Ike Weir (February 5, 1867 – September 12, 1908) was an Irish boxer, credited with being the first man to be featherweight champion of the world. He took the title after defeating Frank Murphy on March 31, 1889, in Kouts, Indiana in a fight that went an astounding eighty rounds, though it was officially declared a draw. Some sources may credit Weir with taking the world title as early as 1887 in his knockout title wins over Jack Farrell in Ridgefield, New Jersey on January 24, or Jack Williams in Westerly, Rhode Island, on March 10. Weir first claimed the title in his win over Farrell.
He was recognized by most sources to have lost the title on January 13, 1890, to Torpedo Billy Murphy in a fourteenth-round knockout in San Francisco, California."Little Giants of the Ring", The Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, Utah, p. 15, 13 July 1980
Early life and career Weir was born on February 5, 1867, in Lurgan, Ireland. He grew up near Belfast, where his father worked as a breeder, buyer, and trainer of thoroughbred horses for the gentry. Weir was somewhat dark complected with curly hair, blue eyes, and a lean build. He was well educated and had a fondness for books, and music. His shooting skills with both gun and pistol were noteworthy, and he was a fine pianist, having taken music education at an early age. Lighthearted and a serious entertainer, he was known to dance a jig, or to perform a handstand or backflip in the ring for the entertainment of his fans. Beginning work as a cross country jockey in Preston, England before taking up boxing, he had a fondness for horses from an early age. His ring name "spider" may have had an origin in his thin arms and legs, or a result of the spider-like riding crouch he assumed as a jockey.White, Charley, "Inside the Ring with the Great Fighters", New York Evening World, New York, New York, pg. 7, 29 July 1911
Early career boxing in England On October 5, 1885, he entered an amateur boxing contest in Manchester, where he defeated Stewart of Bradford, and Bill Palon, before being beaten by Joe Fielden who was thirty pounds heavier than Weir. His official boxing debut was on October 9, 1885, against W. Harlow in Salford. His first serious boxing instruction was obtained in Liverpool. There he defeated Billy Sykes in four rounds on points using English boxing rules.Beat Billy Sykes in "Ring Happenings on February 6", The Fort Wayne Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Indiana, pg. 4, 6 February 1919"The Weir-Murphy Fight", Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois, pg 2, 17 March 1889 In the next two years, before his first bout with Tommy Warren, he won ten of fourteen fights, with only four being considered draws."Ike Weir and Billy Murphy the Star Clowns of the Ring", Trenton Evening Times, Trenton, New Jersey, pg. 8, 13 January 1915"Belfast Spider was Favorite in Duluth", The Labor World, Duluth, Minnesota, p. 5, 30 March 1907
1886 arrival in Boston Having difficulty finding bouts in England, he arrived in Boston on March 10, 1886, at the age of nineteen, and won a three-round contest with Willie Snee. He would remain in the U.S. the rest of his life. In his next American battle in Boston on October 29, 1886, he put James Furman on the canvas in a surprising fifth-round technical knockout which allowed him to be matched with better known boxer Martin Burns on November 5 of the following week. He knocked out Burns in six difficult rounds in Boston."Anniversary of Ike Weir's First Important Battle", The New Castle Herald, New Castle, Pennsylvania, pg. 11, 29 October 1917
Mid professional boxing career
Weir was known for his clever ducking and rapid countering, rather than a strong punch. He defeated a number of middleweights in his career, some outweighing him by as much as fifty pounds.
Early featherweight title matches On March 10, 1887, Weir fought a thirty-six-round match against Jack Williams in Westerly, Rhode Island, that ended in a knockout for Weir. The fight was billed as a World Featherweight Title match. In the close and exciting contest, Weir was down in the twelfth, twenty-fourth, and twenty-ninth rounds, while Williams was down in the thirty-sixth round.
