defeated Joe Choynski
, Gus Ruhlin and Peter Maher
. He was defeated by Tom Sharkey
and Jim Corbett
. The Corbett fight was the subject of controversy, as the ending was suspect and Corbett's estranged wife claimed the bout was fixed. That became the general opinion among New York sportwriters and another version of the genesis of the expression "the real McCoy" is that in later fights, the writers would invariably question whether "the real McCoy" would be fighting tonight.
Unfortunately, by the early 1920s McCoy was broke, addicted to alcohol and out of the movie industry. At this time however, McCoy was involved in a romance with a wealthy married woman, Teresa Mors. Apparently he swept her off her feet, for she filed for divorce from her husband. The Mors divorce was acrimonious, and dragged on until she was killed, in the apartment she shared with McCoy, by a single gunshot to the head on August 12, 1924.
The next morning, a disheveled McCoy robbed and held captive some 12 people at Mrs. Mors' antique shop, and shot one man, who was trying to escape, in the leg. He also had forced at least six other men to remove their trousers, after divesting them of their money. McCoy was apprehended and charged with the murder of Mrs. Mors. His trial took place in downtown Los Angeles, and was the media event of its day. McCoy claimed Mrs. Mors committed suicide, while the prosecution claimed he murdered her for financial gain.
McCoy testified in his own defense, and apparently put on quite a show as he demonstrated Mrs. Mors final minutes. Contending he had tried to wrestle a knife away from her, McCoy and his attorney actually wrestled and rolled around on the courtroom floor, for the benefit of the jury, press and courtroom spectators. After Mrs. Mors allegedly took her own life, McCoy claimed he became faint and could not remember anything further, including participating in the wild crime spree the following morning.
Dagmar Dahlgren
was the eighth wife of McCoy. Dahlgren and McCoy had lived together for three days. Dahlgren disputed one of McCoy's alibis during his trial. Specifically she denied to her attorney that she had seen him in the two years prior to Mora's death. Apparently, the jury was split between first degree murder and acquittal. In what is believed to have been a compromise verdict, McCoy was convicted of manslaughter.
McCoy was sent to San Quentin, but was paroled from prison in 1932. Afterwards he worked for Ford Motor Company
.
He committed suicide at the Hotel Tuller
in Detroit by an overdose of sleeping pills, leaving a note behind. It read, among other things: "Everything in my possession, I want to go to my dear wife, Sue E. Selby... To all my dear friends... best of luck... sorry I could not endure this world's madness." In an apparent last attempt to drop his professional moniker, the note was pointedly signed as, "Norman Selby".
His life was the loose model for the multiple award-winning novel The Real McCoy by Darin Strauss
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
world champion boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
.
Overview
Born in Moscow, Rush County, IndianaRush County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,261 people, 6,923 households, and 5,046 families residing in the county. The population density was 45 people per square mile . There were 7,337 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...
, McCoy would eventually weigh 160 pounds, stand 5' 11", and go on to a record 81 wins (55 by KO, with 6 losses, 9 no decision, and 6 disqualifications). McCoy was noted for his "corkscrew punch"–a blow delivered with a twisting of the wrist. According to McCoy, he learned the punch one evening while resting in someone's barn after a day of riding the rails. He noticed a cat strike at a ball of string and imitated its actions. Whether true or not, McCoy was known as a fast, "scientific" fighter who would cut his opponents with sharp blows. He reportedly would wrap his knuckles in mounds of friction tape, to better cut his opponents faces. He was listed # 1 Light Heavyweight of all time in Fifty Years At Ringside, published in 1958. He was also regarded as a formidable puncher, and was included in Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.
Boxing career
Legend surrounds McCoy's storied boxing career. For example, he was reputed to have lulled the reigning welterweightWelterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
champion Tommy Ryan
Tommy Ryan
Tommy Ryan was a famed welterweight and middleweight champion boxer who fought from 1887-1907. Ryan was considered an excellent boxer-puncher, and many consider him one of the all time greatest middleweight champions. His won lost record is 86 wins , 3 losses and 6 draws...
into a false sense of security before their non-title match by rubbing flour on his face and pretending to be ill. McCoy was also alleged to have invented the ruse of informing his opponent that his shoe was untied to enable McCoy to strike a blow when the unwary adversary would look down at his feet.
Another one of McCoy's tactics was demonstrated while McCoy was on a tour of Australia and some Pacific Isles. To supplement his income, he would take on all comers. In one unidentified port, McCoy, who scarcely weighed 160 pounds (72.6 kg), agreed to box a huge native reputed to weigh in excess of 250 pounds (113.4 kg). McCoy watched him train and noted the man fought in his bare feet. When the fight began, McCoy's corner threw handfuls of tacks into the ring, causing the bare-footed challenger to drop his guard and raise up one foot. As soon as he did so, McCoy lowered the boom on his distracted adversary.
It was thought that the expression The Real McCoy
The Real McCoy
"The real McCoy" is an idiom and metaphor used in much of the English-speaking world to mean "the real thing" or "the genuine article", e.g., "he's the real McCoy"...
originally referred to him. With regard to this, once again, stories abound. One scenario involves a local tough who bumped into McCoy in a bar. McCoy, who was slight of build and a dapper dresser, did not look like a fighter. The bar room bully reputedly laughed when told the slender fellow he was annoying was Kid McCoy. He then challenged McCoy to fight, and upon reviving from being knocked out allegedly remarked "Oh my God, that was the real McCoy". However, it is believed that the first recording with this spelling occurred in Canada in 1881. In James S. Bond's The Rise and Fall of the "Union club": or, Boy life in Canada, a character utters, "By jingo! yes; so it will be It's the 'real McCoy,' as Jim Hicks says. Nobody but a devil can find us there." Kid McCoy was only nine years old when this was published.
