Johnny Kilbane

Who was Johnny Kilbane?

John "Johnny" Patrick Kilbane was a featherweight boxer in the early part of the 20th century. He held the world featherweight title from 1912 to 1923, the longest period in the division's history. He is the second longest world title holder in boxing history, behind only Joe Louis. Statistical boxing website BoxRec lists Kilbane as the #2 ranked featherweight of all-time, while The Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleischer placed him at #5. The International Boxing Research Organization rates Kilbane as the 8th best featherweight ever. He was inducted into the Ring Magazine Hall of Fame in 1960 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1995.