Aug. 17, 1961 - Irish Bob Murphy (pictured right with Danny Nardico in 1951), once a contender for the light heavyweight championship, was killed in an automobile accident in Boston today. The police said that Mr. Murphy's car had gone out of control and collided with a two-ton truck. He was 43 years old. The former fighter was born Edward Lee Conarty in Denver. He began fighting under the name Irish Bob Murphy and later changed his name legally to Robert M. Murphy. On Aug. 22, 1951, Mr. Murphy fought Joey Maxim in New York for the light heavyweight title. He lost in a 15-round decision after nearly scoring a knockout in the first round. In June, 1951, Mr. Murphy won a seventh-round technical knockout from Jake LaMotta, former middleweight champion.
