Kid McCoy
Born in Rush County, Indiana on October 13, 1873, Norman Selby, Kid McCoy was a fierce and crafty fighter. He is remembered for his use of the ‘corkscrew punch,’ in which he twisted his wrist while striking. His fighting career was defined by his 'scientific' approach to boxing and his knack for cutting opponents. Though, these compliments might better be explained as cheap tricks. For instance, McCoy reportedly wrapped his knuckles with friction tape to more easily make an opponent bleed, and he once threw tacks onto the matt before a facing a much larger opponent who prefered to box in barefeet.
While standing 5’11 at only 160 pounds, McCoy won the middleweight championship title in 1897 against Dan Creedon; however, he quickly abandoned the title to try his luck in the heavyweight weight class. Some notable fighters McCoy defeated included Peter Maher, Joe Choynski, and Gus Ruhlin. Although his life in the ring was interesting enough, McCoy’s personal life was even more so. McCoy acted in theatre and in Hollywood. He was married ten times to eight women. Due to involvement in the death of one of his wives, he spent eight years in prison. After his release in 1932, McCoy worked for Ford Motor Company. Unfortunately, he sank into poverty, and in 1940, took his own life.
Sources: http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/oldtimer/mccoy.html