Bill Brennan (June 23, 1893 – June 15, 1924) was an American boxer who fought and lost to World Heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey in a well attended title fight that ended in a twelfth-round knockout on December 14, 1920, in Madison Square Garden. He lost to Dempsey for the first time in a non-title fight on February 5, 1918, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in a sixth-round technical knockout.
He began fighting under the name Bill Shanks, close to his actual name, and knocked out 11 of his first 12 opponents, fighting in the Midwest and then the New York City area. He had a strong punch and a very good knockout percentage. Brennan's manager was Leo P. Flynn and his trainers included Dia Dollings and Frank Cline.Trainer was Frank Clines in "Thousands Pay Tribune to Big Bill Brennan", Asbury Park Press, Asbury, New Jersey, p. 5, June 19, 1924
Early life and career Brennan was born on June 23, 1893, in Louisville, Kentucky. Though many sources of his time stated he was born in County Mayo, Ireland or Chicago, these are fabrications he perpetuated to bolster the myth of his Irish ancestry. He was, in fact, of Scots-Irish, English, Irish, and German ancestry. He did live in the Chicago area during his early boxing career before moving to Manhattan where the boxing was more lucrative, and there were still plenty of Irish fans who would flock to see who they assumed was a native son.
Between May 1913 through May 1916 Brennan started professional boxing primarily in the New York area. With a powerful punch, he won an impressive 11 of his first fifteen fights by knockout losing only once in his first bout in Wisconsin. Brennan worked as a bartender between fights, earning him the nickname "Battling Bill the Bartender".
According to one source, Brennan achieved a third-round knockout of Jack Cameron in 1914, and two ten-round newspaper decisions from Marty Cutler on April 13 and July 2, 1914, in Aurora, Illinois. Cutler fought some talented opposition in his career including Jack Johnson, Sam Langford, and Jack Dillon, though his record was poor.
Highlights of early career knockouts and wins, 1916 On January 22, 1916, he knocked out 6' 1" heavyweight George Rodel in the seventh round at the Clermont Rink in Brooklyn. On March 20, 1916, Brennan knocked out Brooklyn-born Italian boxer Al Benedict in the second round at the Military Athletic Club in Brooklyn, New York. Both were important wins that brought him recognition in his early career.
On May 1, 1916, Brennan achieved a second-round knockout of 6 foot, Buffalo native George "One Round" Davis, a competent heavyweight, in Rochester, New York. On May 4, 1916, he TKO'd Rodel in the third round at the same location.
On May 16, 1916, Brennan achieved a sixth-round technical knockout of Al Williams at the Pioneer Sporting Club in New York City.
On May 23, 1916, he knocked out Tony Ross in the eighth round. Ross would meet some of the greatest heavyweights of his day, including a heavyweight title bout with Black boxing great Jack Johnson on June 30, 1919.
On May 24, 1916, Brennan fought Andre Anderson to a twelve-round draw on points in Thornton, Rhode Island.
On July 1, 1916, he knocked out Alfred "Soldier" Kearns in the eighth round at the Averne Athletic Club in Queens, New York. Kearns was considered a strong puncher though Brennan possessed a two-inch advantage in reach.
On July 15, 1916, he defeated Joe Cox in a ten-round newspaper decision of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle at the Broadway Arena in Brooklyn, New York. He beat Cox again on January 29, 1917, at Rochester, New York in a ten-round newspaper decision of the Rochester Herald.
On July 21, 1916, he knocked out Jack Hubbard in the third round at the Flower City Athletic Club in Rochester, New York. He knocked out Hubbard in the second round on January 6, 1917, at the Broadway Sports Club in Brooklyn, New York. According to one source Brennan had previously defeated Hubbard in a fourteenth-round knockout in 1914, while Hubbard was boxing as "Jumbo Wells".
On October 26, 1916, he knocked out Tim Logan in a second-round TKO at the Manhattan Casino in New York City.
On December 30, 1916, Brennan defeated Jack Keating in a third round Technical Knockout at Queensboro Athletic Club in Long Island City, in Queens, New York.
Highlights of early career knockouts and wins, 1917 On June 9, 1917, Brennan knocked out Sailor Jack Carroll in the second round at the Pioneer Sporting Club in New York. Brennan dropped Carroll with a right to the jaw in the first minute of the second round. Carroll had been substituting for another boxer. Though not having a stellar record, Carroll met some top talent during his career, including Gunboat Smith and two bouts with Battling Levinsky. Carroll lost to Levinsky on March 9, 1916, in New London, Connecticut, in a match promoted by Jewish boxer Abe Hollandersky.
On June 12, and July 20, 1917, Brennan achieved two tenth-round newspaper wins at first the Broadway and then the Harlem Sports Clubs against Bob Devere in New York City. In their June 12 bout, Brennan took a nine count in the sixth round, though the fighting was close. In the remaining three rounds of the bout, Brennan had Devere groggy."Brennan Floored for Nine Then Wins From Devere", Chicago Daily Tribune, Chicago, Illinois, p. 12, June 13, 1917 In their July 20 bout, Brennan was described as being on the aggressive throughout and carrying the fight the entire way."Danish Champ is Handed Beating", The Gazette Times, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, p. 9, July 21, 1917 On March 30, 1920, Brennan won a ten-round newspaper decision from the Chicago Tribune over Devere in Chicago, Illinois. The battle was hard-fought, with Devere cut over the left eye in the seventh, and showing fatigue by the finish.Devere was cut on eye in "Brennan Defeats Devere", The Scranton Republican, Scranton, Pennsylvania, p. 18, April 3, 1920
On July 3, 1917, Brennan knocked out Soldier Jones in a second-round technical knockout at the Grande Alle Rink in Quebec City, Quebec.
