A deeper dive on Jimmy McLarnin's greatness.

Having turned professional as a Flyweight, McLarnin would have 2 fights in Vancouver, prior to heading to California due to low the payment he was getting for his bouts was. After twice defeating his amateur rival, Mickey Gill, he would face his first really noteworthy adversary, the future Flyweight champion of the world, and future top 3 Bantamweight and Featherweight contender, Fidel LaBarba. McLarnin won the 4 rounder on points, but many in the audience thought that LaBarba was game enough to maybe deserve a draw. They would rematch immediately 2 weeks later, and the result would actually be a draw this time. McLarnin would then face another very tough opponent, Memphis Pal Moore, who had claimed the world Bantamweight title half a decade ago, this 4 rounder would also end in a draw.

He would then manage to gain a popular decision win over LaBarba, winning the Pacific Coast Flyweight title. His already notable resume would lead him to fighting the #3 rated Bantamweight, Charles ''Bud'' Taylor, who would become the Bantamweight champion of the world by defeating Tony Canzoneri in the future. This would result in McLarnin's first pro career loss, Taylor was just too experienced for the wet behind the ears McLarnin at this point. McLarnin would change that fact, proceeding to defeat the Flyweight champion, the great Pancho Villa, as well as the future Welterweight champion, the still green Jackie Fields, who got knocked out in 2 measly rounds.

This would enable McLarnin to rematch Taylor, and he would be victorious this time, but it was due to a disqualification on Taylor's part, who had been warned 3 times for his low blows. The rubber match was an obvious fight to make, but unfortunately for McLarnin, he would once again lose to Taylor. His future contests with other opponents would have a similar pattern. McLarnin would beat Joey Sangor in 3 rounds, who would be a top 5 rated Featherweight by the end of the year. He would then come up short against the #8 rated Featherweight, Johnny Farr. Failure woundn't stop Jimmy though, as he would defeat the #6 rated Junior Lightweight, Joe Glick, a few months later. Then he lost to the #14 rated Junior Lightweight, Doc Snell. He would then have a draw against the tough contender, Tommy Cello, prior to actually defeating him in a rematch a bit more than a month later.

McLarnin goes on to beat the almost contender, Johnny Lamar, as well the #6 rated Lightweight, Lope Tenorio. Then he would defeat the former Featherweight champion of the world, and the #6 rated Lightweight, Louis ''Kid'' Kaplan, in what was a classic bout, with both men getting floored twice each. McLarnin then defeated the #4 rated Lightweight, Billy Wallace, and the #3 rated Lightweight, Sid Terris. Terris specificaly would be destroyed in a single round. It was obvious to everybody that McLarnin deserved a shot at the title against Sammy Mandell. The fight was twice postponed due to rain, but it did end up happening in May of 1928. McLarnin chased Mandell around the ring, but the way more experienced champion managed to beat him backing up, made him miss, made him lose his temper, and constantly managed to get him with his left. McLarnin claimed he had been thumbed, but most spectators agreed with the notion that it was a boy trying to beat a man.

McLarnin would proceed to stop the #9 rated Lightweight, Phil McGraw, in a single round. The future top 5 rated Junior Welterweight, Stanislaus Loayza, would only last 4 rounds. McLarnin would then receive the worst beating of his career up until this point against the #2 rated Lightweight, Ray Miller, as a result his corner would stop the fight, and McLarnin wouldn't respond for the 8th round. McLarnin then proceeded to twice defeat the #3 rated Lightweight, Joe Glick, like he had done previously. He outpointed him in the first of the 2 fights, but got his nose broken, and then knocked him out in 2 in their final fight together. This is where McLarnin would truly show how great he was.

