# Patrick Killen

Pat Killen (December 24, 1861 – October 21, 1891) was an American boxer. He died at 29, in Chicago while hiding from Minnesota authorities.

## Early life

Killen was born in Haddington, Pennsylvania. He later moved to Minnesota, where he made his home for the majority of his life and career (notwithstanding the final five months of his life).

## Boxing career

Standing 6'1" (1.85 m) and weighing around 195 pounds (88 kg), he was large for a heavyweight of his era. This benefited him tremendously as he was nearly three inches (8 cm) taller than most of his opponents. He was a patient fighter who usually waited for his opponent to make the first move, while setting up his punch. He was known as the best counter-punching heavyweight of his era, but known even more for his devastating one-punch power, winning most often by knockout. Some at the time felt he may have had greater one-punch power than even boxers John L. Sullivan or Peter Maher. However, he was less tough, durable, and was not as aggressive or tenacious as Sullivan, the reigning champion at that time.
Killen's first fight was against John Howard, whom he managed to knock out in the second round. Twenty-one more wins followed (all by knockout) before he lost on a foul against Mervine Thompson. Killen had knocked down the highly regarded Thompson four times, but the referee allegedly kept giving Thompson all the time he needed to recover each time, prompting the crowd to grow angry and storm the ring, as well as Killen taking off his gloves in disgust. All of this caused him to lose via disqualification.

## Death

Contrary to historical reports, Killen was not murdered. He died of Erysipelas in Chicago, while on the run from the authorities from his home state of Minnesota, where he had been arrested for assault and battery of two different people, both within two days; both during drunken stupors. He made bail and fled the state to Winnipeg and then later Chicago. He was 29 when he died.

## Legacy

He was rated as the seventh all-time greatest Minnesota heavyweight by boxing historian George Blair. His current (incomplete) record is 55 wins (52 by knockout), two losses, three draws and one no-contest.

