Patrick McFarland (November 1, 1888 – September 22, 1936), nicknamed "Packey" or "Packy", was an American boxer in the lightweight and welterweight divisions. Despite an extraordinary winning record, he was unable to secure a match for either world title. The Ring Record Book and Boxing Encyclopedia as of 1936 "suggests" McFarland was the best fighter never to become a world champion.

Professional career

McFarland was born on November 1, 1888, in Chicago, Illinois. McFarland became a professional boxer on January 1, 1904 at the age of 15 by defeating Pete West.

On January 14, 1908 McFarland won a decision victory in Boston over Bert Keyes that helped establish him on the East Coast. On February 21, 1908 he won a 10-round decision victory in Milwaukee over future lightweight champion Freddie Welsh that began his famous rivalry with the Welsh wizard.

On April 11, 1908 he beat Jimmy Britt, who had a disputed claim to be the lightweight world champion, although this fight was not for a title. It was a career-defining performance where McFarland scientifically knocked out the former world lightweight champion in the 6th round in Colma, California.

On July 4, 1908 fought Freddie Welsh again in a 25-round draw in Los Angeles, in a fight described as one of the fastest lightweight bouts ever witnessed. On August 7, 1908 he defeated Phil Brock in a knockout victory in the 7th round in Los Angeles.

On March 30, 1909 fought Dave Deshler to controversial 12-round draw in Boston. McFarland was so upset by the decision he struck the referee and a cornerman. On May 30, 1910 fought to a draw with Freddie Welsh. It was their third and final meeting, a 20-round bout at the National Sporting Club in London. Most observers believed McFarland clearly won, but the referee scored a controversial draw. The bout was for British recognition of the world lightweight title. McFarland never fought for another world title bout.

On January 30, 1911 he fought an 8-round draw in Memphis against the future welterweight legend Jack Britton. On September 15, 1911 Wisconsin officials halted a highly anticipated world lightweight championship boxing match in Milwaukee between Ad Wolgast and McFarland, despite the event's potential to generate over $100,000 for local businesses. Acting Governor Thomas Morris enforced a sporadically used anti-prize-fighting law, deeming the match a threat to public morals, which outraged fans and merchants. On November 30, 1911 he won a hard-fought 20-round victory in San Francisco over Harlem Tommy Murphy. McFarland later called this one of the toughest fights of his career.

On April 26, 1912 he beat Matt Wells at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. On March 7, 1913 and December 8, 1913 he fought No-Decision bouts with Jack Britton. McFarland won the newspaper decisions in these two 10-round fights, in New York and Milwaukee, to unofficially claim the series against Britton.

On September 11, 1915 he fought a No-Decision bout with Mike Gibbons. It was McFarland's final professional fight. He came out of semi-retirement to face the defensive master "The St. Paul Phantom" in Brooklyn. Most reports called it a draw or gave a slight edge to McFarland. It was a tactical, chess-like match between two brilliant boxers.

He was a boxing instructor at Camp Zachary Taylor in 1918. On January 27, 1933, he was appointed to the Illinois Athletic Commission by Governor Henry Horner. McFarland also managed his sizable investments and was director of two banks. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992.

When interviewed in 1980 actor James Cagney said Packey McFarland "was my idol. He was a hell of a boxer. He was a real fighter because he did it all and never even got a black eye. Which was great of course because of the hero worship I felt for him."

Death McFarland died at Joliet, Illinois, of a streptococcus infection which had attacked his heart.

Professional boxing record All information in this section is derived from BoxRec, unless otherwise stated.

