Biography.guide
Home › People › Boxer › Mike O'Dowd
Portrait of Mike O'Dowd

Mike O'Dowd

1895 – 1957

American boxer

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Mike O'Dowd

Lived 1895 – 1957 (aged 62). Mike O'Dowd was an American boxer.

Michael Joseph O'Dowd (April 5, 1895, in St. Paul, Minnesota – July 28, 1957) was an American boxer who held the World Middleweight Championship from 1917 to 1920.

Biography O'Dowd won the title on November 14, 1917, by knocking out Al McCoy in the sixth round after dropping him six times. O'Dowd was the only active boxing champion to fight at the front during World War I (1918, while serving in the U.S. Army). During his career he claimed victories over Hall of Famers Jack Britton, Mike Gibbons, Kid Lewis and Jeff Smith. On February 25, 1918, he held the legendary Harry Greb to a draw.

O'Dowd died on July 28, 1957, from a heart attack at a Veteran's hospital, aged 62. He was buried at Calvary Cemetery. He was inducted into the Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014.

Professional boxing record All information in this section is derived from BoxRec, unless otherwise stated.

Official record

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

Unofficial record

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

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Awards
International Boxing Hall of Fame

People in Mike O'Dowd's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Mike O'Dowd's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Mike O'Dowd?

American boxer

When was Mike O'Dowd born?

Mike O'Dowd was born on 5 April 1895 in Saint Paul.

When did Mike O'Dowd die?

Mike O'Dowd died on 28 July 1957 in Saint Paul.

What was Mike O'Dowd's occupation?

Mike O'Dowd was a boxer.

What nationality was Mike O'Dowd?

Mike O'Dowd was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Mike O'Dowd

· Wikidata: Q2392687

· DBpedia: Mike O'Dowd

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Mike O'Dowd. https://biography.guide/mike-o-dowd/

MLA: "Mike O'Dowd." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/mike-o-dowd/.

Chicago: "Mike O'Dowd." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/mike-o-dowd/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:27 UTC