Pat Killen
(Patrick J. Killen
("
The Cyclone of the Northwest")

BORN    December 24 1861; Haddington, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Reports vary - December 25 1861, December 24 1862, December 25 1862)
DIED    October 21 1891; Chicago, Illinois
HEIGHT  6-1
WEIGHT  190-210 lbs
MANAGER W.E. Gooding

 

Killen moved well and was an extremely dangerous hitter; A patient fighter with a devastating punch, he could take a man out with one blow; He was probably a better one-punch knockout hitter than John L. Sullivan but was less durable than the famous champion

Killen was Champion of the "Northwest" United States during his career; IBRO Master Historian George Blair rates Killen as the #7 All-Time Minnesota Heavyweight; IBRO Historians Jake Wegner and Tracy Callis rate Killen as the #3 All-Time Minnesota Heavyweight

1883
Jul  6 John Howard                Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  2
Sep  8 Hial Stoddard              Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1
Nov    Lew Creamer                                                 KO  2
1884
Apr  2 Tom Boylan                                                  KO  5
Nov  2 Mike Devine                Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1

1885
May  3 Denny Kelliher             Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  4
Aug  2 John Lynch                 Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  3
Aug    Dan Ring                   Binghamton, NY                   KO  1
Sep  3 John Morris                Chicago, Il                      KO  2
          -Some sources report "Jack Morrison"
Nov  6 Tommy Chandler             St. Paul, Mn                     EX  4
Nov  8 Joe Lannon                 St. Paul, Mn                     TK  9
          -Some sources report 10/08/85; Some report 11/15/85;
           Some sources report "W 8"

          -Reports state that Killen went east after his 
           match with Lannon and returned a much improved 
           fighter, having scored over 30 knockouts in a year

1886
Jan  6 Pat McHugh                 Chicago, Il                      KO  4
Feb  5 Dick Burke                 Chicago, Il                      KO  1
Feb    Martin McComiskey          Covington, Ky                    KO  4
Feb 26 George Gray                Louisville, Ky                   KO  2
          -Some sources report "KO 3" on 12/21/85
Mar  6 Pat McHugh                 Chicago, Il                      NC  6
Mar 18 John Hughes                Cincinnati, Oh                   TK  1
Mar 28 Jim Brady                  Milwaukee, Wi                    KO  1
Apr  2 Ed Stalker                 Eau Claire, Wi                   KO  1
Apr  5 Mike Haley                 Omaha, Ne                        KO  2
Apr  5 Tommy Chandler             Omaha, Ne                        EX  3
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Apr  6 John Hughes                Cincinnati, Oh                   KO  3
Apr  7 Mike Smith                 Cincinnati, Oh                   KO  1
Apr  8 Bill Jordan                Cincinnati, Oh                   KO  3
Apr 20 Mervine Thompson           Cleveland, Oh                    LF  4
          -Killen knocked Thompson down 4 times;
          On the last knockdown, the crowd broke 
          into the ring; The referee (from Cleveland) 
          panicked and gave the win to Thompson on 
          a foul; Some sources report 4/02/86
May  2 Patsy Mellen               Minneapolis, Mn                  KO  2
Jun  1 "Captain" James Dalton     Minneapolis, Mn                  KO  3
          -Some sources report "KO 2";
          Some sources report "Captain James C. Daly"
Jun  7 John Morris                Minneapolis, Mn                  KO  2
Jun 19 Dan Stalker                St. Paul, Mn                     KO  2
Jun 25 Patsy Mellen               St. Paul, Mn                     EX  3
Jul  2 "Captain" James C. Daly    Minneapolis, Mn                  KO  3
Jul  4 Tom Donnelly               St. Paul, Mn                     KO  2
Aug  2 Jim Brady                  Milwaukee, Wi                    KO  1
Aug  7 Paddy McDonald             Duluth, Mn                        D  4
Aug 15 Dell Stalker               Eau Claire, Wi                   KO  2
Aug 20 Paddy McDonald             Duluth, Mn                       KO  4
Sep 15 Mike Haley                 Omaha, Ne                        KO  4
Oct  2 Mervine Thompson           Omaha, Ne                        KO  4
Oct    -Killen challenged any man in the world to a match
          (except John L. Sullivan) for any amount of money
Oct 16 Luke Dempsey               Minneapolis, Mn                  KO  1
          -Some sources report "St. Paul, Mn"
Oct 24 Tug Wilson                 Duluth, Mn                       KO  4
Nov 12 John Cusick                Minneapolis, Mn                   W  6
Dec  2 Paddy McDonald             Omaha, Ne                        KO  6
          -Some sources report "Duluth, Mn"
Dec 18 McHenry Johnson (Black Star) St. Paul, Mn                   EX  5 
Dec 23 Bill Bradburn              St. Paul, Mn                      D  5
          -This was a very poor fight with little action; 
          It was possibly fixed
Dec 28 Ed McKeown                                                  KO  5

