Terry Martin

Terry Martin was born in Norway in 1884, his real name was Martin Martinson. He fought mostly at welterweight (145 pounds), but was known to fight lightweights and middleweights also. . Terry fought Hall of Famers Jack Blackburn and Harry Greb. He battled welterweight division champions Honey Mellody, Mike "Twin" Sullivan and Harry Lewis. Martin also fought middleweight champions Billy Papke and Harry Greb.

Terry Martin fought for the Welterweight Title on Jan 8th 1907 against Billy "Honey" Mellody in Augusta, Maine. The 15 round decision was awarded to Honey Mellody.

Terry's fighting style was mostly right hand swings, left jabs with some punching during clinches.

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---The following is taken from the Police Gazzette in 1906. - Fighting with a friend, who had gone on as a substitute to avoid disappointing a big crowd, Terry Martin of Philadelphia killed Jack McKenzie, also of Philadelphia, in the feature bout at Portland Athletic Club show, Portland, Me., the other night. Martin was billed to meet Fred Miller, of Baltimore, but at the last minute the management was notified that Miller could not appear. Realizing that failure to bring off the bout would mean a keen dissapointment and loss to both the management and his friend Martin, McKenzie agreed to take Miller's place in the ring.

For two rounds the boys put up a spirited exhibition, and the spectators got their moneys worth. In the third round the going was still fast, when Martin drove for a spot over his friends heart. It was a stiff punch, and as it landed the glove glanced and shot to McKenzie's jaw with lightning speed. The boy dropped instantly and failed to rise at the count of ten. It was apparently that he was in bad shape, and he died shortly afterward. It was a terrible ending to the friendship of the boxers, and Martin collapsed when it was announced that McKenzie was dead.

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---The following is taken from the Philadelphia Press Newspaper on Jan 27, 1907. - Last Friday night there was an amusing scene at the Spring Garden A.C. Jack Blackburn and Billy Burke were in the ring preparing for their bout when Terry Martin climbed through the ropes.

Referee Douglass introduced Martin and announced that Terry wanted to meet Joe Thomas when the latter arrived here. Then Martin made a speech in which he declared that he was not only anxious to meet Thomas, but any welterweight in the business.

Terry threw in the side remark that he didn't care who the man was who accepted his challenge so long as there was money in it. While Martin was getting out of the ring, someone yelled:-- "What's the matter with Blackburn?"-- The latter, who can make the lightweight limit or several pounds under Martin's fighting weight, promptly got up and announced that he challenged Martin to fight, but Terry didn't respond.

Yesterday Martin came out with a challenge to welterweights, which winds up thus:-- "I am open to meet any welterweight in the business - colored barred." ........

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---The following is taken from the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin on June 18, 1907. - Jack Blackburn either could not or would not put away Terry Martin in six rounds at the Washington Sporting Club last night and the "wise men" who had wagered odds on Martin staying cashed their bets. It was generally thought that Blackburn would be able to stop Martin, but there was no time during the bout when Terry looked to be in danger of going the route, exept in the fourth round, and then Blackburn failed to follow up his advantage. Blackburn had no trouble in landing his left jabs to the face, but only tried three left hooks during the six rounds and was able to get those in without difficulty. It was apparent that Martin was in the ring only to stay the limit, and he hugged at every opportunity. He did not do much leading until the last round, when he awoke and gave as good as he recieved.

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Tale Of The Tape Real Name: Martin Martinson Born: Nov 14, 1884 Place: Moss, Norway Height: 5 ft. 7.5 in. Weight: 145 lbs. Color: white Nationality: Norwegian

 selected bouts

unknown	1903	Hy Schumacher		unknown		KO 4

1904
unknown	1904	Jack    Burke		unknown		ND 6
unknown	1904	Willie   Lewis		unknown		ND 6
unknown	1904	Willie   Lewis		unknown		ND 6
unknown	1904	Johnny  Dugan		unknown		ND 6

1905
unknown	1905	Jack     Daly		unknown		Draw 6
unknown	1905	Danny   Duane		unknown		L 3
unknown	1905	Willie Fitzgerald	unknown		L 6

