Walter Monaghan

 

Walter Monoghan (also spelled Monaghan and Monahan) was a Pittsburgh middleweight boxer who fought Harry Greb twice.

His christened name was Earl Monoghan but he went by the name Walter in his adult life. His parents names were Alphonse and Margaret Monoghan. Walter and his family lived in New York City since his birth there, until he was about 4 years old. Then the family moved to Canton, Ohio where his father was in charge of the Manhattan Hotel in the Ohio burg. Two years later Walter's dad died leaving his mom a widow with 2 children, Walter and his brother William. To supply her children with a good education, Walter's mother placed the 2 lads in care of relatives in the Pittsburgh area. The 2 brothers used to sell The Pittsburgh Press newspaper. Because of Walter's hard work selling newspapers, Irving Ebner, a confectioner, gave him a job in his store. From there Walter started boxing.

Around 1912 Walter lived in New York to box for more money there. But he found there was less of a payout there, than in Pittsburgh. After fighting a near main event there and only getting $9 he was fed up and moved back to Pittsburgh in July 1912.

 

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Here is a 1914 Pittsburgh Press article about Walter written by Jim Jab. The triple photo above was taken from the same newspaper page:

PITTSBURGH IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR MONOGHAN

Rugged Battler Has Done His Best Work in Ring Here and Plans Future Successes

Back to the scene of old triumphs comes Walter Monoghan, battler, making a solemn resolve never again to desert town. "If anyone gets me out of Greater Pittsburgh, I hope a commitee of doctors asks me to say 'Truly Rural' and a few more speech tests for feeble-minded yaps," declares Walter. Once away from steel city charms, "Mon" ran up against hard luck in swatsdom. Tar ends of the stick awaited him on every side and he is happy as a lark to ejaculate, "No place like home."

Walter, though a native of Canton, Ohio, was raised a Pittsburgher, and claims this spot as the one to hang up his hat, coat and shoes. Returning to his stamping ground, he proposes to get busy at box fighting. A winter and spring campaign is laid out that will make all middle weighters sit up and take notice.

It's been told several times but will bear retelling that Walter Monnin, for that's his blown-in-the-bottle cognomen, became a glover by the merest accident. January 17, 1911, the Fort Pitt A.C. of this city was entertaining members by a boxing gain. Walter got by the stage door tender through being a satchel carrier and towel chaser for one of the entrants. Battling Schmidt, an entry, suddenly conceived a notion that fighting was a cruel sport, that no young men ambitious to become cheif executive of the United States of America would descend to it's doubtful level, etc.

This left the club shy one battler. "Mon" chanced to be nearby and heard of the incident. Schmidt's flunk angered him. Like Henry Clay, "Mon" would rather be right than president. It wasn't a square deal for Schmidt to break up the card by a selfish futurity fantasy.

"I'll put 'em on if you say the word." So spake Monnin to the clerk of course. The speakers confident declarations and his rugged physique did the rest. Five minutes later the M.C. strode to the ropes and blurted, "In this corner Walter Monoghan, of Bayardstown. In the other corner, "Walter Woodson, of Soho." History informs us that the flurry was a brilliant success, weighed up in slams and stabs. Woodson had the experience but the boring-in proclivities of "Mon" succumbed to the incessant headlong plunges of the substitute. The sixth round was well under way when the referee waved Monoghan to his corner.

This "kayo" inaugurated the career of a famous trial horse. More than once since Walter began to exchange swats he has gathered around him a clientele of pals long in the belief that championship honors awaited their comrade. Less than a year ago Lawrenceville sent a delegation of rooters to the Southside market house, every man imbued with the idea that "Mon" would put the cleaner on George Chip, and prove his right to be numbered among the claimants for the middleweight rank. This happened to be an offnight for Walter. He didn't display his usual speed. Spells of that nature effect men in the mix game and are unaccountable. "Can't just get going right" is the only excuses irate handlers recieve when they start to jacket a battler who is fighting far below his form.

