Al McCoy

Al McCoy (October 23, 1894 – August 22, 1966), born Alexander Rudolph, was an American boxer who held the World Middleweight Championship from 1914 to 1917. A southpaw, he won the title by knocking out George Chip in the first round on April 7, 1914. McCoy fought during the no-decision era, when many bouts could not be officially decided unless they ended by knockout, disqualification, or foul, which has led to differing published versions of his professional record.

Early life and boxing career

Front Row: McCoy's Boxing Manager, Jack Dougherty, McCoy, and O.K. Fitzsimmons in 1915 McCoy was born Alexander Rudolph in Rosenhayn, Deerfield Township, New Jersey, on October 23, 1894. As a child, he moved with his family to Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York City, where his father found work as a kosher butcher. At age 14 he helped make ends meet by filling in as a boxer for preliminary fights at local boxing clubs, when the scheduled boxers failed to show.

According to Ken Blady, McCoy may have adopted his ring name to conceal his boxing career from his religious parents. Blady also noted that McCoy went unbeaten in his official record for much of his early career, which made his winning streak second only to English boxer Hal Bagwell, although many of those bouts were no-decision contests that did not count as official losses.

McCoy started boxing as a bantamweight, but fighting as a 138-pound lightweight in 1912, he began to attract attention. He defeated Young Erne, a competent Philadelphia lightweight, on November 9, 1912, in Philadelphia, winning in six rounds. The newspaper that gave him the edge noted that Erne was too out of condition to match well with the fit sixteen year old.

The Gazette Times noted that McCoy's winning punch was a counterpunch, and wrote, "Chip, eager to grasp his opportunity, started a right swing that had all the earmarks of a haymaker. McCoy crossed in with his left, shooting over a hybrid punch which was half swing and half uppercut, and the New Castle fighter (Chip) went down flat, his head striking the floor of the ring." Aged 19, he became the youngest person as well as the first left handed-boxer ever to win a Middleweight World championship. It was also the shortest fight on record in which a boxer had taken a World Title from an opponent.

As the result of his youth, and unorthodox style, many boxing writers and fans considered McCoy's ascent to the world title a fluke. The Tacoma Times, were not alone in their sentiments when they wrote three a half full years after McCoy had taken the title, "Early in 1914, Chip (George) unfortunately ran into a punch in the first round of his bout with Al McCoy, and the latter assumed the title. McCoy was never a real champion and usually dodged anyone who was likely to knock him out."

The New York Evening World wrote ten months after he took the title from Chip, "McCoy has held the title technically, as no one has in turn knocked him out. But as a champion our old friend Al is a mirth-producing object."

His successful defense of the title for 42 consecutive bouts would prove he deserved the honor of Middleweight World Champion. In fact, at 42 bouts, according to Ken Blady, McCoy had the longest undefeated streak of any boxer to ever hold a title.

On January 25, 1915, he defeated the talented Joe Borrell by the decision of newspapers in a six-round bout in Philadelphia. Borrel had ended the career of ex-welterweight world champion Harry Lewis two years earlier when Lewis had resumed boxing too soon after being injured in a car accident. McCoy's March 23, 1915, bout with Silent Martin may have been a closer affair, as the Evening News wrote that McCoy "had the better of Silent Martin in seven of the ten rounds in Brooklyn," though several New York papers gave the close bout to Martin.

On April 6, 1915, again in Brooklyn, McCoy fought a thrilling rematch with George Chip in Brooklyn, and though losing the ten round no-decision bout in the opinion of the New York Times, Chip could not knockout McCoy, and so he retained the world title. The following month on May 4, 1915, again in Brooklyn, he fought contender Jimmy Clabby, in another title match where he successfully defended against a knockout. The New London Day noted that McCoy's primary aim was to prevent a knockout, and that he did not fight with a decided edge. The paper wrote that with Clabby "McCoy entered the ring with the sole intention of employing every means to stay the limit, and he was successful." The Day further noted that the boxing seemed listless, and that when Clabby "showed an inclination to exchange blows at short range, McCoy usually declined the issue," but that "Clabby was the agressor (sic) at all times." Again fighting in Brooklyn, he faced top contenders Young Ahearn and Silent Martin, completing both title bouts without receiving a decisive knockout. In November 1915, he held off another challenge from Silent Martin.

He rematched with future middleweight champion Greb on May 13, 1918, demonstrating his willingness to take on top talent even after his loss of the title, but was again outmatched by his stronger, more aggressive opponent. Though Greb had already defeated some exceptional challengers, McCoy had suffered through forty-six defenses while champion from the toughest of title contenders.

Death When McCoy lost his home and most of his possessions in a fire in 1964, his health took a turn for the worse. Living on only a small state pension, chronic illness restricted him to living in a nursing home. He died on August 22, 1966, in Los Angeles, California. unless otherwise stated.

Official Record

All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted to the win/loss/draw column.

Unofficial record

Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions to the win/loss/draw column.