Peter Maher

BORN   March 16 1869; Gunnode Tuam, Galway, Ireland
DIED July 22 1940; Baltimore, Maryland
HEIGHT 5-11 3/4
WEIGHT 172-195 lbs
RACE   White; Irish-American
MANAGERS Billy Madden, John J. Quinn, Buck Connelly, Peter Lowry


NEW BOOK by Matt Donnellon - The Irish Champion Peter Maher

Maher was the most dangerous hitter of the pre-1900 years, bar none ! He moved quickly and struck with vicious paralyzing blows - on the order of Bob Fitzsimmons and Pat Killen; His weakness lay in his lack of refined boxing skills and a fairly weak chin

During his career, Maher defeated such men as Gus Lambert, Jim Daly, Jack Fallon, Nick Burley, George Godfrey, Frank Craig, Steve O'Donnell, Frank "Paddy" Slavin, Joe Choynski, C.A.C. Smith, Joe Goddard, Joe Kennedy, Jim Jeffords, Joe Butler and Morris Harris

1888 
       Martin O’Hara               Dublin, Ire                      KO  2
          -This was an amateur bout
       Tim O’Doherty               Dublin, Ire                       W  3
Apr  3 Robert "Bob" Hair           London, Eng                       L  4
          -Some sources report "D 4"
Aug 27 John Seenan                 Dublin, Ire                      KO  5
          -Middleweight Championship of Ireland
           Some sources report "Belfast, Ire"
       Jack Wallis                 Dublin, Ire                       W  3
       Tom Waters                  Dublin, Ire                       W  3
       Larry Drew                  Dublin, Ire                       W  3
          -The previous 3 bouts were part of a John L. Sullivan Tournament

1889 
Dec 24 Peter Jackson               Dublin, Ire                      LK  2
          -Some sources report 12/25/89;
          Some sources report "EX 3";
          Some sources report "D 3"

1890 
       Harvey de Cross             in Ireland                        W   
          -Heavyweight Championship of Ireland
Aug 27 Alf Bowman                  Dublin, Ire                      KO  6

1891 
Feb  7 Gus Lambert                 London, Eng                      KO  1
         -Lambert was reportedly the heavyweight champion of Canada
Oct  7 -Maher arrived in New York, NY
Oct 21 Jack "Bubbles" Davis        Philadelphia, Pa                  W  4
Oct 23 Jim Daly                    Philadelphia, Pa                 TK  1
          -Daly was knocked under the ropes and seemed unhurt; 
          The referee stopped the bout; Many felt that it was
          a fix-up to give Maher a one round knockout
Oct 31 Jack Fallon                 New York, NY                     TK  2
          -Some sources report "W 2"; Police intervened
Nov    Hite Peckham                Rochester, NY                    EX  4
          -Peckham lasted and claimed a "win"
Nov 18 Tom Lynch                   Buffalo, NY                      KO  2
Nov 27 Jack Fallon                 New York, NY                     EX   
Dec 17 Jack Smith                  New York, NY                     KO  1
Dec 17 "Sailor" Charles Brown      New York, NY                     TK  1
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Dec 19 Jack Fallon                 Washington, DC                   ND  3 

1892
Jan 14 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey    New York, NY                     EX  2
Jan 16 Joe Godfrey                 Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1
Mar  2 Bob Fitzsimmons             New Orleans, La                  LT 12
Mar 21 Mike Monahan                Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1
Mar 23 Bill Gabig                  Philadelphia, Pa                 EX   
          -Some sources report "KO"
Mar 28 Bob Fitzsimmons             New York, NY                     EX   
Mar 30 Joe Godfrey                 Philadelphia, Pa                 EX  2
          -Some sources report that Maher stopped Godfrey
Dec  8 Joe Goddard                 Coney Island, NY                 LK  3

