34 Facts About Luther McCarty

Luther Quinter McCarty was an American professional boxer who competed from 1911 to 1913.

Luther McCarty was considered by most to be the greatest of all the "Great White Hope" fighters who fought during the time of Jack Johnson.

Luther McCarty claimed the Heavyweight Championship during Jack Johnson's troubles with the United States Government, with many boxing historians rating him the man with the best chance of defeating Johnson.

Luther McCarty, solidly built and agile, stood about 6'4", and used his 80" reach to throw his strong left jab to both his opponent's head and body with equal accuracy.

Luther Quinter McCarty was born on 20 March 1892 to Maggie McCarty, a native of Ireland, and Anton P McCarty, a cure-all elixirs salesman and proprietor of the White Eagle Medicine Company.

Luther McCarty's mother was reported to be a stout six feet and 200 pounds, whilst his father stood six feet, five inches tall at 315 pounds.

Luther McCarty grew up in Piqua, Ohio, and spent time at Sidney gym, as he resided in Sidney since 1907.

Luther McCarty was a substitute for Yank Kenny, who left town the day before the fight, and on January 7,1911, in his first recorded fight, he knocked out Wat Adams in the second round, and after had had several bouts in Montana, North Dakota, and Canada, fighting seven times, winning seven fights, by stoppage.

Luther McCarty had worked as a sparring partner in Culbertson, Montana, in the fall of 1911.

Luther McCarty returned to the ring on May 3,1912, at the Springfield Athletic Club, Springfield, Missouri against Carl Morris, to which Luther McCarty caught him with a clean right-uppercut to the jaw which sent Morris down in the sixth-round.

Luther McCarty started off with a rush, taking Stewart by surprise and slamming him back against the ropes with a volley of left and right swings and straight punches.

Luther McCarty showed plenty of punching power with this hand.

Luther McCarty was continually trying for Stewart's stomach, but he seemed unable to land in a manner which carried any speed behind the blow.

Luther McCarty rushed continually, with his arms extended at full length, and wasted the power which the blow would have carried had he stood still and snapped his punches.

Willard was given the verdict almost unanimously by the New York papers, and it was said in reports of the contest that Luther McCarty was hardly able to land one telling blow on him.

On December 10,1912, Luther McCarty fought against Fireman Jim Flynn in Vernon, California, with the winner to face Al Palzer on January 1,1913, for the heavyweight championship of the world.

Luther McCarty weighed 205 pounds, marginally higher than his previous fights, with Flynn coming in at 190 pounds.

At the official weigh-in, before the fight, Palzer tipped the scales at 218 pounds, while Luther McCarty weighed 205 pounds.

Luther McCarty stalked him for the kill, and referee Eyton knifed in between the two, raised his hands, and the bout was over.

Luther McCarty followed his win over Flynn with a ten-round, no-decision bout with Frank Moran in New York.

Nevertheless, Luther McCarty survived the ten-round battle and won a newspaper decision according to The New York Times.

Less than a month after beating Moran, Luther McCarty traveled to Calgary, Alberta, to take a "stay busy" fight with Canadian heavyweight Arthur Pelkey while he waited to fight another top contender or perhaps Jack Johnson himself.

Luther McCarty smiled as he entered the ring on May 24,1913, while Pelkey looked grim and determined.

Luther McCarty stumbled around the ring, his face bloodless, and he took another left-right combination to the jaw.

Luther McCarty smiled, and turned slightly and fell flat on his back in the ring, with the cheers of the crowd quickly turned silent as Luther McCarty did not move.

Luther McCarty's death was front-page news around the world, as it was the first time in history that a champion had been killed in the ring, while being the first time any boxer had been killed in the ring in Canada.

Luther McCarty had become an uncomfortable man to have around, and was remembered in boxing history as the man who killed Luther McCarty.

The doctors stated that Luther McCarty had valvular heart trouble and that this had been aggravated by the excitement.

Billy McCarney, manager of McCarty, stated that Luther had had stomach trouble for a week previous to the bout, in which stomach tablets were taken and he was compelled to lay off from heavy training for two days last week.

McCarney stated that thirty seconds before the fall, Luther McCarty struck a crouching position, such as he used in delivering an uppercut and had winked at Luther McCarty in his corner.

Luther McCarty revealed that death was caused by a spinal haemorrhage, the result of a dislocation of the neck.

Burns, McCarney, and SMith were unable to account for the way in which Luther McCarty received his fatal injuries, in which they said the blows exchanged a force insufficient to have scored a knockdown.

McCarney stated that eight-ounce gloves were used and the men obeyed the rules not to hold or hit in clinches, with him asserting on the witness stand that Luther McCarty was in good condition when he entered the ring.

Once Luther McCarty's body arrived in Ohio, his casket was set up at the Wagner, Grover and Company furniture store and more than 7,500 people filed past it in one night and the following morning.