Official Record

All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column. ResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateAgeLocationNotes113Win70–0–5 Mike GibbonsNWS10Sep 11, 1915112Win70–0–5 Jack BrittonNWS10Dec 8, 1913111Win70–0–5 Harry TrendallPTS8Dec 4, 1913110Win69–0–5 Harry BrewerNWS8Nov 26, 1913109Win69–0–5 Johnny "Kid" AlbertsNWS10Nov 20, 1913108Win69–0–5 Harlem Tommy MurphyNWS10Oct 17, 1913107Win69–0–5 Jack BrittonNWS10Mar 7, 1913106Win69–0–5 Eddie MurphyNWS10Dec 16, 1912105Win69–0–5 Battling TerryTKO5 (8)Dec 4, 1912104Win68–0–5 Harry DonahueNWS10Nov 27, 1912103Win68–0–5 Lockport Jimmy DuffyNWS10Oct 25, 1912102Win68–0–5 Johnny "Kid" AlbertsPTS10Oct 17, 1912101Win67–0–5 Tommy KilbaneTKO7 (10)Oct 11, 1912100Win66–0–5 Joe HirstNWS6Aug 30, 191299Win66–0–5 Frankie BrennanTKO4 (10)Jun 6, 191298Win65–0–5 Jeff BoyleNWS6Jun 3, 191297Win65–0–5 Ray BronsonNWS10May 29, 191296Win65–0–5 Young ErneNWS6May 15, 191295Win65–0–5 Johnny ConnollyRTD5 (10)May 9, 191294Win64–0–5 Red RobinsonNWS10May 6, 191293Win64–0–5 Matt WellsNWS10Apr 26, 191292Win64–0–5 Willie SchaefferKO4 (10)Apr 11, 191291Win63–0–5 Harry DonahueNWS10Mar 19, 191290Win63–0–5 Kid BurnsTKO8 (10)Mar 15, 191289Win62–0–5 One Round HoganNWS10Mar 5, 191288Win62–0–5 Tommy DevlinTKO4 (10)Feb 29, 191287Win61–0–5 Eddie MurphyNWS10Feb 14, 191286Win61–0–5 Kid BurnsNWS10Feb 6, 191285Win61–0–5 Jack WardNWS6Jan 24, 191284Win61–0–5 Harlem Tommy MurphyPTS20Nov 30, 191183Draw60–0–5 Tommy GintyNWS6Nov 4, 191182Win60–0–5 Emmett "Kid" WagnerNWS3Nov 3, 191181Win60–0–5 Al DeweyTKO5 (6)Oct 30, 191180Win59–0–5 Young AhearnKO8 (10)Jul 3, 191179Win58–0–5 Phil KnightNWS10Jun 6, 191178Win58–0–5 Tommy KilbaneNWS10May 12, 191177Win58–0–5 Harlem Tommy MurphyNWS10Apr 18, 191176Win58–0–5 Morris BloomKO8 (10)Apr 7, 191175Win57–0–5 Paul KöhlerNWS10Apr 3, 191174Win57–0–5 Billy RyanTKO4 (10)Mar 20, 191173Win56–0–5 Owen MoranNWS10Mar 14, 191172Win56–0–5 Frank MadoleNWS6Feb 22, 191171Win56–0–5 Bert KeyesNWS6Feb 6, 191170Draw56–0–5 Jack BrittonPTS8Jan 30, 191169Win56–0–4 Young ErneNWS6Jan 25, 191168Win56–0–4 Jack GoodmanKO5 (10)Jan 17, 191167Win55–0–4 Johnny McCarthyPTS10Jan 9, 191166Win54–0–4 Dick HylandNWS10Sep 27, 191065Win54–0–4 Jack GoldswainKO3 (15)Jun 18, 191064Draw53–0–4 Freddie WelshPTS20May 30, 191063Win53–0–3 Dick LeeKO9 (15)Apr 1, 191062Win52–0–3 Cyclone Johnny ThompsonPTS10Nov 8, 190961Draw51–0–3 Harry TrendallPTS20Sep 19, 190960Win51–0–2 Harry TrendallPTS10May 