Stick around long enough, and boxing will break your heart

Often referred to as the "Red Light District of Sports" boxing has a long history of breaking the hearts of those who love it the most.

William "Scotty" McGhee

Born a twin in Glasgow, Scotland in 1883, William McGhee came to Lawrence an experienced amateur boxer sometime around 1910. Although BoxRec doesn't (yet) confirm it, his first pro fight in this country was against George (Young) Cuddy, brother of John E. Cuddy at the Hibernian Hall in Lawrence, MA.

He never quit his day job with the Washington Mills and graduated to chauffer, escorting the mucky-mucks to their meetings in Shawsheen Villiage or the company's rural retreat, The Cosmopolitan Club in Boxford. Like many men who loved boxing, McGhee never really left the the ring and made the progression from participant to referee soon after the Massaschusetts State Boxing Law was put in place in the early 1920s.

In April of 1926 McGhee stopped a fight at the Crescent Arena between Tommy French and Ray Cross, because the fighters stalled and McGhee determined that is wasn't a fight, but a fake. He demanded the ticket holders get their money refunded. Johnny Buckley was one of the fighter's managers. Buckley was very well connected. In many different circles. McGhee's referee license was taken away from him without any explanation. McGhee petitioned the boxing commission repeatedly and got no answer. Not a surprise, given that the head of the commission at the time was Gene Buckley, brother of John.

The Boxing Commission held a hearing in Lawrence's City Hall in 1930 as part of a PR effort to check on the state of boxing and wrestling. Other than McGhee, in attendance was John Gibbons, a local wrestler who was equally disgusted with the chicanery involved in wrestling.  Only a handful of other people attended the hearing and they were reporters. McGhee named some names and told them of the numerous occasions where he was offered cash for favorable decisions. He also told them that a few years prior to the hearing he approached Johnny Buckley and asked him about his license suspension, to which Buckley replied "You're all right McGhee, but you should not hold up the boys' money. Take care of the boys, never mind the fellows who pay at the door."

McGhee continued to ref amateur boxing but his days as a pro boxing ref were over.