Two years after starting his professional boxing career at age 17, McGovern won the vacant world bantamweight championship on Sept. 12, 1899, with a first-round knockout of Thomas (“Pedlar”) Palmer of England. McGovern vacated his title to fight American George Dixon (Dixon, George) for the world featherweight championship on Jan. 9, 1900, which McGovern won with an eighth-round knockout. Following six title defenses, all won by knockouts, he lost the title on Nov. 28, 1901, when he was knocked out in the second round by American Young Corbett II (William Rothwell). McGovern continued boxing through 1908 on a sporadic basis. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.