"Mon" vows he will atone for misdeeds, when he gets started in the New Year. Up in 1913 it is hardly possible that any slammer in the states chalked down a better "kayo kount" than Walter Monoghan. Thirty five engagments and 19 of 'em sleepers. This is Mon's dandy record for 1911 and 1912. Don't imagaine that the game was the easiest either. Reference to the lad's list of spats will bear out this claim. Nineteen thirteen found the ex-Cantonite going against fellows who have outfought champions in their time. Naturally slumber seances grow fewer and farther between. Just the same, Mon wasn't disgraced. In only one encounter, that with Jack Dillon, was the sign of distress waved over the Greater Pittsburgher.

Some real tough guys were faced by "Mon" with splendid results for the local middleweight. Walter may not have proven championship calibre, but he gave ample demonstration that he isn't an also-ran by any means. Considering his age, 20 years-old Dec 28. 1913, the career of Walt is surely studded with brilliancy. Walter scales 5 feet 8 3/4 inches in size and beams 157 pounds. He makes no pretentions to cleverness, but will agree to put a bow knot on the scientific stunts of any man of his poundage.

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Walter Monoghan sparred with Jess Willard in 1919 when Walter was on a furlough from the Army. The photo's and newspaper clipping are shown below.

 

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 selected bouts

1910
Dec 21	1910	George Kid Cotton	Pitts.		ND 6 (loss)

1911
Jan 17	1911	Walter Woodson		Pitts		KO 6 (win)
Feb 28	1911	Al   Grayber		Penns.		KO'd by 3 (loss)
Mar 15	1911	Gunboat Smith		Calif.		KO'd by 4 (loss)
May 22	1911	Red Robinson		Pitts.		Loss  (on undercard of the Buck Crouse-Mike Glover fight)
Dec 5	1911	Al   Grayber		Pitts.		ND 6 (draw)

PRE-April 1912 (exact dates are unknown)
unknown 19??	Bill   Adams		unknown		unknown
unknown 19??	Red Robinson		unknown		unknown
unknown 19??	Red    Raven		unknown		unknown
unknown	19??	Swats Adamson		Pitts.		unknown (At Old City Hall)
May 16  19??	Swats Adamson		unknown		unknown

1912
Jan 22	1912	Al   Grayber		Pitts.		ND 6 (loss)
Feb 5	1912	Al   Grayber		Pitts.		ND 6 (loss)
Mar 23	1912	Kid    Smith		Pitts.		KO 2 (win)  -Kid Smith was a black fighter who was a last minute substitute for Kid Gorgas.
Mar 28	1912	Hooks  Evans		Pitts.		KO 3 (win)
Apr 8	1912	Tony Bernardi		Pitts.		KO 3 (win)
Apr 15	1912	Eddie Revoire		Penns.		ND 6 (loss)
Apr 27	1912	Young Olcott		Pitts.		TKO 4 (win)
May 17	1912	Chicago "KO" Brown	Ill.		TKO'd (loss) The referee stopped the fight.
July ??	1912	Tommy Teague		unknown		loss or draw
July 23	1912	Jim    Perry		Pitts.		ND 6 (loss)

1913
Mar 17	1913	George  Chip		Pitts.		ND 6 (loss)
Apr 19	1913	Al   Grayber		Pitts.		ND 6 (win)
Oct 14	1913	Jack  Dillon		Ohio		TKO'd by 4 (loss)

1914
Jun 15	1914	Harry   Greb		Pitts.		ND 6  (L news)

1915
Mar 2	1915	Mike  O'Dowd		Wisc.		ND 10 (loss)
Sep 23	1915	Mike  O'Dowd		Minn.		ND 10 (no contest)

1916
Feb 26	1916	Harry   Greb		Pitts.		ND 6  (L news)
Mar 11	1916	Al   Grayber		Pitts.		KO'd by 2 (loss)
Mar 25	1916	Al   Grayber		Pitts.		TKO'd by 1 (loss)

1919
June 4	1919	Jess Willard		Ohio		Sparring Exhibition (Took place in Maumee, Ohio)



***-The Monoghan/Willard items were from the The Antek Prize Ring.
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