1893 
Apr 21 Bob Fitzsimmons             Philadelphia, Pa                 EX  2
          -Fitzsimmons stopped Maher
Jun 26 Val Flood                   Roby, In                         KO  4
Jul 14 "Denver" Ed Smith           Salt Lake City, Ut               ND  4
Aug  7 Denis "Ike" Hayes           Helena, Mt                       KO  1
Aug 26 Tom Johnson                 San Francisco, Ca                KO  1
Aug 26 Nick Burley                 San Francisco, Ca                KO  1
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date;
          Some sources report 9/26/93
Oct  7 Joe McAuliffe               San Francisco, Ca                 D  4

1894 
Jan 25 Joe Butler                  Philadelphia, Pa                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
May 28 George Godfrey              Boston, Ma                       KO  6
Jul 16 Frank Craig                 Boston, Ma                       KO  2
Jul    Joe Butler                  Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  4
Oct  5 Peter Courtney              Hoboken, NJ                       W  3
Oct 27 Peter Courtney              Philadelphia, Pa                 TK  2

1895 
Feb 13 "Mysterious" Billy Smith    Lynn, Ma                         EX   
Feb 22 Jim Hall                    Boston, Ma                        D  6
Apr 29 Al Lawson                   Washington, DC                   KO  1
May  2 Jerry Slattery              Washington, DC                   EX  1
May  4 Al Johnson                  Washington, DC                   KO  1
May  8 Jerry Slattery              Baltimore, Md                    KO  1
May 20 Bob Marshall                Brooklyn NY                      KO  1
Jun  8 Billy Hennessey             New York, NY                     EX   
Jun 15 Dominick McCaffrey          Long Island, NY                  ND  3
Jun 27 Peter Burns                 New York, NY                     EX  3
Jul  4 Joe "Stiff" Dunfee          Syracuse, NY                     ND  3
Aug 16 Peter Johnson               Dublin, Ire                      KO  1
Aug 26 Patsy Gregson               Glasgow, Scot                    KO  4
Nov 11 Steve O'Donnell             Maspeth, NY                      KO  1
          -This bout was promoted as a Heavyweight Championship
          of the World contest; Jim Corbett said he would award
          his title to the winner
Dec 28 Billy Woods                 New York, NY                     ND  4
Dec 28 Peter Burns                 New York, NY                     ND  4
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date

1896 
Feb 21 Bob Fitzsimmons             Coahuila, Mexico                 LK  1
          -This bout was promoted as a Heavyweight
          Championship of the World contest - near
          Langtry, Tx
Feb 29 Bob Fitzsimmons             New York, NY                     ND  3
          -Some sources report "EX 3"
Jun 18 Frank "Paddy" Slavin        New York, NY                     TK  4
          -Police intervened
Jul  3 George Shankly              Pittsburgh, Pa                   KO  1
          -Perhaps, this was an exhibition bout
Aug 31 Charlie Mitchell            New York, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Nov 16 Joe Choynski                New York, NY                     KO  6
Dec 25 Steve O'Donnell             Brooklyn, NY                     KO  1
Dec 26 Joe Choynski                Pittsburgh, Pa                   EX  3

1897 
Jan  2 George Geis                 Pittsburgh, Pa                    W  3
Feb 15 C.A.C. Smith                Buffalo, NY                       W  6
Apr  7 Steve O'Donnell             Buffalo, NY                      ND  6 
Apr 26 Steve O'Donnell             Philadelphia, Pa                  W  6
Jun  9 Tom Sharkey                 New York, NY                      D  7
          -Police interfered
Jun 30 -Maher married Agnes Torpey in Philadelphia, Pa

1898 
Jan 21 Yank Kenny                  Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1
Feb 15 Ed "Thunderbolt" Smith      Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  3
Mar 16 Steve O'Donnell             Philadelphia, Pa                 TK  2
May 12 Joe Goddard                 Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  1
          -Some sources report 5/13/98
Jul  8 Joe Goddard                 New York, NY                     TK  8
Nov  1 Joe Black                                                     W  3
Nov  2 J. Whitney                                                  SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Dec  9 Ed Dunkhorst                Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6