On November 1, 1917, Brennan first defeated Joe Bonds at the Unity Cycle Club in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in a second-round knockout. On April 28, 1917, he defeated Bonds again at the Broadway Sporting Club in Brooklyn, New York, in a ten-round newspaper decision. On December 20, 1918, Brennan achieved a newspaper decision third-round TKO against Bonds by the Syracuse Herald at the Arena in Syracuse, New York.
On November 9, 1917, Brennan drew with 6' 3" New York heavyweight Jim Coffey by newspaper decision in ten rounds at the Harlem Sports Club. The Buffalo Courier gave each four rounds with two even. Brennan connected with a wicked right to the jaw that nearly dropped Coffey in the third, but the fighting was give and take in most rounds. Coffey took considerable punishment in the bout but was never dropped to the mat."Coffey Fights Ten Round Draw With Bill Brennan", New York Tribune, New York, New York, p. 17, November 10, 1917
Bouts with Battling Levinsky, 1917–18
Brennan fought 1916–20 World Light Heavyweight Champion Battling Levinsky three times in 1917, on October 2 and 23 at the Armory in Boston, to a twelve-round draw and a twelve-round points decision. He had a rare loss to Levinsky on November 27, 1917, in a twelve-round points decision in Boston, before a twelve-round pre-agreed draw on points at the Grand Opera House in Boston on January 5, 1918. The spectators would not have been pleased had they known the draw was pre-arranged. Levinsky held the World Light Heavyweight Championship at the time, though none of his bouts with Brennan were title matches.
On December 1, 1919, Brennan knocked out five foot eleven inch Irish boxer Tom "Bearcat" McMahon in the second of fifteen rounds at Heinemann Park in New Orleans. The New Orleans Times-Picayune suspected McMahon may have had such a difficult time in the first round that he chose to take the count in the second rather than face any more rounds with Brennan. Brennan fought a ten-round newspaper decision draw with McMahon in LaSalle, Illinois on June 18, 1918. On November 5, 1917, Brennan won a ten-round newspaper decision of the Rochester Herald in Rochester, New York. McMahon was a good, though not great boxer from Brennan's era.
Four important bouts with 1923 World Middleweight Champion Harry Greb, 1919
One of his toughest and best known opponents, Brennan fought Harry Greb four times in 1919, losing three bouts by newspaper decisions, and one on points.
The two first met on February 10, 1919, at the Arena in Syracuse, New York, with Greb winning in a ten-round newspaper decision. The Syracuse Herald gave Greb every one of the ten rounds. As was typical of Greb's style, he took the lead and attacked Brennan with a flurry of lefts and rights to both head and body in the first few rounds. Brennan fought solidly back for the first four rounds, but then tired and Greb took over. The first two rounds were slow, the next four were give and take, but the final four were dominated by Greb. On March 17, 1919, Greb won by newspaper decision again in a ten-round bout in Duquesne Garden in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Greb took the bout with a "quickness, speed, and busy style" that were too much for Brennan, though Brennan fought back and did not resort to a defensive shell. Brennan landed his best punch in round ten, which only seemed to rile Greb, and make him more aggressive. On July 4, 1919, Greb met Brennan at Convention Hall in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and won the bout in a fifteen-round points decision. The Tulsa World wrote that Greb won seven rounds, Brennan winning only the fourth round, with seven rounds even. Once again, Greb won the final rounds as Brennan tired.
On August 23, 1919, Greb defeated Brennan in a ten-round newspaper decision at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The Washington Post wrote that Greb outfought Brennan in every round, though the Pittsburgh Post gave Greb six rounds, Brennan two, and two were even. The fight was in the afternoon under a hot sun which seemed to slow Greb. Greb won the late rounds as Brennan tired. Greb was outweighed by twenty pounds, and gave away five inches in height. He was the better boxer, however, and became the American Light Heavyweight Champion in 1922. Brennan was bleeding from the nose in every round, and his left eye was cut in the tenth."Harry Greb Wins Go With Bill Brennan", Lansing State Journal, Lansing, Michigan, p. 8, August 25, 1919
On April 23, 1920, Brennan knocked out Walter "Farmer" Lodge, also known as "Soldier" Lodge in the third round at the Moose Club in Detroit, Michigan. Brennan was dropped for a count of four in the first round which excited the audience. Lodge was described as being 6' 4", one of Brennan's few opponents who would have had a reach advantage. In a subsequent round Lodge was down and out for "a full ten minutes".Lodge was out for ten minutes in "Brennan Knocks Out Lodge", The Gazette Times, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, p. 9, April 24, 1920
Bouts with future Hall of Famer Billy Miske, 1919–21 Brennan fought future Hall of Famer Billy Miske twice in 1919, once on June 28 in Oklahoma to a fifteen-round loss on points, and on April 28 at Cardinal Field in St. Louis to an eight-round newspaper decision draw. He lost to Miske again on June 8, 1921, at the Auditorium in St. Paul on a ten-round newspaper decision. According to the Decatur Daily Review, Miske took five rounds, Brennan two, and three were even. There was no dishonor in losing to a boxer as exceptional as Billy Miske. Miske, who also faced Dempsey in his career.
Bouts with Jack Dempsey, 1918–1920