Eddie Connolly (boxer)
| Eddie Connolly | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Edward Connolly |
| Rated at | Welterweight |
| Height | 5 ft 8.5 in (1.74 m) |
| Nationality | Canadian 
|
| Born |
November 18, 1876 Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada |
| Died | January 1, 1936 (aged 59) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 70 |
| Wins | 28 |
| Wins by KO | 15 |
| Losses | 23 |
| Draws | 19 |
Eddie Connolly (November 18, 1876 – January 1, 1936) was a Canadian born boxer who took the World Welterweight Championship in a twenty-five round points decision on June 5, 1900 against reigning champion Matty Matthews at the Seaside Athletic Club in Brooklyn, New York. Earlier in his career, he took both the Canadian Featherweight Title, and the British Empire World Lightweight Title. He was exceptional to have fought for titles in three weight divisions, and to have fought in both lightweight and welterweight divisions for World Championships. His primary and best known manager was Billy Roche, who also managed champion "Mysterious" Billy Smith. He was also managed by Abe Pollack and by Eddie Kelly during his fights in England.
Connolly was born on November 18, 1876 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.
He began boxing professionally around 1894, taking the Canadian Featherweight Title at only eighteen on April 3, 1894, in five rounds in his hometown of Saint John, New Brunswick. He won the bout in a five-round points decision.
Connolly defeated Frank Garrard, a competent featherweight, on October 15, 1895 in a third-round knockout in Cleveland, Ohio. On January 10, 1896, he defeated Jimmy Dime at the Cleveland Athletic Club in Cleveland, Ohio, in a third-round knockout. These victories were instrumental in his quick rise in the boxing world. In January 1893, Dime had won the equivalent of the American Lightweight Championship at 130 pounds in Fonda, New York.
On August 13, 1896, fighting on his home turf of Saint John, New Brunswick, Connolly drew in six rounds with Stanton Abbott at the Mechanics Institute. The fighting was rather subdued and the crowd was small, however, as a New Brunswick magistrate, under pressure to curtail professional boxing, had threatened to arrest not only the principals in the fight but the spectators as well if a bout took place. The police chief and ten constables present at the bout apparently did not prevent the fight from taking place.
On November 24, 1896, Connolly took the British Empire World Lightweight Championship in Birminghamp, U.K. against English champion Tom Causer in a fifth-round knockout. It was an important win, and a widely recognized World Title, though not recognized worldwide, particularly the United States. Causer was a formidable opponent who according to one source, had lost only one bout prior to 1896. He was the favorite in the pre-fight betting at odds of 6 to 4 and a sizable purse of 200 pounds was at stake. The fighting was fierce and often close throughout, with the first full count in the fifth round.
On January 28, 1897, Connolly fought the great British boxer Dick Burge to a ten-round draw at the Olympic Club in Birmingham, England. Burge was the favorite at 143 pounds, with Connolly five pounds lighter at 138. The bout "caused unusual excitement, crowds flocking to the doors of the clubhouse, and it required extra policemen to preserve order." The sixth and seventh rounds were marked by particularly fierce fighting, with Burge connecting solidly to Connolly's face when he nearly slipped in the sixth, knocking him to the canvas for a count of nine, from which he quickly recovered. At least one source wrote that Burge had the edge in the fight and should have received the decision, despite having over a six-inch disadvantage in reach. The bout was stopped in the tenth round largely as a result of the fierceness of the fighting and the conditions of the competitors. Spectators, the manager of the Olympic Club, and several of the police voiced their desire to stop the fighting. Connolly's head and face were badly battered in the bout. According to Chicago's InterOcean, Burge, angered perhaps by the decision or confused by the fierceness of the contest, began fighting his own cornermen at the conclusion of the fight, and attempted to get at Connolly's trainer.
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