Jack Dillon

In the weight sensitive sport of boxing, Jack Dillon, “The Giant Killer,” was considered an anomaly. Size was irrelevant; besides, it was only a factor if he accepted as such. He refused. Sturdy, compact and indestructible, yet capable of turning on a dime, Dillon not only defeated his opponents, he humiliated them. This dynamic defined his prolific and unparalleled career (1908–1925). His accepted record of 94-7-14, with 129 no decisions and one no contest (64 victories by way of knockout), put him in elite company with other members of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. While he claimed the middleweight championship for over two years, the unrivaled Hoosier pugilist was often recognized as the world light heavyweight champion. Moving up a division, he disposed of heavyweight contenders like tissues during flu season. On June 29, 1916, Dillon defeated Frank Moran and was clearly the top contender for giant Jess Willard’s heavyweight crown. Yet, Willard, who outweighed Dillon by 60 pounds, and was about a foot taller, refused.
This first biography of the celebrated pugilist is based on contemporaneous newspaper accounts of the time and includes several appendices with career statistics and a selected boxing record.

Mark Allen Baker, business executive and author of hundreds of articles and more than 30 books, is the only person to serve the International Boxing Hall of Fame as an author, historian, chairperson, sponsor, volunteer and biographer. He was accorded a Lifetime Award of Merit by the State University of New York in 2022, and inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame in 2023.

Mark Allen Baker
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 248
Bibliographic Info: 53 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2025
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9590-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5557-4
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments ix
Preface 1
Introduction: A Champion in Perpetuity 3

One. The Birth of a Giant Killer 7
Two. A New Decade, 1910 25
Three. One Prolific Pugilist, 1911 39
Four. A Championship Claim, 1912 54
Five. Never Better, 1913 70
Six. Indestructible, 1914 82
Seven. Head East, 1915 98
Eight. Fisticuffs in Flatbush, 1916 112
Nine. World War I, 1917 128
Ten. A Bearcat Redux, 1918 143
Eleven. Bearcat Blues, 1919 154
Twelve. Comeback, 1920 163
Thirteen. The Roaring Twenties Begin, 1921–1922 172
Fourteen. From Boxing to Breadlines, 1923–1942 183

Appendix A: Ernest Coulter Price, a.k.a. Jack Dillon—Boxing Record 197
Appendix B: Official Records of Associated Members of the International Boxing Hall of Fame 217
Chapter Notes 219
Bibliography 233
Index 235