1899 
Feb 15 Tom “Stockings” Conroy      Hartford, Ct                     TK  7
          -Police intervened 
Mar 16 Charles Stevenson           Philadelphia, Pa                 TK  2
May  2 Gus Ruhlin                  New York, NY                      D 20
Jun 20 Mike Morrissey              New York, NY                     KO  1
Sep 25 Joe Kennedy                 New York, NY                     KO  2
          -Some sources report 9/26/99
Oct 23 Ed Dunkhorst                Syracuse, NY                     WF  7

1900 
Jan  1 Charles "Kid" McCoy         Coney Island, NY                 LK  5
Feb 16 Joe Choynski                Chicago, Il                       L  6
Mar  9 Tom “Stockings” Conroy      Youngstown, Oh                   WF  5
Jul  6 Steve O'Donnell             New York, NY                     KO  1
Aug 20 Klondike (John Haines)      Trenton, NJ                      WF  5
          -Some sources report "TK 5"
Aug 29 Peter Burns                 New York, NY                     EX  3
Sep 14 Jim Jeffords                Philadelphia, Pa                 TK  2
Dec 17 Gus Ruhlin                  Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6

1901 
Aug  8 Thomas Jenkins              Atlantic City, NJ                 L   
          -This was a wrestling match; Falls: 0-2
Oct  3 Jim Jeffords                Lancaster, Pa                    ND  6
Oct  8 Jim Jeffords                Baltimore, Md                    KO  2
          -Some sources report 11/08/01
1902
Jan 17 Tom Sharkey                 Philadelphia, Pa                 NC  3
          -The men were accused of “faking”
Mar 21 Gus Ruhlin                  Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  2
Jun 10 Fred Russell                Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Sep 11 Jim Jeffords                Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1
Oct  3 "Philadelphia" Jack O'Brien Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Oct 30 "Philadelphia" Jack O'Brien Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Dec  3 Edward "Kid" Carter         Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  2
          -Some sources report "LK 3"

1903 
Jan 26 Joe Choynski                Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  2
Apr  6 George Gardner              Boston, Ma                       LK  1
Jul 15 Joe Grim                    Philadelphia, Pa                 WF  3
Nov  7 Jack Munroe                 Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  4
          -Some sources report 11/04/03 

1904 
Apr 30 Jim Jeffords                Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  2
May  7 Joe Grim                    Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Jun 24 Jack Williams               Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  1
Jul 14 Jack Williams               Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  2
Aug 11 Jack Williams               Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Oct 27 Fred Cooley                 Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  1

1905 
Apr 27 Joe Butler                  Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1
May 19 Billy Burke                 Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  4
Jun  2 Morris Harris               Philadelphia, Pa                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but postponed
Dec 25 Morris Harris               Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  3

1906
Jan 16 Pat O’Rourke                New York, NY                      W  3
          -Some sources report 1/15/06
Mar 10 Paddy O’Rourke              New York, NY                     KO  3
Mar 28 Sailor Burke                New York, NY                     LK  2
Apr 20 Joe Hagan                   New York, NY                     WF  1 
Nov 15 Eddie Haney                 Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6

1907 
Apr  1 Marvin Hart                 Hot Springs, Ar                  LK  2

1908 
Jul 24 Charles "Kid" McCoy         New York, NY                     LK  2
          -Some sources report 7/25/08
Dec 15 Bob Evans                   Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1
Dec 26 Jeff Clark                  Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6 

1909
Jan 18 Billy Tournage              Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1
          -Some sources report "KO 5"
Feb  3 Jeff Clark                  Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Mar 24 Billy Tournage              Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  3
Apr 16 Jeff Clark                  Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Apr 26 Jack Fitzgerald             Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  1

1910
Mar 29 Jim Smith                   Philadelphia, Pa                 LT  2
          -Some sources report 3/28/10

1911
Aug  1 Jim Dougherty               New York, NY                     KO  1

1913
Apr  4 Fred McKay                  New York, NY                     EX   

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

1887
       Joe Brohan                  Dublin, Ire                       W  3
       Jack Hays                   Dublin, Ire                      KO  4
       Fred Stanislaus             Dublin, Ire                      KO  2

