George "KO" Chaney was a hard punching featherweight

Featherweight

Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:...

 and lightweight

Lightweight

Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....

 who fought from 1910 to 1928. Chaney was born George Henry Chaney in Baltimore, Maryland to Irish-American parents. In his time he was known as the "knockout king of Fistiana" He compiled a lifetime record in boxing of 127 wins (93 by KO), 28 losses and 5 draws. He also engaged in several No Decision bouts.

Personal

Chaney is the brother of fellow boxer Joe Chaney.

Upon retiring, he held the record for most knockouts with 102, which was later broken by Young Strebling.

Boxing Illustrated Ranked him #4 all time for pound for pound punchers

Professional career

Chaney, despite being a terrific puncher, was afflicted with a glass jaw which often was his downfall against top ranked opponents. Nevertheless, he fought many of the top lightweights and featherweights from his era, including Johnny Dundee

Johnny Dundee

Johnny Dundee was a featherweight and junior lightweight boxer who fought from 1910 until 1932. Dundee was born Giuseppe Curreri in Sciacca, Sicily, but was raised in the United States....

, Willie Ritchie

Willie Ritchie

Willie Ritchie , was the world lightweight boxing champion from 1912 to 1914.-Biography:He was born in San Francisco, California as Gerhardt Anthony Steffen on February 13, 1891...

, Rocky Kansas

Rocky Kansas

Rocky Kansas was a tough, short former lightweight champion of the world. He was born Rocco Tozzo on April 21, 1893 in Italy and came to America in 1898. He died on January 10, 1954.-Background:...

, Lew Tendler

Lew Tendler

"Lefty" Lew Tendler was an American boxer. He is a member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame, the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and the International Boxing Hall of Fame.-External links:******...

 and Abe Attell

Abe Attell

Abraham Washington "Abe" Attell , known in the boxing world as Abe "The Little Hebrew" Attell, was a boxer who became known for his record-setting six-year reign as World Featherweight Champion...

. Chaney was selected for the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. Several of his victims suffered broken ankles.

Chaney was afforded three opportunities to win a world title. On September 4, 1916 he challenged world featherweight champion Johnny Kilbane

Johnny Kilbane

John "Johnny" Patrick Kilbane was a featherweight boxer in the early part of the 20th century. He held the featherweight title from 1912 to 1923, the longest period in the division's history...

 for his crown. Kilbane KO'd Chaney in round 3. His last title opportunity came when he sought to capture the newly created world junior lightweight title on November 18, 1921. Chaney met Johnny Dundee, but lost when he was disqualified in the fifth round.

His bout with Rocky Kansas at old Oriole Park in 1920 was judged the most brutal and bloody bout ever held in Baltimore