On January 24, 1887, Weir won a seventh-round knockout against Jack Farrell in Ridgefield, New Jersey, near Hoboken, that was billed as a World 124 pound title match, though it was not subsequently recognized as such. Weir received around $500 for the bout which was likely the largest purse he had yet received, and as the actual fight time was only eighteen minutes, it was a welcomed windfall for Weir. According to one source, the match was held in a somewhat private venue to keep its existence from the attention of the authorities who may have had issue with its legality. Weir took a few good shots in the bout himself and subsequently had a bad cut over his right eye. He later described Farrell as the "gamest man he ever met"."Tired of Fighting with Stuffed Pillows." The Marion Star, Marion, Ohio, pg. 1, 28 January 1887
On Easter Monday, April 11, 1887, he married Henrietta Flora McAvoy, at St. Mary's in Boston's North end; he remained with her throughout his life."Ike Weir's Wedding Anniversary", Boston Post, Boston, Massachusetts, p. 2, 10 April 1904
On April 30, 1887, Weir defeated Willie Clarke in a twenty-round bout lasting 1 hour 23 minutes in Long Island Sound in Queens, New York. Weir knocked Clarke down twice in the first and once in the seventh. The bout was brutal, with far more of the injuries attributed to Clarke. Injuries to Weir's hands made it unlikely he could win by knockout, extending the length of the bout. Clarke attempted a futile rally in the nineteenth round, but was too weak and injured. His seconds threw in the sponge at the end of the twentieth when he could no longer see."The Spider Wins", The Tennessean, Nashville, Tennessee, pg. 2, 2 May 1887 According to one source, several of his earliest bouts had as few as twenty in attendance due to the legal issues associated with boxing at the time, and a single ticket could get a price as high as $100."Belfast Spider was Favorite in Duluth", The Labor World, Duluth, Minnesota, pg. 5, 30 March 1907
All-night bout with Jack Havlin
On July 20, 1887, Weir fought an unusually long 61-round match outdoors against Jack Havlin of Providence, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The fight, described as "one of the hardest battles Weir ever took part in", began around 9:30 PM, and lasted much of the night before ending around 3:00 AM in an official draw. Weir's manager at the time was Ed Holske, who had followed him from his fighting days in England. The battle caused injuries to Weir's hands, which were a source of concern for much of his boxing career. Further increasing the chances of hand injuries, the bout was fought with skin-tight gloves which offered little padding. According to one source, Havlin was more badly injured from the bout, suffering from serious swelling and injuries to his eyes, and most sources agree Havlin had the worst of the contest. With Havlin unable to see effectively for the later part of the match, and Weir having serious problems with his hands, not much contact took place. The bout ended when the referee called the match.White, Charley, "Inside the Ring With the Great Fighters", The Evening World, New York, New York, pg. 9, 1 August 1911"An All Night Fight", The Decatur Herald, Decatur, Illinois, pg. 1, 22 July 1887
On September 30, 1887, he met Johnny Murphy in Boston in a 17-round draw, which may have originally only been scheduled for 15. The referee considered the fighting so close that two additional rounds were added, but failed to help determine a victor."What Sports are Saying," The Evening World, New York, New York, pg. 3, 8 April 1889
Title bout with Tommy Warren On December 12, 1887, Weir fought a 20-round featherweight title match against Tommy Warren at boxer John Barnes's club in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with Barnes himself as the referee. A few sources credited his ascension to the American and world featherweight crown with his victory in this match. Describing the fight, one source wrote, "The "Belfast Spider" outfought the "Boy Gambler" of Louisville (Warren) at every stage of the game and Warren was in a bad way when Barnes (referee) stopped the affair in the twentieth round and called it a draw." According to the El Paso Herald, Weir's bout with Warren was "the first ever pulled off under the Marquis of Queensbury Rules with the World's Featherweight Championship at stake", though more sources credit Weir's ascension to the featherweight crown against Murphy on March 31, 1889."Raw Ring Decision Given Thirty-one Years Ago Today", El Paso Herald, El Paso, Texas, pg. 9, 12 December 1918 According to one source, Warren was given two ounce gloves for the bout, while Weir was required to wear larger ones. By the 1910s gloves were closer to four ounces in weight. With far greater speed and mobility Weir was said to have "danced all around Warren".White, Charley, "Inside the Ring with the Great Fighters", The Evening World, New York, New York, pg. 9, 2 August 1911
On January 23, 1888, in the height of winter he fought Tommy Miller in Minneapolis at the Washington Roller Rink. He defeated Miller in a seventh-round knockout. Legend has it that Weir did a somersault followed by a handstand so his seconds could remove his warm-up pants. He did a second hand stand when asked to shake the hand of Miller, brushing his foot on Miller's chin. The crowd, who favored Miller, was not amused."Ike Weir, Clown of the Prize Ring", Evansville Press, Evansville, Indiana, pg. 3, 26 December 1906
Shortly after this bout, Weir fought "Ironman" George Siddons on February 3, 1888, in Duluth, Minnesota, winning by technical knockout in the eleventh of 15 rounds, though Siddons claimed he had been fouled. According to one source, Siddon's jaw had been broken in the bout, which could be a brutal affair with the thin gloves that were used.Hayes, Judge, "Sporting News", The Labor World, Duluth, Minnesota, pg. 5, 30 March 1907
World featherweight title
Weir, by most accounts, first took the World Featherweight Championship in a match with Frank Murphy on March 31, 1889, in Kouts, Indiana. The fight was billed as a world featherweight title, and went an astonishing eighty rounds. It decided the World Featherweight Championship, according to several sources, though it was ruled a draw by the referee.Weir first took the championship against Frank Murphy in "Famous Fighters in Feather Class", The Lincoln Daily Star, Lincoln, Nebraska, pg. 9, 13 January 1916 With both combatants exhausted, little fighting took place in the last eighteen rounds. Upon examination, Murphy was found to have had a broken rib, and Weir had possibly received a minor jaw fracture. By most accounts, Weir was the more aggressive boxer in the bout."Couldn't End It", Pittsburgh Dispatch, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pg. 6, 1 April 1889
Loss of world featherweight title to Billy Murphy