1888
       Joe Rafferty                Dublin, Ire                       W  4
       Alfred Galway               Dublin, Ire                      KO  1
       Jack Watson                 Dublin, Ire                       W  3
       Tom Burns                   Dublin, Ire                      KO  2

1889
       Tom Sweeney                 Dublin, Ire                      KO  1
       Tom Hughes                  Dublin, Ire                       W  3
       Larry Drew                  Dublin, Ire                      KO  2
       Nick Murphy                 Cork, Ire                        KO  3
       Jim White                   Limerick, Ire                    KO  4
       Mike Healy                  Waterford, Ire                   KO  1
       Jim Foley                   Carrick, Ire                      W  3

1890
       Joe Burke                   Belfast, Ire                     KO  2
       Jim Kearns                  Fermoy, Ire                       W  3
       Frank O'Neal                Tralee, Ire                      KO  4
       Jack Whelan                 Mallow, Ire                      KO  1
       Frank McNamara              Dublin, Ire                      KO  2

1891
       George Neilson              Dublin, Ire                      KO  2
       Bus Tierney                 Athlone, Ire                     KO  1
       Pat Tracey                  Mullingar, Ire                   KO  2
       Terry Flanagan              Galway, Ire                      KO  1
       Steve Taylor                Sligo, Ire                       KO  3

1891-1892 (Prior to 12/07/92)
       Fred Woods                                                    W   

1894
       Pat Cleary                  Mahonoy City, Pa                  W  3
       Jim Foster                  Shenandoah, Pa                   KO  1

1895
         -Maher toured with a vaudeville company and
         took on all-comers
         George Peters               Cleveland, Oh                    KO  2
       Stanley Cutter              Cleveland, Oh                    KO  2
       Gus Ruhlin                  Akron, Oh                         W  3
       Mike Mack                   Salem, Oh                        KO  1
       Charles Ock                 Bellaire, Oh                     KO  2
       John Gallagher              Uniontown, Pa                    KO  3
       Billy Bissell               McKeesport, Pa                   KO  1
       Tom McCarthy                Altoona, Pa                      KO  3
       Bob Crown                   Lynn, Ma                         TK  2
       John Carney                 Lowell, Ma                       KO  1
       Jack O'Rourke               Willimantic, Ct                  TK  2
       Harry Jameson               Bridgeport, Ct                   KO  4
       Harry Martin                Providence, RI                    W  3
       Harry Robinson              Binghamton, NY                   KO  2 
       Bucky Smith                 Williamsport, Pa                 KO  1 
       D. Dougherty                Wilkes-Barre, Pa                  W  3
       Jerry Wurtwright            Scranton, Pa                      W  3
       Pat Murphy                  Scranton, Pa                     KO  3
       John Dunn                   Carbondale, Pa                   KO  1
       E.D. Splain                 Bloomsburg, Pa                   KO  2
       Rufus Sharp                 St. Louis, Mo                    KO  3
       Jack King                   St. Louis, Mo                     W  3
       Bill Zagerzte               St. Louis, Mo                    KO  1
       Henry Miller                St. Louis, Mo                    KO  1
       Bill Neisse                 St. Louis, Mo                    KO  1
       Bill Callaghan              Vincennes, In                    KO  1
       John O'Brien                Washington, DC                   KO  1
       Bix Six (Albert Walker)     Baltimore, Md                    KO  2
       Jerry Tobin                 Baltimore, Md                     W  3
       Harry Nikirk                Pittsburgh, Pa                   KO  1
       Charles L. Shull            Pittsburgh, Pa                   KO  2
       Jim McCoy                   Pittsburgh, Pa                   KO  1

*** Much Data Was Provided By Luckett Davis ***

*** Some Data Was Provided By Sergei Yurchenko ***

Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, and Barry Deskins, Historians,
International Boxing Research Organization