Dominick McCaffrey

BORN   September 24 1863; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
(Some sources report September 9 1863)
DIED December 29 1926; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
(Some sources report 12/30/1926)
HEIGHT 5-8 1/2 (Some sources report 5-9)
WEIGHT 160-168 lbs
MANAGERS Billy O'Brien, George Brotherton

McCaffrey was a first class boxer who moved quickly and boxed well; He often fought heavyweights much larger than himself; Personally, he was a sociable man and quite popular

During his career, McCaffrey defeated such men as Charles McCoy, John Clow, Charlie Mitchell, Jack Fallon and Denny Harrington

1881
Feb  6 Charles McCoy              Howland Springs, Oh              TK  7
Sep    Mike Cleary                Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  5
          -Some sources report "D 5"

1882
Dec    Harry Gilmore              Toronto, Ont, Can                LK  3

1883
Apr 15 Gus Lambert                New York, NY                      L  4
          -Some sources report "W 4"; Lambert denied that McCaffrey
           ever defeated him
Apr 25 John Clow                  Denver, Co                       KO  4
       Jack Hanley                Leadville, Co                   SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
          Negotiations fell through

          -McCaffrey challenged Paddy Ryan in Leadville, Co

          -McCaffrey challenged any man in Colorado to
          4 rounds for $1,000; There were no takers

May    Harry Gilmore              Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  3
Jun  8 "Philadelphia" Jimmy Ryan  Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  3
          -Championship of Pennsylvania

1881-1884
          -McCaffrey won several fights from minor opponents

1883-1884
          -McCaffrey challenged Charlie Mitchell

          -McCaffrey challenged any man in St. Louis, Mo,
          Chicago, Il or Hot Springs, Ar to 4 rounds for 
          $1,000; There were no takers

1884
Feb  6 John Walsh                 Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  4
Feb 14 "Dangerous Jack" Hughes    New York, NY                      W  4
          -Police intervened;
          Some sources report "W 3" in Feb 1886
Apr 26 William Sheriff            Pittsburgh, Pa                    D  4
          -Some sources report "W 4" in Feb-Jun 1886
Jul  5 John Rennie                New York, NY                     KO  1
          -Some sources report 7/04/86;
Jul 20 Jack Stewart               Boston, Ma                       KO  1
          -Some sources report 1886
Jul 21 John Flood                 New York, NY                     EX  3
Aug 13 John L. Sullivan           Boston, Ma                       EX  3
Aug 25 Pete McCoy                 Boston, Ma                        D  3
          -Some sources report 1886; Police intervened several times;
          John L. Sullivan was the referee
Sep  6 -McCaffrey was challenged by Mervine Thompson
Oct 13 Charlie Mitchell           New York, NY                      W  4
          -Police intervened
Nov 13 Dick Yarwood               Pittsburgh, Pa                   EX   
Nov 13 George Rooke               Pittsburgh, Pa                   EX   
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Nov 19 Dick Yarwood               East Liverpool, Oh               EX   
Nov 19 George Rooke               East Liverpool, Oh               EX   
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date

1882-1885
       James "Sparrow" Golden     Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  3

1884-1885
          -McCaffrey and Patsy Cardiff toured the eastern
          United States and gave boxing exhibitions

1885
Jan  9 Denny Kelliher             Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  3
          -Some sources report "W 3"
Jan    Patsy Cardiff              Philadelphia, Pa                 EX   
          -McCaffrey and Cardiff sparred during Jan 9-14 1885
Jan 19 Jack Burke                 New York, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
          Burke claimed a forfeit win
Mar 20 Dan Cavanaugh              Philadelphia, Pa                 EX  3
Apr  2 John L. Sullivan           Philadelphia, Pa                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
          Police intervened
Apr 28 Denny Kelliher             New York, NY                     EX   
Aug 29 John L. Sullivan           Cincinnati, Oh                    L  6
          -Heavyweight Championship of America;
          Queensberry Rules and gloves were used;
          Seven rounds were fought
Nov    -McCaffrey was challenged to a bout by "Captain" James Dalton

1886
          -McCaffrey challenged any man in America (except John L. Sullivan);
           The challenge was made during Feb-Jun 1886
Aug 29 "Philadelphia" Jimmy Ryan  Philadelphia, Pa                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Sep    -McCaffrey opened a sporting house in Atlantic City, NJ
Oct 13 Jack Kelly                 Philadelphia, Pa                 EX   
Oct 15 Peter J. Nolan             Cincinnati, Oh                  SCH   
Nov    -McCaffrey quarreled with his trainer Alf Lunt; They parted company
Nov    -McCaffrey was authorized to handle the matching of Willie Clark and
          Tommy Warren; The outcome is not known
Nov 22 James "Sparrow" Golden     Fort Hamilton, NY                KO 11
Nov 26 -McCaffrey refereed the Pete McCoy-Jack Langdon bout in Philadelphia, Pa
Dec  2 -McCaffrey refereed the Jack Kelly-Frank Thompson bout in Philadelphia, Pa
Dec  4 Jake Kilrain                                               SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Dec 13 -McCaffrey refereed the Jack Ashton-Mike Boden bout in Philadelphia, Pa;
          Some sources report 12/14/86
Dec 16 -McCaffrey refereed the Jack Ashton-Bill Dunn bout in Philadelphia, Pa
Dec 24 -McCaffrey refereed the Billy Peterson-Patsy O'Leary bout in Philadelphia, Pa

