Jack O'Halloran(I)
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
"Irish" Jack O'Halloran was a rated heavyweight boxing contender in the
middle '60s & early '70s. The 6'6" native of Runnemede, New Jersey, was considered
one of boxing's most promising heavyweight hopefuls after he remained
undefeated in his first 16 professional matches. O'Halloran went on to
defeat former title contenders Cleveland Williams, Terry Daniels, Manuel Ramos and
Danny McAlinden. In 1972 he won the California state heavyweight
championship with a victory over Henry Clark. Scoring an upset victory
over eighth-ranked Al "Blue" Lewis in 1973, O'Halloran was on the verge
of a bout with Muhammad Ali when he was shockingly knocked out by Jimmy
Summerville in Miami Beach, Florida. Even though he knocked out
Summerville in the rematch, O'Halloran was never in contention again.
He retired in 1974, because of a tumor of the pituitary gland, with a record of 34-21-2 with 17 knockout victories.
He lost to future heavyweight champions George Foreman and Ken Norton. He achieved World ranking for several years and was the California Heavyweight Champion in 1972 & 73. He was also inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame and the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame. Following
his retirement he launched a successful career as a character actor in
such films as Farewell, My Lovely (1975), King Kong (1976), Superman (1978), Superman II (1980), The Baltimore Bullet (1980), Hero and the Terror (1988), Dragnet (1987) and more. He is a published author with Family Legacy.