New book now available on Peter Maher, titled "The Irish Champion". It tells his story, that of his opponents and their records. More information can be got at the link below; http://www.trafford.com/07-2554
Sounds interesting. Did you uncover any hidden matches that Maher was in while you did your re-search? I have the fight review on Maher vs Fitzsimmons 1, and it is a classic. Maher, who was on his way out kindly asked Fitzsimmons in a clinch if he could finish the round before retiring, and Fitz let him.
Yeah, I found some extra fights for Maher. He also did a few barnstorming tours and I list a lot of these affairs. Fitz-Maher 1 was a hell of a fight which could have gone either way early on and Fitz indeed let Maher finish his last round and then they shared a swig of whiskey in Peter's corner!
Yep, I occasionally drop in to CBz a well as the Boxrec forum. Also I'm in IBRO and sometimes send them material. The book has a lot on Maher's opponents such as Choynski, Fitz, Goddard, Slavin, Sharkey, O"Donnell, McCoy and a host of lesser lights with updated records for some 40 boxers.
About the Book Peter Maher, a Galway born, and Dublin reared fighter, laid a strong claim on sport’s greatest prize, The Heavyweight Championship of the world, in the 1890’s. For over ten years he was a top contender and his popularity was such that he was arguably the most famous sportsman in America at the turn of the Twentieth century. This popularity stemmed from his prodigious punching power, good looks and affable, good-natured and easy-going manner. He mixed with everybody from Presidents like Teddy Roosevelt and William McKinley to Wild West icons Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and Judge Roy Bean and a multitude in between. Yet today he is virtually unknown except to the anoraks of the boxing world. This book attempts to address this situation. It traces his career from the amateur days in Dublin, deals with all his big fights in the United States and the famous contest for the World Title against Bob Fitzsimmons in Mexico. It charts his downward spiral until his death in 1940 in Baltimore. The book also contains a records section where the career records of some forty of his opponents are published, some for the first time and most at least revised with corrections and additions. The book also contains many photographs from the period and attempts by the use of contemporaneous newspaper reports to accurately portray the man and his times.