## Professional boxing record

| 60 fights | 54 wins | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 51 | 1 |
| By decision | 2 | 0 |
| By disqualification | 1 | 1 |
| Draws | 3 | 3 |
| No contests | 1 | 1 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
| 60 | Win | 54–2–3 (1) | Bob Ferguson | KO | 6 (?) | Oct 11, 1891 | Picnic Grove, Richardson, Illinois, US | Retained Northwestern heavyweight title |
| 59 | Win | 53–2–3 (1) | Joe Sheehy | DQ | 2 (15) | Dec 19, 1890 | Jackson Street Rink, Saint Paul, Minnesota, US | Retained Northwestern heavyweight title; Sheehy DQ'd for throwing Killen to ground four times, stomping on him, and biting him in both the chest, the leg, and the stomach |
| 58 | Loss | 52–2–3 (1) | Joe McAuliffe | KO | 7 (?) | Sep 11, 1889 | Golden State A.C., San Francisco, California, US | Killen reportedly entered the fight drunk and missed so wildly on his punches, that he fell and dislocated his right shoulder in the 2nd round |
| 57 | Win | 52–1–3 (1) | Jack Welch | KO | 3 (?) | Aug 14, 1889 | Astoria, Oregon, US | |
| 56 | Win | 51–1–3 (1) | Jack Fraser | KO | 3 (?) | Jul 22, 1889 | Spokane Falls, Washington, US | |
| 55 | Win | 50–1–3 (1) | Jack Smith | KO | 2 (?) | Jul 16, 1889 | Tacoma, Washington, US | Exact date unknown |
| 54 | Win | 49–1–3 (1) | Corporal Toomey | KO | 1 (?) | Jul 11, 1889 | Miles City, Montana, US | |
| 53 | Win | 48–1–3 (1) | Patsy Cardiff | KO | 4 (15) | Jun 26, 1888 | Washington Roller Rink, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US | Won Northwestern heavyweight title |
| 52 | Win | 47–1–3 (1) | Jack Cooper | KO | 1 (?) | Jan 1, 1888 | Theatre Comique, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US | Exact date unknown |
| 51 | Win | 46–1–3 (1) | Lem McGregor | PTS | 6 | Dec 16, 1887 | Cominique Theater, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US | |
| 50 | Win | 45–1–3 (1) | Frank Cook | KO | 2 (?) | Nov 25, 1887 | Duluth, Minnesota, US | |
| 49 | Win | 44–1–3 (1) | O.H. Smith | KO | 2 (?) | Nov 17, 1887 | Rochester, New York, US | |
| 48 | Win | 43–1–3 (1) | Frank Lewis | KO | 1 (?) | Oct 12, 1887 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US | |
| 47 | Win | 42–1–3 (1) | Henry Dows | KO | 1 (?) | Sep 7, 1887 | Covington, Kentucky, US | |
| 46 | Win | 41–1–3 (1) | James Smith | KO | 1 (?) | Sep 5, 1887 | Covington, Kentucky, US | |
| 45 | Draw | 40–1–3 (1) | Patsy Cardiff | PTS | 10 | Aug 5, 1887 | Duluth Theatre, Duluth, Minnesota, US | For Northwest heavyweight title |
| 44 | Win | 40–1–2 (1) | O.H. Smith | KO | 1 (?) | May 2, 1887 | Duluth Theatre, Duluth, Minnesota, US | |
| 43 | Win | 39–1–2 (1) | Jack Cook | KO | 1 (?) | Apr 1, 1887 | Duluth, Minnesota, US | |
| 42 | Win | 38–1–2 (1) | Duncan McDonald | KO | 1 (10), 2:46 | Mar 4, 1887 | Washington Roller Rink, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US | |
| 41 | Win | 37–1–2 (1) | Paddy McDonald | KO | 7 (10) | Jan 17, 1887 | Duluth, Minnesota, US | |
| 40 | Win | 36–1–2 (1) | O.H. Smith | KO | 2 (5) | Jan 4, 1887 | Jackson Theater, Duluth, Minnesota, US | |
| 39 | Win | 35–1–2 (1) | Ed McKeown | KO | 5 (?) | Dec 28, 1886 | Location unknown | |
| 38 | Draw | 34–1–2 (1) | Bill Bradburn | PTS | 5 | Dec 23, 1886 | Exposition Rink, Saint Paul, Minnesota, US | Bradburn refused to fight, because there was not enough money, and only agreed to spar five rounds with large gloves |
| 37 | Win | 34–1–1 (1) | John Cusick | PTS | 6 | Nov 12, 1886 | Theatre Comique, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US | |
| 36 | Win | 33–1–1 (1) | Tug Wilson | KO | 4 (?) | Oct 24, 1886 | Duluth, Minnesota, US | Exact date unknown |
| 35 | Win | 32–1–1 (1) | Luke Dempsey | KO | 1 (4) | Oct 16, 1886 | Exposition Rink, Saint Paul, Minnesota, US | |
| 34 | Win | 31–1–1 (1) | Mike Haley | KO | 4 (?) | Sep 15, 1886 | Omaha, Nebraska, US | |
| 33 | Win | 30–1–1 (1) | Dan Stalker | KO | 2 (?) | Aug 15, 1886 | Eau Claire, Wisconsin, US | |
| 32 | Draw | 29–1–1 (1) | Paddy McDonald | PTS | 4 | Aug 7, 1886 | Duluth, Minnesota, US | Pr-arranged draw in case of a decision |
| 31 | Win | 29–1 (1) | Jim Brady | KO | 1 (?) | Aug 2, 1886 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US | |
| 30 | Win | 28–1 (1) | Tom Donnelly | KO | 2 (?) | Jul 2, 1886 | Saint Paul, Minnesota, US | |
| 29 | Win | 27–1 (1) | Captain Jim Daly | KO | 3 (6) | Jul 2, 1886 | Theatre Comique, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US | |
| 28 | Win | 26–1 (1) | Dan Stalker | KO | 2 (5) | Jun 19, 1886 | Olympic Theater, Saint Paul, Minnesota, US | |
| 27 | Win | 25–1 (1) | John Morris | KO | 2 (?) | Jun 7, 1886 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, US | |
| 26 | Win | 24–1 (1) | Captain James Dalton | KO | 3 (?) | Jun 1, 1886 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, US | |
| 25 | Win | 23–1 (1) | Patsy Mellen | KO | 2 (?) | May 2, 1886 | Theatre Comique, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US | |
| 24 | Loss | 22–1 (1) | Mervine Thompson | DQ | 4 (?) | Apr 20, 1886 | Cleveland Crib Club, Cleveland, Ohio, US | After scoring 4 knockdowns, Killen was inexplicably DQ'd when the fans rushed into the ring |
| 23 | Win | 22–0 (1) | Bill Jordan | KO | 3 (?) | Apr 8, 1886 | Vine Street Opera House, Cincinnati, Ohio, US | |
| 22 | Win | 21–0 (1) | Mike Smith | KO | 1 (?) | Apr 7, 1886 | Vine Street Opera House, Cincinnati, Ohio, US | |
| 21 | Win | 20–0 (1) | John Hughes | KO | 3 (?) | Apr 6, 1886 | Cincinnati, Ohio, US | |
| 20 | Win | 19–0 (1) | Mike Haley | KO | 2 (?) | Apr 5, 1886 | People's Theater, Omaha, Nebraska, US | |
| 19 | Win | 18–0 (1) | Dan Stalker | KO | 1 (?), 0:21 | Apr 2, 1886 | Criterion Rink, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, US | |
| 18 | Win | 17–0 (1) | Jim Brady | KO | 1 (5), 2:40 | Mar 28, 1886 | South Side Palace Rink, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US | |
| 17 | Win | 16–0 (1) | John Hughes | TKO | 1 (4) | Mar 18, 1886 | Vine Street Opera House, Cincinnati, Ohio, US | |
| 16 | NC | 15–0 (1) | Pat McHugh | NC | 6 (?) | Mar 6, 1886 | Park Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, US | Fight stopped for dirty tactics by both fighters |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | George Gray | KO | 2 (?) | Feb 26, 1886 | Louisville, Kentucky, US | |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Martin McComiskey | KO | 4 (?) | Feb 15, 1886 | Covington, Kentucky, US | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Dick Burke | KO | 1 (?) | Feb 5, 1886 | Park Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, US | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Pat McHugh | KO | 4 (?) | Jan 6, 1886 | Chicago, Illinois, US | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | George Gray | KO | 3 (5) | Dec 21, 1885 | Liederkrauz Hall, Louisville, Kentucky, US | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Joe Lannon | KO | 9 | Nov 8, 1885 | Silk's Grove, Saint Paul, Minnesota, US | A finish fight |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Jack Morris | KO | 2 (?) | Sep 3, 1885 | Park Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, US | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | John Lynch | KO | 3 (?) | Aug 2, 1885 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Dan Ring | KO | 1 (?) | Aug 1, 1885 | Binghamton, New York, US | Exact date uncertain |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Denny Kelliher | KO | 4 (?) | May 3, 1885 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Mike Devine | KO | 1 (?) | Nov 2, 1884 | Comique Theatre, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Tom Boylan | KO | 5 (?) | Apr 2, 1884 | Location unknown | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Lew Creamer | KO | 2 (?) | Nov 1, 1883 | Location unknown | Exact date uncertain |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Hial Stoddard | KO | 1 (?) | Sep 8, 1883 | Club Theater, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | John Howard | KO | 2 (?) | Jul 6, 1883 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US | |