Articles and media mentions of Torpedo Billy Murphy

orpedo Billy.
By Sir Robert Jones, well known New Zealand businessman, property tycoon and boxing enthusiast.

It is a little known fact but New Zealand actually has produced a legitimate world champion, as opposed to the numerous bogus champions in each weight division which have devalued modern boxing.

Our sole claim to fame rest with Torpedo Billy Murphy who was born in Auckland in 1863 and who pound for pound was one of the biggest punchers in New Zealand history. After an undefeated New Zealand bare-knuckle campaign. Billy shifted across the Tasman in 1887 to the then booming Sydney boxing scene.

Tiring of that, in 1889 he followed the well-trodden route across to San Francisco, in those days the Mecca of boxing much like Las Vegas today.

Soon after his arrival he caused a sensation of KOing the then top American featherweight Boston’s Johnny Griffin inside three rounds.

Further success catapulted him into a world title fight with the undefeated champion, Ulsterman Ike Weir, a master boxer who over the past four years campaigning in America had defeated 21 successive opponents and won the World Featherweight Championship.

Billy weighed in as a bantamweight and for a dozen rounds took a hiding but in the 14th caught up with the Irishman and laid him out for the count with a right to the jaw.

After a series of victories he returned to Auckland in July, 1890 where, with his diamond studded championship belt draped across him, he was accorded a hero’s welcome.

A few months later he crossed the Tasman again and lost the title to the Australian Young Griffo who, for many decades after, was widely considered history’s best ever featherweight.

Billy continued fighting all comers in America, Australia and finally back in New Zealand, having his last fight at the age of 44 in New Plymouth where he KO’d Australian Tom Toohey in the first round.

Billy died in Auckland at the age of 76 in 1939, then and still today, our only world champion.