26, 190959Draw50–0–2 Dave DeshlerPTS12Mar 30, 190958Win50–0–1 Leach CrossNWS10Mar 23, 190957Win50–0–1 Dick HylandNWS10Jan 15, 190956Win50–0–1 Harlem Tommy MurphyNWS6Nov 18, 190855Win50–0–1 Leach CrossNWS6Oct 21, 190854Win50–0–1 Phil BrockTKO7 (10)Aug 7, 190853Draw49–0–1 Freddie WelshPTS25Jul 4, 190852Win49–0 Jimmy BrittTKO6 (20)Apr 11, 190851Win48–0 Freddie WelshPTS10Feb 21, 190850Win47–0 Young LoughreyNWS6Jan 28, 190849Win47–0 Bert KeyesPTS12Jan 14, 190848Win46–0 Kid HermanNWS15Nov 21, 190747Win46–0 Abraham "Kid" GoodmanPTS10Oct 23, 190746Win45–0 Joe GalliganKO9 (10)Oct 16, 190745Win44–0 Benny YangerTKO4 (10)Aug 20, 190744Win43–0 Charles NearyPTS10Jun 28, 190743Win42–0 Maurice SayersPTS10May 10, 190742Win41–0 Abraham "Kid" GoodmanPTS15Apr 16, 190741Win40–0 Joe GalliganTKO8 (15)Mar 12, 190740Win39–0 Jim FretzelKO2 (?)Mar 2, 190739Win38–0 Steve KinneyKO9 (15)Feb 20, 190738Win37–0 Jack FoxKO4 (?)Dec 23, 190637Win36–0 Young MorrisKO2 (?)Nov 15, 190636Win35–0 Freddie GilmoreKO3 (10)Oct 24, 190635Win34–0 Billy FinucaneKO5 (10)Oct 11, 190634Win33–0 Jack HardingKO4 (?)Aug 15, 190633Win32–0 Eddie LindenKO2 (?)Jul 25, 190632Win31–0 Ike NelsonKO4 (?)Jul 10, 190631Win30–0 Jimmy RossKO3 (?)Jun 30, 190630Win29–0 Tommy MooreKO2 (?)Jun 29, 190629Win28–0 Kid BrewerDQ3 (6)May 31, 190628Win27–0 Nate FrazierPTS6Apr 19, 190627Win26–0 Kid EbbertKO4 (?)Feb 14, 190626Win25–0 Kid IsseKO2 (?)Feb 10, 190625Win24–0 Eddie WestKO2 (?)Feb 6, 190624Win23–0 Eddie PrestonTKO3 (?)Jan 24, 190623Win22–0 Hughey GatesKO4 (?)Jul 28, 190522Win21–0 Jack CrammerKO4 (?)Jun 10, 190521Win20–0 Eddie ConnelyKO2 (?)May 4, 190520Win19–0 Jim SweeneyKO3 (?)Apr 6, 190519Win18–0 Kid GreenburgKO5 (?)Mar 22, 190518Win17–0 Jack CarrKO3 (?)Mar 12, 190517Win16–0 Jimmy MurrayPTS6Mar 5, 190516Win15–0 Orville ThornePTS6Feb 18, 190515Win14–0 Jack MeyersKO3 (?)Feb 10, 190514Win13–0 Jack WalkerKO4 (?)Jan 24, 190513Win12–0 Bobby FerrisPTS6Jan 19, 190512Win11–0 Kid GreenburgKO5 (6)Dec 10, 190411Win10–0 Jim SweeneyPTS6Nov 26, 190410Win9–0 Young FitzsimmonsKO3 (?)Oct 26, 19049Loss8–0 Dusty MillerDQ?Jul 13, 19048Win8–0 Kid BlackKO4 (?)Jun 1, 19047Win7–0 Shorty LangKO1 (?)May 1, 19046Win6–0 Kid HarrisKO5 (?)Apr 1, 19045Win5–0 Kid SiefertPTS6Mar 22, 19044Win4–0 John WestKO4 (?)Mar 1, 19043Win3–0 Jimmy MurrayPTS6Feb 17, 19042Win2–0 Kid WallaceKO2 (?)Feb 1, 19041Win1–0 Pete WestKO2 (?)Jan 1, 1904

Unofficial record

Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw column.