[1] Coburn was born on July 29, 1835, in Middletown, County Armagh, Ireland to Irish native parents Michael and Mary Trainor.

By the age of 21, he was active in the 16th's Volunteer Fire Department, and one of his earliest Brooklyn fights, which he won in four rounds, was arranged by his co-workers.

[1][3][4][5][6] Around 1856, after Coburn traveled to Boston to meet Ned Price, an English criminal lawyer, the pair met at Spot Pond.

After 100 rounds and three and a half hours of desperate combat, no winner was determined as the referee had called a draw due to darkness.

Broughton invented and encouraged the use of "mufflers", a form of padded gloves, which were used in training and exhibitions, but rarely in prize fights.

The rules did not permit head butting, holding the ropes, strangling, using resin, or stones or hard objects in the hands, and biting.

In the first, on May 5, 1863, using London Prize Ring Rules and bare knuckles, Coburn defended the American title against Mike McCoole, winning a lengthy one hour and eight minute battle requiring 67 rounds in Charlestown, Maryland.

The fighters agreed to call it a draw after the 12th round, due to Mace's infirmity, though the torrential ran was likely the real cause of the abbreviated match that had required the boxers to fight up to their knees in mud.

On March 6, 1877, he received ten years in prison for assault with intent to kill policeman William Tobias the previous month in New York City.

[1][10] After his release from jail, Coburn fought seven successful exhibition bouts with the highly popular champion John L. Sullivan from December 1882 through March 1883, as well as three with Herbert Slade in April.

Coburn's exhibition with Sullivan on January 20, 1883, was a lucrative arrangement which played to a full house at Buffalo's St. James Hall, and featured other pugilists as well.

With boxing growing in acceptance, partly due to the popularity of Sullivan, the authorities made no efforts to stop the two pugilists during the exhibition.

[12] The pair put on a thoroughly scientific display without much heavy slugging on March 13, 1883, before a crowd of 4,000 at New York's prestigious Madison Square Garden.

In the successful exhibition which raised over $10,000, Coburn was greeted with a warm cheer by the exceptional crowd of 15,000 as he took the stage, while another 4,000 waited outside unable to gain admittance.

The charges were later dropped when Carter refused to formally file the complaint at the Police station-house and Coburn was immediately released.

[2] Coburn died on the evening of December 6, 1890, of consumption at his home in New York City, leaving a wife and two-year-old son.