1906
Jan 29	1906	Tommy Sullivan		Maine		W 15
Feb 20	1906	Billy "honey" Mellody	Chelsea	KO'd by 12
Mar 5	1906	Honey Mellody		Chelsea		KO by 11
unknown	1906	Jack McKenzie		Maine		KO 3   (Jack McKenzie died in the ring)
unknown	1906	Kid    Coffey		unknown		KO 15
Dec 31	1906	Billy Rhodes		Rho.Is.		Draw 15  (Billy Rhodes was sent to the hospital for a fractured skull later that night. Tests showed he was just bruised. Terry Martin was

1907
Jan 8	1907	Billy (Honey) Mellody   Maine	L 15  (welterweight title bout)
Feb 14	1907	Joe    Grim			philad.		ND 6  (W news)
Feb 19	1907	Tommy Sullivan		Maine		KO'd by 7
Mar 1	1907	Bartley Connolly	Philad.		Draw 6
May 10	1907	Billy Clarke		Philad.		KO 2
May 13	1907	Mickey McDonough	philad.		ND 6  (W news)
June 6	1907	Billy  Burke		philad.		ND 6
June 17	1907	Jack Blackburn		philad.		ND 6  (L news)
June 26	1907	Herman Miller		baltim.		KO 5
Aug 29	1907	Billy  Burke		philad.		ND 6
Sep 14	1907	Billy  Papke		philad.		KO'd by 3
Nov 5	1907	Jack Williams		penns.		KO 6
Dec 9	1907	Ed   Chambers		philad.		ND 6  (W news)
Dec 16	1907	Harry  Lewis		philad.		ND 6  (W news)
Dec 30	1907	Mike Donovan		philad.		ND 6  (W news)

1908
Jan 16	1908	George Gunther		philad.		ND 6  (W news)
Feb 15	1908	Harry  Lewis		philad.		ND 6
Mar 14	1908	Jack Blackburn		newyork		ND 6  (L news) According to newspapers this fight was very close until the last 3 minutes.
Mar 26	1908	Harry  Lewis		baltim.		L 15
Apr 9	1908	Jack Cottman		philad.		ND 2
Apr 9	1908	Cub    White		philad.		ND 2
Apr 9	1908	Harry   Jones		philad.		ND 2
Apr 14	1908	Mark Anderson		philad.		ND 6  (W news)
Jun 11	1908	Jack  Gottman		philad.		ND 6  (W news)
Aug 20	1908	Ed  Chambers		philad.		ND 6
Sep 25	1908	Harry   Lewis		newyork		ND 5
Nov 13	1908	Tommy Sullivan		philad.		ND 6
Dec 25	1908	Eddie Chambers		baltim.		Draw 15

1909
Mar 8	1909	Jack    Cooper		philad.		KO 1
Mar 26	1909	Harry   Lewis		philad.		ND 6
Jul 8	1909	John   Wille		philad.		ND 6
Aug 12	1909	Eddie Chambers		philad.		ND 6
Aug 27	1909	Bartley Connelly	manchester,N.H.		W 15
Sep 21	1909	Mike"Twin" Sullivan	Boston		L 12
Oct 15	1909	Honey  Mellody		manch.		W 15
Nov 15	1909	Bill   Hurley		boston		W 12

1910
Jan 28	1910	Tommy   Sawyer		manch.		W 15
Jul 11	1910	Tommy   Sawyer		portl.		ND 6
Sep 30	1910	Bill McKinnon		manch.		Draw 15

1911
Jan 18	1911	Jimmy Gardner		fall river	KO by 3
Mar 7	1911	Kid     Henry		albany		ND 10
Mar 15	1911	Kid       Ash		manch.		Draw 10
May 12	1911	Bob      Moha		milwau.		KO by 6
July 4	1911	Tommy  Bergin		manch.		KO 12
Aug 9	1911	Kid      Shea		augus.		Draw 12
Oct 12	1911	Honey Mellody		portl.		ND 10

1914
Nov 14	1914	Harry   Greb		philad.		ND 6

1917
Dec 8	1917	Harry   Greb		penns.		ND 10  (KO'd by 3)
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