Billy Madden

Who was Billy Madden?

Billy Madden is best known as a champion American boxer or pugilist, and pugilistic trainer, and manager. He was also a playwright, writer of books and newspaper articles, the producer of sporting events other than pugilistic, such as wrestling matches and women's marathon bicycle races.

Billy Madden was born on December 10, 1852, in London, England, to Irish immigrant parents, and died on February 22, 1918, in White Plains, New York, after a protracted illness, reportedly a stomach cancer. Although some sources report that he came to the United States as a boxer, he would have been in his very early teens at that time. His first recorded prize fight in the United States was against Hurley, at age 15.

As a welter weight pugilist he won numerous documented fights in the United States and was involved in numerous exhibition matches with notable fighters such as Sullivan, McAuliffe, and Kilrain. Purportedly, he never was punched in the face.

Billy Madden was probably the best known of the late 19th-century American boxing managers. He was reportedly the first to use modern advertising techniques and campaigns to create laudable careers for the pugilists he managed. He was credited with discovering and was indeed the manager of John L. Sullivan, as well as such other noteworthy fighters as Charlie Mitchell, "Nonpariel" Jack Dempsey, Jake Kilrain, McAuliffe, Peter Maher, among others.