Charles "Kid" McCoy (October 13, 1872 – April 18, 1940), born Norman Selby,[1] was an American boxer and early Hollywood actor.

He claimed the vacant world middleweight title when he scored an upset victory over Tommy Ryan by 15th-round knockout.

[2] Born in Moscow, Rush County, Indiana,[1] McCoy would eventually weigh 160 pounds (73 kg), stand 5 feet 11 inches (180 cm),[3] and go on to a record 81 wins (55 by KO, with 6 losses, 9 no decision, and 6 disqualifications).

McCoy, who was famed as a trickster, purportedly rubbed flour on his face so as to appear deathly ill. Ryan is said to have fallen for the ruse, failed to train properly and was not in top condition for the bout.

Whether true or not, McCoy scored an upset win over Ryan in a fight billed for the American and World 154lbs Middleweight Title.

When the fight began, McCoy's corner threw handfuls of tacks into the ring, causing the bare-footed challenger to drop his guard and raise up one foot.

McCoy never defended the title, choosing to abandon the crown to enable him to pursue the world heavyweight championship.

Despite his handicap in size, McCoy battled the best heavyweights of his era, and defeated Joe Choynski and Peter Maher.

However, it is believed that the first publication of the phrase with this spelling occurred in James S. Bond's 1881 dime novel, The Rise and Fall of the "Union club": or, Boy life in Canada, wherein a character utters, "By jingo!

[7][ii] McCoy was married ten times,[8] performed in theater, and went west to California during the birth of the movie industry in Los Angeles.

Mors's divorce from her husband was acrimonious and dragged on until she was killed by a single gunshot to the head on August 12, 1924, in the apartment she shared with McCoy at 2819 Leeward (Unit 212).

[10] The next morning, a reportedly disheveled McCoy robbed and held several people captive at Mrs. Mors' antique shop, and shot one man in the leg after he tried to escape.