Although slight of build, McCoy captured the world middleweight championship by defeating Don Creedon. McCoy never defended the title, choosing to abandon the crown to enable him to pursue the world heavyweight championship. Despite his handicap in size, McCoy battled the best heavyweights of his era, and defeated Joe Choynski
Joe Choynski
Joseph Bartlett "Joe" Choynski was an American boxer who fought professionally from 1888 to 1904.-Boxing career:"Chrysanthemum Joe", the son of a Polish immigrant that settled in California in 1867, weighed no more than 176 lb throughout his career but regularly fought heavyweights. He was...
, Gus Ruhlin and Peter Maher
Peter Maher
Peter Kevin Maher is a former Canadian marathon runner who competed mainly in the 1990s. He was a resident of Thornhill, a suburb of Toronto. He was credited for a brief period with the world record time for 25km. Maher represented Canada in the Olympic men's marathons in Seoul, 1988 and...
. He was defeated by Tom Sharkey
Tom Sharkey
Tom 'Sailor Tom' Sharkey was a boxer who fought two fights with heavyweight champion James J. Jeffries. Sharkey's recorded ring career spanned from 1893 to 1904. He is credited with having won 40 fights , 7 losses, and 5 draws...
and Jim Corbett
James J. Corbett
James John "Gentleman Jim" Corbett was an Irish-American heavyweight boxing champion, best known as the man who defeated the great John L. Sullivan. He also coached boxing at the Olympic Club in San Francisco...
. The Corbett fight was the subject of controversy, as the ending was suspect and Corbett's estranged wife claimed the bout was fixed. That became the general opinion among New York sportwriters and another version of the genesis of the expression "the real McCoy" is that in later fights, the writers would invariably question whether "the real McCoy" would be fighting tonight.
Personal life and downfall
McCoy's career was no less colorful outside the ring. He was married ten times, performed in theater, and went West to California during the birth of the movie industry there. He appeared in films and was friends with many movie stars of the day, including Charles Chaplin and director D.W. Griffith.Unfortunately, by the early 1920s McCoy was broke, addicted to alcohol and out of the movie industry. At this time however, McCoy was involved in a romance with a wealthy married woman, Teresa Mors. Apparently he swept her off her feet, for she filed for divorce from her husband. The Mors divorce was acrimonious, and dragged on until she was killed, in the apartment she shared with McCoy, by a single gunshot to the head on August 12, 1924.
The next morning, a disheveled McCoy robbed and held captive some 12 people at Mrs. Mors' antique shop, and shot one man, who was trying to escape, in the leg. He also had forced at least six other men to remove their trousers, after divesting them of their money. McCoy was apprehended and charged with the murder of Mrs. Mors. His trial took place in downtown Los Angeles, and was the media event of its day. McCoy claimed Mrs. Mors committed suicide, while the prosecution claimed he murdered her for financial gain.
McCoy testified in his own defense, and apparently put on quite a show as he demonstrated Mrs. Mors final minutes. Contending he had tried to wrestle a knife away from her, McCoy and his attorney actually wrestled and rolled around on the courtroom floor, for the benefit of the jury, press and courtroom spectators. After Mrs. Mors allegedly took her own life, McCoy claimed he became faint and could not remember anything further, including participating in the wild crime spree the following morning.
Dagmar Dahlgren
Dagmar Dahlgren
Dagmar Dahlgren was a dancer, singer and motion picture actress of the silent film era from Los Angeles, California. She had a brief career in motion pictures from 1920-1922.-Biography:...
was the eighth wife of McCoy. Dahlgren and McCoy had lived together for three days. Dahlgren disputed one of McCoy's alibis during his trial. Specifically she denied to her attorney that she had seen him in the two years prior to Mora's death. Apparently, the jury was split between first degree murder and acquittal. In what is believed to have been a compromise verdict, McCoy was convicted of manslaughter.
McCoy was sent to San Quentin, but was paroled from prison in 1932. Afterwards he worked for Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
.
Death
McCoy took his own life in Detroit on April 18, 1940. Even his death was enigmatic.He committed suicide at the Hotel Tuller
Hotel Tuller
The Hotel Tuller once stood at Adams Avenue West, Bagley Street, and Park Avenue across from Grand Circus Park in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It was one of the largest luxury hotels in Detroit, and the first one to be erected in the Grand Circus Park Historic District...
in Detroit by an overdose of sleeping pills, leaving a note behind. It read, among other things: "Everything in my possession, I want to go to my dear wife, Sue E. Selby... To all my dear friends... best of luck... sorry I could not endure this world's madness." In an apparent last attempt to drop his professional moniker, the note was pointedly signed as, "Norman Selby".
His life was the loose model for the multiple award-winning novel The Real McCoy by Darin Strauss
Darin Strauss
Darin Strauss is an American writer based in Brooklyn, NY. Strauss's memoir Half a Life won the 2011 National Book Critics Circle Award for memoir/autobiography.-Biography:...
.