IMO one of the most underrated fighters. Where do you rank him and what do you think about him? I have to rank him pretty high, because of his legacy and especially head-to-head he would be very hard to beat (at 147 lbs for example)...
McCoy fought at middle, heavy, and then light heavy. Though he only weighted between 155-175 pounds, he defeated much larger men. McCoy had a “ cork screw “ punch that he would twist upon impact to create cuts. He was agile and active in the ring. One of the better middles and light heavies of his era for sure. If McCoy had a draw back it was he lacked a good chin. The other side of McCoy was he was a trickster in the ring. McCoy came up with the looking down at the shoe bit and pointing, then delivering a fierce blow while the other fighter looked. McCoy once begged Tommy Ryan for a fight claiming he was ill and needed the money. Ryan fell for it and did not train hard. McCoy showed up in great shape and won. Legend says that McCoy once threw down some tacks vs a barefoot fighter in an exhibition match. He defeated Choynski by perfecting the art of landing a second after the bell and making it look like an accident. Outside of the ring, McCoy was a piece of crap. He went to prison for murder, robbed people, and once kicked Jim Corbett in the groin at a hotel when the two got into each others face. Corbett vs McCoy in 1900 was a hard fight. It was no fix as reported by Box rec. Oddly enough, the two sparred many years later for World War I Bonds, with McCoy being fat, and Corbett looking extremely quick and skilled. The session can be bought on DVD, and the flim is clear and up close. The loss meant little as McCoy, would only lose one more fight on points until he retired in 1916. McCoy would have made a tough opponent for Ketchel, Burns, or Johnson. Oddly enough neither man selected him for a high stakes prize fight. I’ll post a few news read on McCoy: Up first, McCoy vs O'Donnell [url]http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9A00E2DE133DE633A25753C2A96F9C94689ED7CF[/url] Box rec record for McCoy [url]http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=39949&cat=boxer&pageID=1[/url]
McCoy vs Corbett, 1900 [url]http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9E05E5DA1039E733A25752C3A96E9C946197D6CF&oref=slogin[/url]
McCoy Vs Choynski [url]http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9E06E7DA1239E733A25757C1A9679C946197D6CF[/url] McCoy vs Placke [url]http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9807E7D7103DE633A25755C0A9629C946597D6CF[/url]