Dominick McCaffrey
American boxer (1863-1926)
- Born
- 24 September 1863, Pittsburgh
- Died
- 29 December 1926, Pittsburgh
- Citizenship
- United States
- Sport
- boxing
- Discipline
- heavyweight
- Occupation
- boxer
Dominick McCaffrey (born September 24, 1863 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – December 29, 1926) was an American boxer of Irish descent.
McCaffrey was a popular boxer during his time, often noted for fighting much larger heavyweights. On August 29, 1885, he fought for the inaugural gloved world heavyweight title under the Marquess of Queensberry Rules against John L. Sullivan. The fight took place just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, in Chester Park. Originally scheduled for six rounds, McCaffrey and Sullivan accidentally fought a seventh. Regardless, McCaffrey lost on points, thus granting Sullivan what is commonly regarded as the first world heavyweight title in modern boxing.
Following retirement, McCaffrey became the boxing instructor at the Manhattan Athletic Club in New York, New York. McCaffrey was managed by Billy O'Brien, a well known sports authority and one time pugilist in his own right
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q1237693 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.