Jimmy McLarnin

Personal information
Nickname(s)	Baby Face[1] Beltin' Celt Dublin Dynamiter Dublin Destroyer Murderous Mick The Belfast Spider The Jew Killer[1] The Jew Beater Hebrew Scourge[1] The Irish Lullaby[2]
Nationality	Irish[a]
Born	James Archibald McLarnin (1907-12-19)19 December 1907 Hillsborough,Ireland,U.K. (nowadays Royal Hillsborough,Northern Ireland,U.K.)[3]
Died	28 October 2004(2004-10-28) (aged 96) Richland, Washington, U.S.
Height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Weight	Flyweight Bantamweight Lightweight Welterweight
Boxing career
Reach	67 in (170 cm)
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	69
Wins	55
Win by KO	21
Losses	11
Draws	3

James Archibald McLarnin (19 December 1907 – 28 October 2004) was anIrishprofessional boxer who became a two-timeUndisputed Welterweight World Champion and anInternational Boxing Hall of Fame inductee.^[4]

As of September 10, 2025,BoxRec ranks McLarnin as the second greatestpound for pound fighter of all time, only behindSugar Ray Robinson.^[5][6]

There was often confusion over McLarnin's exact place of birth and his date of birth. McLarnin himself was unsure as to the exact location and at various times claimed to be born inInchicore,Dublin, in modern-dayIreland, or theLisburn Road inBelfast,Ireland, modern dayNorthern Ireland. Adding to the confusion he went by nicknames theDublin Destroyer andBelfast Spider. It was Irish boxing historian Patrick Myler who later unearthed McLarnin's birth certificate which showed that McLarnin was born inHillsborough, County Down, Ireland in 1907.^[3][7]

McLarnin's father, Sam McLarnin, aMethodist from Dublin, was described as 'a typical Dublin Irishman' and traveled throughout Britain and Ireland for work as a butcher. He later married Mary Ferris from Belfast and they settled in County Down before being drawn into Belfast. When McLarnin was three years of age the whole family emigrated toSaskatchewan, Canada via Liverpool. The McLarnins started out as a wheat farmers, but years later, at the age of 10 and following a particularly harsh winter, the family moved toVancouver where they opened a second-hand clothes store in Vancouver's east end.^{[3][7][8][9][10]}

McLarnin was a prodigious athlete, his main sports were football, baseball and boxing and was considered a model of propriety by Rev. A.E. Roberts at the Methodist mission in Vancouver. He took up boxing at the age of 10 after getting into a fight defending his newspaper-selling pitch. Former professional boxer Charles "Pop" Foster recognized McLarnin's talent at the age of 13. He constructed a makeshift gym for McLarnin to train in, sure that he would one day be the champion of the world. The two of them would remain close, and when Foster died, he left everything he had to McLarnin.^[8][9]

Following a successful start to his career in Vancouver, McLarnin's grew aggrieved at the low pay he was receiving for bouts and decided to move south. "We had to go to the United States to make our money. We owe Vancouver nothing" said McLarnin.^[8]

Foster took McLarnin to San Francisco, where his youthful appearance made it difficult to get a fight until he lied about his age. It is for this reason that McLarnin was known as the"Baby-faced Assassin". Despite his youthful appearance, McLarnin had incredible power with both fists, his right being particularly feared. However, like many similar fighters McLarnin suffered several hand injuries throughout his career. Towards the end of his career McLarnin was forced to become more of a scientific boxer to reduce further injuries to his hands.^[11]

McLarnin lost his first title shot on 21 May 1928 in New York against worldlightweight championSammy Mandell. However, he did go on to beat him twice in the following two years. It would be five years before McLarnin would next get a title shot, during which time he knocked outAl Singer,Ruby Goldstein, andSid Terris.^[12]

McLarnin's second title shot came against welterweight championYoung Corbett III. McLarnin won by knockout after only 2 minutes 37 seconds. Following his title success, McLarnin fought an epic three-fight series withBarney Ross. The first fight, on 28 May 1934, was won by Ross, but McLarnin regained his title in their next match four months later. In the deciding fight on 28 May 1935, McLarnin lost his title for the final time in a narrow decision.

McLarnin retired in November 1936 still at the top of his game, having won his last two fights against all-time greatsTony Canzoneri andLou Ambers. His record was 54 wins, 11 losses, and 3 draws in 68 contests. In 1996Ring Magazine voted McLarnin the fifth-greatest welterweight of all time.

McLarnin never returned to the ring despite large incentives for him to do so.^[13] Unlike many boxers, McLarnin invested his money wisely and retired a wealthy man. He opened an electrical goods store, and also did some acting, golfing, and lecturing.^[13]

In 1937, he appeared with boxersMaxie Rosenbloom,James J. Jeffries,Jack Dempsey, andJackie Fields, in MGM'sBig City, a film involving rough competition between two rival taxi companies.^[14]

In 1938, he appeared in a background gymnasium scene for the successful 1938, MGM boxing movie,The Crowd Roars with boxersAbe "The Newsboy" Hollandersky, Joe Glick,Maxie Rosenbloom, Jack Roper, and Tommy Herman.^[15]

In 1946, he appeared in Monogram Pictures' boxing movie,Joe Palooka, Champ, with cameos by real boxing greatsJoe Louis,Henry Armstrong,Ceferino Garcia, andManuel Ortiz. Heavyweight Jack Roper appeared as the character Waldo. The simple plot involved young boxer Joe and his girl resisting mob influence while Joe trains to fight the champ.^[16]

McLarnin died on 28 October 2004 at the age of 96 inRichland, Washington.^[17] He was interred in theForest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery inGlendale, California.

• NYSACwelterweight champion (147 lbs) (2×)
• NBA (WBA) welterweight champion (147 lbs) (2×)

• The Ring welterweight champion (147 lbs) (2×)

• Pacific Coastflyweight champion (112 lbs)

• Undisputed welterweight champion (2×)

• List of welterweight boxing champions

• Boxing record for Jimmy McLarnin fromBoxRec(registration required)
• Jimmy McLarnin atFind a Grave

• https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/The_Ring_Magazine%27s_Annual_Ratings:_Welterweight--1930s
• https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association%27s_Quarterly_Ratings:_1933
• https://titlehistories.com/boxing/na/usa/ny/nysac-wl.html

• 1907 births
• 2004 deaths
• Boxers from Belfast
• Male boxers from Northern Ireland
• Irish male boxers
• Sportspeople from Richland, Washington
• Canadian male boxers
• Irish emigrants to Canada
• People from Hillsborough, County Down
• Boxers from Vancouver
• Welterweight boxers
• International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees
• Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
• Canadian people of Ulster-Scottish descent
• 20th-century Canadian sportsmen

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• Short description matches Wikidata
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