Career
Professional boxing career During his career, Donovan fought John L. Sullivan. He fought John Shanssey in a bout refereed a young 21-year-old Wyatt Earp on July 4, 1868 or 1869 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Life as instructor after retirement from boxing After his active boxing career ended, Donovan became a boxing instructor at the New York Athletic Club.
Personal life, death and legacy Donovan died from complications from a bout with pneumonia he developed while teaching a boxing class at one of the armories located near where he had resided in the Bronx, New York area in March 24, 1918, at Saint Francis Hospital there, where he had been hospitalized for a week after coming down with pneumonia, at the age of 70.
After his death, Donovan"s will indicated that his last name was actually O"Donovan.