Jim Coffey boxer

James Coffey (27 January 1890 – 20 December 1959) was an Irish heavyweight boxer. Despite only taking up boxing upon emigrating to the United States of America at the age of 20, Jim rapidly rose through the rankings to become an acknowledged contender for the World title during the so-called "Great White Hope" era of the sport.Jim Coffey was born in the small village of Tully in the north west corner of County Roscommon, in the West of Ireland. Although his birth is often listed at 16 January 1891, his birth certificate shows he was born on 27 January 1890. The sixth of 11 children born to John Coffey and his wife Anne (née Kenny), as a youth his main sporting interest lay in the game of gaelic handball. In 1910, at the age of 20, he left Ireland and emigrated to New York.In New York he found employment as a trolley motorman on Third Avenue. On a cold day in Autumn 1911, he had a chance meeting on his trolley with a policeman called Tom Shaw. Shaw was a boxer and wrestler of note in New York police circles and suggested that they have a little wrestling match in the snow to keep warm. In less than a minute the policeman was lying flat on his back. Shaw invited Coffey to come around to the policemans’ gym and it was there the Irishman first donned the gloves.Jim Coffey made his debut against Nick Muller in the New York Polo A.C. on 26 January 1912. Watching Jim’s performance that night was Billy Gibson, a boxing promoter and manager. Following Coffey’s victory over Muller, Gibson went to the dressing rooms and offered to take over the Irishman’s affairs. As a member of the Gibson stable of boxers, Coffey got to train with famous names such as Joe Jeanette and Bombardier Billy Wells.