McLarnin would decide to avenge his savage loss against Miller, this time beating him in their rematch by points. Then he defeated the #9 rated Welterweight, ''Sergeant'' Sammy Miller, knocking him out in a single round. Sammy Miller had previously defeated Young Corbett III by the way. McLarnin would then rematch the great Sammy Mandell, who was still the champion and at the peak of his ability. McLarnin would proceed to do to Mandell what he had previously done to him. He had grown a lot as a fighter since that first loss against him. Then, he would face the #2 rated Junior Welterweight, Ruby Goldstein, knocking him out in 2. Jimmy would once again face Sammy Mandell, but it was no different than the previous contest between them. Then he defeated Young Jack Thompson, the former Welterweight champion of the world, and one of Young Corbett III's early rivals. And he is not done. He then defeated the freshly crowned new Lightweight champion who had defeated Mandell, Al Singer, and he would only last 3 rounds, he would later claim that McLarnin was the hardest puncher he ever fought, and had feared that his neck was broken.

McLarnin would then lose in an upset against the #2 rated Lightweight, the fantastic Billy Petrolle, who pounded away at him throughout 10 rounds, dropping Jimmy twice in the 4th round. McLarnin's manager claimed that he had hurt his hand during the 2nd round, and had barely used it after the 4th. McLarnin was unable to fight for months, the obvious rematch would be scheduled half a year later. This time McLarnin would prove himself the better man and win on points. A rubber match was scheduled to settle their rivalry, and McLarnin practically won every round, showcasing how Petrolle was not in his class after all.

McLarnin then faced the former Welterweight champion of the world, as well as future Middleweight king, Lou Brouillard. The much more aggressive and rougher Brouillard managed to heavily trouble McLarnin, managing to win the fight by split decision. A few months later, McLarnin would have arguably his most famous fight, when he stopped the great former Lightweight champion, Benny Leonard, in the 6th round. Leonard was making a come-back, but all those years away from the ring, his age, and McLarnin's talent didn't result in him having a chance. McLarnin would then defeat the Junior Welterweight champion, Sammy Fuller, stopping him in the 8th.

Then, his career defining achievement, when he became the Welterweight king by defeating Young Corbett III. Corbett was in his prime, having recently defeated Fields, Glick and Garcia. McLarnin knocked him out in a single round, most likely the single most impressive first round KO in Boxing history. Unfortunately for McLarnin, the Welterweights were cursed to lose their title in their first defense during that time period. Corbett had just gotten it from Fields, who had just gotten it from Brouillard, who had just gotten it from Thompson, who had just gotten it again from Freeman, who had just gotten it from him, so on and so forth. So, McLarnin was unfortunate to have the legendary Barney Ross against him, who soundly defeated him and took his title.

Ross was also unfortunate to be a victim of the Welterweight title curse, losing it against McLarnin in the rematch, although most spectators argued that he at least deserved a draw, if not the win itself. The curse would continue again for the 12th consecutive time, as Ross would once again reclaim the title from McLarnin in the rubber match. McLarnin would then schedule a fight with another legendary figure of the sport, the great Tony Canzoneri, who was then rated #2 at Lightweight. Canzoneri would manage to get hit by a microphone prior to the start of the fight, and McLarnin took advantage of this and beat him up in the first round, but his timing wasn't all there due to his year long layoff. Canzoneri had succesfully survived a beating both by the mic and McLarnin, and when he realized he could take it, he motivated himself to victory, even managing to drop McLarnin, and would win most of the rounds after, and thus, the fight.

A rematch was scheduled, and this time, the exact scenario played out but with reversed roles, the mic was replaced with empty space this time. Canzoneri initially beat McLarnin up, but would proceed to get dropped in the 2nd round, and would then lose all but 2 rounds. McLarnin and Canzoneri were now 1-1. McLarnin would go on to have one last fight against the Lightweight champion, Lou Ambers, who had just defeated Tony. It wouldn't be too hard, McLarnin easily won the fight, hitting Ambers with bonecrushing shots round after round. The winner of this fight was supposed to fight Ross again, but McLarnin decided to retire for good, probably knowing that Ross just had the better of him. But leaving the sport while being at the top, and having wins over Canzoneri and Ambers, is just as good a way to go as any.

 

I read some articles on McLarnin prior to making this, and it's said here https://seamusdubhghaill.com/2017/12/19/birth-of-boxer-jimmy-mclarnin/