James Archibald McLarnin (19 December 1907 – 28 October 2004) was an Irish professional boxer who became a two-time welterweight world champion and an International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee.

[3][7][8][9][10] McLarnin was a prodigious athlete, his main sports were football, baseball and boxing and was considered a model of propriety by Rev.

[8][9] Following a successful start to his career in Vancouver, McLarnin's grew aggrieved at the low pay he was receiving for bouts and decided to move south.

[8] Foster took McLarnin to San Francisco, where his youthful appearance made it difficult to get a fight until he lied about his age.

[11] McLarnin lost his first title shot on 21 May 1928 in New York against world lightweight champion Sammy Mandell.

It would be five years before McLarnin would next get a title shot, during which time he knocked out gifted Jewish fighters Al Singer, Ruby Goldstein, and Sid Terris.

McLarnin retired in November 1936 still at the top of his game, having won his last two fights against all-time greats Tony Canzoneri and Lou Ambers.

[13] In 1937, he appeared with boxers Maxie Rosenbloom, James J. Jeffries, Jack Dempsey, and Jackie Fields, in MGM's Big City, a film involving rough competition between two rival taxi companies.

[14] In 1938, he appeared in a background gymnasium scene for the successful 1938, MGM boxing movie, The Crowd Roars with boxers Abe "The Newsboy" Hollandersky, Joe Glick, Maxie Rosenbloom, Jack Roper, and Tommy Herman.