Career

2 All-Time Light Heavyweight, and famed boxing promoter Charley Rose ranked him as the Number. 3 All-Time Light Heavyweight. O"Brien was inducted into the Ring Magazine hall of fame in 1968, the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1987, and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994.

O"Brien turned pro in the 1890s.

He stood 5-10 1/2 and weighed 152-165 pounds. He was agile, quick and limber, a two-handed puncher who landed often but not a particularly hard hitter.

His best punches were a left jab and a hard overhand right, and he was a good defensive fighter who blocked punches well and counter-punched accurately. His career record in 194 fights is 145 wins, 16 loses and 28 draws.

Hagan is believed to have managed a gym at 1658 Broadway, New York City, in the late 1920s/early 1930s.

He died on November 12, 1942. Known fought by O"Brien:

1909-1908-20 EX4 Dick Gilbert, Denver, Colorado

1909-1902-11 EX4 Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1909-1901-04 EX2 Fred Cooley, Washington South Carolina (U.S.) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1909-1901-04 EX2 Jack Reed, Washington South Carolina (U.S.) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1909-1901-04 EX2 Jack Cooper, Washington South Carolina (U.S.) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1908-1909-23 EX4 Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1908-1904-04 EX4 Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1902-1903-26 EX Jack McCann, Reading, Pennsylvania

1902-1903-26 EX2 Morris Mahoney, Reading, Pennsylvania

O’Brien was also the chief second to Jack Dempsey at the 1926 Dempsey-Tunney bout in Philadelphia.

Achievements

• National Fleischer, founder and editor of The Ring Magazine, ranked O"Brien as the Number. O’Brien won the world light heavyweight championship with a 13-round TKO over Bob Fitzsimmons in San Francisco, California, but abandoned the title. He challenged world heavyweight champion Tommy Burns on November 28, 1906, in Los Angeles, and got a 20-round draw. The referee was former world champion James J. Jeffries. O’Brien challenged Burns again in Los Angeles on May 8, 1907, and this time Burns won the 20-round decision. He fought the fearsome middleweight champion Stanley Ketchel in a 10-round Number Decision on March 26, 1909, in which O’Brien was saved by the bell at the end of the 10th round. He fought heavyweight champion Jack Johnson in a six-round Number Decision on May 19, but on June 9 he faced Ketchel again and was beaten in three rounds. World middleweight champion Harry Greb trained in O’Brien’s at gym, and the only existing films of Greb in action are workouts and sparring with O’Brien.