1887
Jan 11 -McCaffrey refereed the Joe Lannon-Jack Kelly bout in Philadelphia, Pa
Feb 14 -McCaffrey refereed the Tommy Danforth-Jack Harding bout in Philadelphia, Pa
Feb 17 -McCaffrey refereed the Tommy Ferguson-Jimmy Murray bout in Philadelphia, Pa
Feb 21 -McCaffrey refereed the Mike Conley-James "Sparrow" Golden bout in Philadelphia, Pa
Mar  7 Patsy Farrell              Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  2
          -Police intervened; Some sources report "LK 2"
Mar  9 Jack Fallon                Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  4
          -Reports vary - "W 4" - "L 4"
Mar 10 Denny Killen               Philadelphia, Pa                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known;
          The previous 3 bouts were part of a "take on all-comers" effort
Mar 11 -McCaffrey was ill and unable to fight
Sep  1 "Philadelphia" Jimmy Ryan  Atlantic City, NJ                EX   

1888
Jan 31 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Jersey City, NJ                   L 10
Apr 19 Frank Herald               Washington, DC                   EX  3
       Jack Fogarty               Gloucester, Ma                  SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Dec  7 Jack Fogarty               Milwaukee, Wi                    EX  3

1889
Jan  3 Jack Fogarty               West Jersey, NJ                 SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Feb  8 Jack Fallon                Hoboken, NJ                       W  4
          -Some sources report this bout was cancelled
Mar    -McCaffrey opened the "Criterion" Saloon in New York, NY
Jun  1 Billy McMillan             Washington, DC                    D  4
Sep  9 Joe Coburn                 New York, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
           Coburn did not show
Nov 25 Billy Madden               Brooklyn, NY                     EX   
Dec 18 -McCaffrey refereed the Austin Gibbons-Mike Cushing bout
          in Hoboken, NJ

1890
Jan  6 Jack Ashton                Newark NJ                        EX  3
Jan  7 Jack Ashton                Newark NJ                        EX  3
Jan  8 Jack Ashton                Newark NJ                        EX  3
Jan 21 -McCaffrey was scheduled to spar in New York, NY
Feb 28 Jim Daly                   Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  3
Mar 21 -McCaffrey was scheduled to spar in Philadelphia, Pa
Apr 14 Jim Corbett                Brooklyn, NY                      L  4
          -Reports vary - "EX 4" - "LT 4"; Technically, this was
          more of an exhibition bout; Short rounds and long rests
          were allowed; When McCaffrey retired in round 4, Corbett
          was declared the winner
May  2 Denny Harrington           Auburn, NY                        W  4 
May  4 P.J. Griffin               Seneca Falls, NY                  W  3
May 19 Joe McAuliffe              New York, NY                     ND  3
May 26 James Ryan                 Washington, DC                   EX   
May 27 Ed Roach                   Washington, DC                    W  4
May 31 Billy McMillan             Washington, DC                   EX  4

1891
Feb  7 Alfred Ing                 New York, NY                     EX   
Mar 11 Pat Cahill                 New York, NY                     EX   
Jun    Andy Riley                 Hoboken, NJ                      KO  3
          -This bout was held during Jun-Jul 1891;
          Reports vary - "KO 2" - "EX 3"

1892
Feb 27 -McCaffrey refereed the Charles "Bull" McCarthy-Jack Brennan bout
          in New York, NY
Apr  3 -McCaffrey refereed the Charles "Sailor" Brown-Jack Glynn bout
          in Philadelphia, Pa
Apr 12 R.S. Baird                 New York, NY                     EX   
Jun 22 -McCaffrey refereed the Jack McAuliffe-Billy Frazier bout in New York, NY
Dec 17 Mike Donovan               New York, NY                     EX  3
          -Some sources report "ND 3"

1893
Jun  2 Bob Fitzsimmons            New York, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled bout cancelled;
          McCaffrey fell and struck his head in    
          training
Jul  4 -McCaffrey managed Horace Leeds (vs. Al O'Brien)
          in New York, NY
Aug 15 John McCormick             Atlantic City, NJ                 W   
Oct 14 Horace Leeds               Reading, Pa                      EX   
Nov    Horace Leeds               Philadelphia, Pa                SCH     
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known

1894
Sep 17 -McCaffrey refereed the Mick Dunn-Jim Butler, Jack 
          Skelly-Johnny Gorman, Young Griffo-Eddie Loeber 
          and George "Kid" Lavigne-Jerry Marshall bouts in
          Brooklyn, NY

1895
Jun 15 Peter Maher                Long Island, NY                  ND  3

1896
Jan    -McCaffrey became manager of "Australian" Billy Murphy

          -McCaffrey was living on a farm in O'Neill City, Holt
          County, Ne to overcome rather bad health that had
          bothered him during 1893-1896

1895-1900
          -McCaffrey became the Boxing Instructor at the
          Manhattan Athletic Club in New York, NY

1903
Mar  4 Jimmy Ryan                 Philadelphia, Pa                 EX   

1906
Sep 29 Reddy Moore                Philadelphia, Pa                 LT  2

1908
Mar 20 Ed McKeown                 Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6

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

1886
       Pete McCoy                 Boston, Ma                        D  4
          -Police intervened;
          Perhaps, this is the same as the 8/25/84 bout

1881-1889
       Wise                       Alleghany, Pa                    ND   
          -Some sources report this bout on 6/26/90; 
          It took place on 6/30 but the year was not
          named; So, Jun 30 of some year between the
          beginning of McCaffrey's career and 1889;
          The outcome is not known

1890
May 26 James Smith                Washington, DC                   KO  2 

*** Much Data Provided By William Schutte ***

*** Assistance Was Provided By Sergei Yurchenko ***

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