1887
Jan  4 O.H. Smith                 Duluth, Mn                       KO  2
Jan 17 Paddy McDonald             Duluth, Mn                       KO  7
Mar  4 Duncan McDonald            Minneapolis, Mn                  KO  2
          -Police intervened; Some sources report "KO 1"
Apr  1 John Cook                  Duluth, Mn                       KO  1
Apr  9 Duncan McDonald            Eau Claire, Wi                   EX  4
Apr 13 O.H. Smith                 Duluth, Mn                       EX  3
Apr 13 John P. Clow               Duluth, Mn                       EX  3
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Apr 25 Jack Keefe                 St. Paul, Mn                     EX  3
May  2 O.H. Smith                 Duluth, Mn                       KO  1
May  6 John P. Clow               St. Paul, Mn                     EX  4
May 30 Martin Fahey               Minneapolis, Mn                  EX  4
Jun  3 John P. Clow               Minneapolis, Mn                  EX  4
Aug  5 Patsy Cardiff              Minneapolis, Mn                   D 10
          -Heavyweight Championship of the Northwest
Sep  5 James Smith                Covington, Ky                    KO  1
Sep  7 Henry Dows                 Covington, Ky                    KO  1
Oct 12 Frank Lewis                Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1
Nov  4 Tommy Gallagher            Minneapolis, Mn                  EX  3
Nov 17 O.H. Smith                 Rochester, Mn                    KO  2
          -Some sources report "Davis"
Nov 22 Danny Needham              St. Paul, Mn                     EX  3
Nov 25 Frank Cook                 Duluth, Mn                       KO  2
Dec 16 Lemuel McGregor            Minneapolis, Mn                   W  6

1888
Jan  1 Jack Cooper                Minneapolis, Mn                  KO  1
Feb 18 Ed Miller                  Omaha, Ne                        EX  3
Feb 18 Billy Hawley               Omaha, Ne                        EX  3
Feb 18 Frank Murray               Omaha, Ne                        EX  3
          -The previous 3 bouts were held the same date
Mar  1 Mike Conley                                                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
          Killen's hands were ailing
May  4 Barney Smith               Omaha, Ne                        EX  4
Jun    Patsy McCartin             St. Paul, Mn                     EX  3
Jun 23 Barney Smith               St. Paul, Mn                     EX  3
Jun 26 Patsy Cardiff              Minneapolis, Mn                  KO  4
          -Heavyweight Championship of the Northwest;
          Some sources report 6/28/88;
          Some sources report "KO 5"
Jul 28 James McCormack            St. Paul, Mn                     EX  3
Aug 22 Jack Ryan                  St. Paul, Mn                     EX  3
Sep  3 John H. Clark              St. Paul, Mn                     EX  4
Sep 17 Jack Wannop                Chicago, Il                      EX  4
Oct    -Killen sparred Oct 14-18 every night in Chicago, Il
          at the Casino Theater
Dec 13 Martin Fahey               Minneapolis, Mn                  EX  3
Dec 28 Paddy McDonald             Duluth, Mn                       EX  3

1889
Mar  8 Martin Clark               Hastings, Mn                     EX  3
Jun 26 Patsy Cardiff              St. Paul, Mn                     EX  4
Jul 11 Corporal Toomey            Miles City, Mt                   KO  1
          -Some sources report 6/15/89
Jul 16 Jack Smith                 Tacoma, Wa                       KO  2
Jul 22 Jack Fraser                Spokane Falls, Or                KO  3
          -Some sources report "KO 2" on 7/24/89
Aug 14 Jack Welch                 Astoria, Or                      KO  3
Aug 14 Thomas Anderson            Alta, Ca                         EX  4
          -Police intervened;
          The previous 2 bouts were reportedly held the same date
Sep 11 Joe McAuliffe              San Francisco, Ca                LK  7

1890
Jul 11 Barney Smith               St. Paul, Mn                     EX  4
Aug  8 Mike Fitzpatrick           St. Paul, Mn                     EX  4
Aug 23 Pat Harrington             St. Paul, Mn                     EX  4
Dec 19 Joe Sheehy                 St. Paul, Mn                     WF  2
          -Some sources report 12/20/90;
          Police intervened

1891
Oct 11 Bob Ferguson               Richardson, Il                   KO  6
          -Heavyweight Championship of the Northwest;
          Reports for this bout and the earlier bout with
          Ferguson appear to indicate separate bouts due 
          to date, location, and verdict; Some sources
          report "Chicago, Il"

*** The Following Bouts Are Reported But Not Confirmed ***

1890
Mar  4 Joe Sheehy                 St. Paul, Mn                     KO  2
Nov  1 Bob Ferguson               Vancouver, BC, Can                W  6
          -Heavyweight Championship of the Northwest

*** Much Data Was Provided By Jake Wegner ***

Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization