John Patrick Kilbane (April 9, 1889 – May 31, 1957) was an American featherweight boxer in the early part of the 20th century. He held the World Featherweight title from 1912 to 1923, the longest period in the division's history, having defended the title against four contenders during the reign. Statistical boxing website BoxRec lists Kilbane as the No. 2 ranked featherweight of all-time, while The Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleischer placed him at No. 5.Cyber Boxing Encyclopedia - Johnny Kilbane CyberBoxingZone.com Retrieved on 2014-04-30All-Time Featherweight Rankings . BoxRec.com. Retrieved on 2014-04-11. The International Boxing Research Organization rates Kilbane as the 8th best featherweight ever.All-Time Light Heavyweight Rankings IBROresearch.com Retrieved on 2014-04-29 He was inducted into the Ring Magazine Hall of Fame in 1960 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1995.

Early life Kilbane was born to Irish emigrees John and Mary (Gallagher) Kilbane in Cleveland, Ohio on April 9, 1889. His mother died when he was 3 years old and his father went blind when he was 6. He attended school until the sixth grade when he dropped out to help support his family.

Career

Kilbane's first professional fight was in 1907, for which he earned around $25.

World featherweight champion

On February 22, 1912, Kilbane took the featherweight title from Abe Atell in a twenty-round match in Vernon, California. When he returned to Cleveland, on St. Patrick's Day, he was given the greatest welcome ever given to a native Clevelander, with more than 100,000 people turning out. He held the featherweight championship for 11 years through numerous fights. He finally lost it to Eugene Criqui. The high number of "no decision"s in his career reflected early boxing rules in many states in the U.S. that dictated "no decision"—ND—unless a fight ended by knockout.

Kilbane fought 1904 World Bantamweight champion Jimmy Walsh in a World Featherweight Title match on May 21, 1912, at the Pilgrim Athletic Club in Boston, Massachusetts to a twelve-round draw decision. They had previously fought in a non-title match on May 30, 1911, in a 12-round draw bout in Canton, Ohio, that was characterized as "full of clinches", with neither man "doing much hard work.""Picked Up in Fight Land", The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, pg. 11, 31 May 1911

In October 1917 - while still World Featherweight Champion - Kilbane became a lieutenant in the U.S. Army — assigned to Camp Sherman located near Chillicothe, Ohio — training U.S. soldiers in self-defense during World War I.

After losing the featherweight title in 1923, Kilbane won at least two exhibition bouts, and then retired from boxing.

Life after boxing

Kilbane would referee boxing matches after retiring from boxing, as well as operating a gym, serving in the Ohio Senate and acting as Clerk of the Cleveland Municipal Court.

Kilbane was such a popular prizefighter in his day that his name appeared in print as a verb. An unsigned commentary in the sports pages of the New York Times on May 16, 1912, reported on an episode involving Detroit baseball player Ty Cobb, who the day before, in a game between the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees, had gone into the stands after a heckler. The commentary said, "The famous baseball player from Detroit, Ty Cobb chased after a heckler during a game with the New York Yankees and 'Johnny Kilbaned' him right where he stood...and in so doing stopped the profane and intolerable language dead in its tracks, along with the heckler himself". Kilbane was a distant relative of the Irish boxer John Joe Nevin, the footballer Darren Fletcher, the wrestler Giant Haystacks and the Irish footballer Kevin Kilbane. His family was originally from Achill, County Mayo, Ireland.

He died on May 31, 1957, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Awards and honors 12-year reign as World Featherweight Champion 1995: International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee 2012: Street where Kilbane grew up in Cleveland (Herman Avenue) was renamed Kilbane TownKilbane Town - Cleveland historical.org 2012: Statue on Achill Island, County Mayo, Ireland from where his parents emigrated. 2014: Statue in Cleveland's Battery Park neighborhood.

Professional boxing record All information in this section is derived from BoxRec, unless otherwise stated.

Official record

All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column. ResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateLocationNotes143Loss49–6–7 Eugène CriquiTKO6 (15)Jun 2, 1923142Win49–5–7 Danny FrushKO7 (12)Sep 17, 1920141Win48–5–7 Freddie JacksNWS10May 25, 1920140Win48–5–7 Artie RootNWS10Jul 28, 1920139Loss48–5–7 Andy ChaneyNWS8Jun 2, 1920138Loss48–5–7 Harry BrownNWS6May 24, 1920137Win48–5–7 Alvie MillerKO7 (10)Apr 21, 1920136Loss47–5–7 Benny ValgerNWS8Feb 25, 1920135Win47–5–7 Johnny MurrayNWS6Jan 24, 1920134Win47–5–7 Al ShubertNWS6Jan 1, 1920133Loss47–5–7 Andy ChaneyNWS8Dec 29, 1919132Win47–5–7 Eddie MorganNWS6Sep 20, 1919131Win47–5–7 Frankie BurnsTKO5 (8)Sep 16, 1919130Win46–5–7 Joe FoxNWS6Jul 28, 1919129Win46–5–7 Ralph BradyNWS10May 14, 1919128Win46–5–7 Johnny MaloneyTKO6 (6)Apr 19, 1919127Win45–5–7 Jack LawlerNWS10Apr 12, 1919126Win45–5–7 Artie O'LearyNWS6Apr 5, 1919125Win45–5–7 Johnny MealeyKO2 (6)Mar 31, 1919124Loss44–5–7 Frankie BrownNWS6Mar 10, 1919123Loss44–5–7 Benny LeonardTKO3 (6)Jul 25, 1917122Win44–4–7 Frankie FlemingNWS10May 24, 1917121Win44–4–7 Freddie WelshNWS10May 1, 1917120Win44–4–7 Matt BrockNWS10Apr 19, 1917119Draw44–4–7 Eddie WallaceNWS12Mar 26, 1917118Win44–4–7 Eddie ShannonNWS6Mar 19, 1917117Win44–4–7 Tim DroneyNWS6Mar 12, 1917116Loss44–4–7 Rocky KansasNWS10Feb 26, 1917115Win44–4–7 Johnny RayNWS6Feb 3, 1917114Win44–4–7 Johnny DrummieKO10 (12)Jan 18, 1917113Win43–4–7 Alvie MillerNWS12Dec 11, 1916112Win43–4–7 George ChaneyKO3 (15)Sep 4, 1916111Win42–4–7 Johnny O'LearyNWS10Jun 13, 1916110Draw42–4–7 Eddie WallaceNWS10May 24, 1916109Win42–4–7 Willie JacksonTKO5 (6)May 8, 1916108Win41–4–7 Harry DonahueNWS10Mar 24, 1916107Win41–4–7 Johnny RayNWS6Mar 4, 1916106Win41–4–7 Johnny CreeleyNWS10Feb 16, 1916105Win41–4–7 Packy HommeyNWS6Jan 31, 1916104Win41–4–7 Frankie ConifreyNWS6Jan 15, 1916103Win41–4–7 Patsy ClineKO2 (6)Jan 8, 1916102Loss40–4–7 Richie MitchellNWS10Jan 1, 1916101Win40–4–7 Patsy BranniganNWS10Dec 2, 1915100Win40–4–7 Packy HommeyNWS10Nov 22, 191599Win40–4–7 Bobby ReynoldsNWS6Nov 15, 191598Win40–4–7 Cal DelaneyNWS12Oct 11, 191597Loss40–4–7 Richie MitchellNWS10Sep 21, 191596Win40–4–7 Alvie MillerNWS12Sep 6, 191595Win40–4–7 Mel CooganNWS10May 11, 191594Win40–4–7 Benny LeonardNWS10Apr 29, 191593Win40–4–7 Eddie WallaceNWS10Mar 30, 191592Win40–4–7 Kid WilliamsNWS6Mar 17, 191591Win40–4–7 Eddie MorganNWS6Feb 13, 191590Win40–4–7 Rocky KansasNWS10Feb 1, 191589Win40–4–7 Eddie MorganNWS6Jan 23, 191588Win40–4–7 Frankie DaleyNWS10Jan 8, 191587Loss40–4–7 Patsy BranniganNWS6Jan 1, 191586Win40–4–7 Willie HouckNWS6Dec 14, 191485Loss40–4–7 Joe MandotNWS12Dec 7, 191484Win40–4–7 Louis MargolisNWS10Jul 2, 191483Win40–4–7 Benny ChavezKO2 (15)May 29, 191482Win39–4–7 Bobby ReynoldsNWS8Apr 22, 191481Win39–4–7 Kid JulianNWS10Apr 16, 191480Win39–4–7 Frankie DaleyNWS6Apr 13, 191479Win39–4–7 Gene DelmontNWS8Apr 6, 191478Win39–4–7 Tommy BresnahanNWS10Feb 11, 191477Win39–4–7 Charley ThomasNWS6Feb 7, 191476Win39–4–7 Eddie MoyNWS6Feb 2, 191475Win39–4–7 Eddie MoyKO5 (6)Jan 5, 191474Win38–4–7 Eddie O'KeefeKO1 (6)Nov 10, 191373Win37–4–7 Louis MargolisKO7 (10)Oct 30, 191372Win36–4–7 Kid JulianNWS10Oct 8, 191371Win36–4–7 Joe GoldbergNWS10Sep 25, 191370Win36–4–7 Jimmy WalshPTS12Sep 16, 191369Win35–4–7 Jimmy FoxTKO6 (10)Jun 10, 191368Draw34–4–7 Johnny DundeePTS20Apr 29, 191367Win34–4–6 George KirkwoodTKO6 (10)Feb 19, 191366Win33–4–6 Young DriscollNWS10Feb 4, 191365Win33–4–6 Oliver KirkTKO2 (8)Jan 1, 191364Win32–4–6 Tommy DixonNWS8Dec 19, 191263Win32–4–6 Monte AttellTKO9 (12)Dec 3, 191262Win31–4–6 Tommy GintyKO4 (6)Oct 29, 191261Win30–4–6 Johnny AlbaneseNWS10Oct 24, 191260Win30–4–6 Eddie O'KeefePTS12Oct 14, 191259Win29–4–6 Eddie O'KeefeNWS10Sep 19, 191258Win29–4–6 Jackie MoorePTS10Sep 11, 191257Win28–4–6 Johnny DundeeNWS10Sep 4, 191256Win28–4–6 Tommy DixonPTS12Jul 4, 191255Win27–4–6 Tommy O'TooleNWS6Jun 5, 191254Draw27–4–6 Jimmy WalshPTS12May 21, 191253Win27–4–5 Frankie BurnsNWS10May 14, 191252Win27–4–5 Abe AttellPTS20Feb 22, 191251Win26–4–5 Charley WhiteNWS12Dec 23, 191150Win26–4–5 Patsy BranniganNWS10Nov 29, 191149Win26–4–5 Frankie ConleyPTS20Sep 30, 191148Win25–4–5 Mexican Joe RiversKO16 (20)Sep 4, 191147Win24–4–5 Patsy KlinePTS20Jul 15, 191146Draw23–4–5 Jimmy WalshNWS12May 30, 191145Loss23–4–5 Mexican Joe RiversPTS20May 6, 191144Draw23–3–5 Monte AttellPTS10Mar 24, 191143Win23–3–4 Kid GhettoPTS10Mar 16, 191142Win22–3–4 Johnny AlbanesePTS10Mar 8, 191141Draw21–3–4 Tommy BresnahanNWS10Feb 27, 191140Win21–3–4 Jack WhitePTS12Feb 14, 191139Win20–3–4 Gus WilsonPTS10Jan 11, 191138Draw19–3–4 Tommy O'TooleNWS6Jan 7, 191137Win19–3–4 Patsy BranniganNWS12Jan 2, 191136Win19–3–4 Benny KaufmanNWS12Nov 24, 191035Loss19–3–4 Abe AttellPTS10Oct 24, 191034Loss19–2–4 Benny KaufmanNWS6Sep 29, 191033Draw19–2–4 Patsy BranniganNWS12Jul 4, 191032Win19–2–4 Al DelmontPTS10Apr 19, 191031Win18–2–4 Bobby TickleNWS6Mar 29, 19103018–2–4 Biz MackeyNC6Mar 23, 191029Win18–2–4 Kid TylerKO3 (10)Mar 3, 191028Draw17–2–4 Jack WhiteNWS8Feb 2, 191027Win17–2–4 Tommy KilbanePTS15Jan 1, 191026Win16–2–4 Marty HeffronPTS8Oct 2, 190925Win15–2–4 Happy DavisNWS6Aug 9, 190924Win15–2–4 Jeff GaffneyKO4 (6)Jun 30, 190923Draw14–2–4 Jack WhitePTS12Jun 14, 190922Win14–2–3 Cloyce YeagerNWS10Jun 1, 190921Win14–2–3 Mike BartleyKO5 (6)May 7, 190920Loss13–2–3 Biz MackeyTKO5 (12)Mar 29, 190919Win13–1–3 Frank LeMasterPTS8Mar 11, 190918Win12–1–3 Clyde LeMastersPTS8Feb 18, 190917Win11–1–3 Johnny WhittakerNWS12Feb 4, 190916Draw11–1–3 Jack WhitePTS10Jan 15, 190915Draw11–1–2 Young Joe GrimNWS12Dec 14, 190814Win11–1–2Clyde LeMastersPTS10Dec 3, 190813Win10–1–2Tommy KilbanePTS25Nov 25, 190812Win9–1–2Milburn SaylorPTS10Jun 5, 190811Win8–1–2Battling TerryPTS10May 30, 190810Win7–1–2Paul KohlerPTS6May 22, 19089Draw6–1–2Tommy LynchPTS10Apr 13, 19088Win6–1–1Herman ZahnizerKO9 (10)Mar 16, 19087Loss5–1–1Tommy KilbanePTS6Mar 3, 19086Win5–0–1Paul KohlerPTS6Mar 1, 19085Draw4–0–1Tommy KilbanePTS4Feb 10, 19084Win4–0Tommy KilbanePTS3Jan 1, 19083Win3–0Kid CampbellKO6 (6)Dec 25, 19072Win2–0Tommy BurnsPTS3Dec 18, 19071Win1–0Tom ManganPTS3Dec 2, 1907

Unofficial record

Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw column.