Nonpareil Jack Dempsey

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Jack Dempsey is considered by many as one of the greatest boxers "pound for pound" who ever fought in the ring. He moved well and was extremely quick, agile, and skillful. He was a two-handed fighter who could box or punch. His jab was quick and accurate. His right hand punch was stiff. He was game and cool under pressure. He could fight whatever style was needed to win. He often fought men 10-25 pounds heavier. In short, he was a crafty boxer-puncher who was an excellent ring general. Dempsey was elected to the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954



BORN     : December 15 1862; Curran, County Kildare, Ireland
DIED     : November 2 1895; Portland, Oregon
HEIGHT   : 5-8
WEIGHT   : 128-152 1/4 lbs
RACE     : White
MANAGERS : John Shanley, Jake Stearns, Warren Lewis,
           Arthur T. Lumley, Gus Tuthill, Charley 
           Dexter, Billy Madden, and Denny Costigan
       

Boxing Record


1883
Apr  7 Ed "Rug" McDonald           Maspeth, NY                   KO 21
Aug 14 Jack Boylan                 Flushing, NY                  KO 23
Sep  3 Harry Force                 Brooklyn, NY                  NC 11
Sep 17 Thomas "Soap" McAlpine      New York, NY                   D  4
Oct 15 Jack Boylan                 New York, NY                  ND  6
Nov 10 Billy Frazier                                              W  6
Nov 25 Robert "Cocky" Turnbull     New York, NY                   D  8
1884
Jan    William Mahoney             New York, NY                  KO  3
Feb 10 Joe Heiser                  Brooklyn, NY                   D  8
Feb 14 Jim Fell                    New York, NY                  KO  2
Feb 28 Jim Barry                   New York, NY                  KO  3
Mar  2 Joe Hennessey               New York, NY                  KO   
Mar  4 Tom Sullivan                New York, NY                  KO  2
Mar  6 Billy Dacey                 Brooklyn, NY (Coney Island)   KO  9
       -Lightweight Championship of New York
Apr 14 Jim Sweeney                 New York, NY                  EX  4
Apr 25 Joe Hayes                   New York, NY                   D  6
May  1 Jack Bowles                 New York, NY                  KO  6
        -Some sources report "W 6"
Jul  9 Tom Henry                   Far Rockaway, NY              NC  3
       -Police intervened
Jul 30 George Fulljames            Staten Island, NY (Great Kill)KO 22
       -Middleweight Championship of the World;
        Some sources report it as a Welterweight
        Championship of the World contest;
        Dempsey weighed 140 lbs
Aug  2 Prof. Walter Watson         Philadelphia, Pa              EX  4
Aug    Jimmy Hurst
        -This bout was scheduled but cancelled;
         Hurst left town to avoid fighting Dempsey
Sep  4 Mike Dempsey                Rockaway, NY                  KO  7
Sep 15 Jimmy Ryan                  Philadelphia, Pa              NC  7
Oct  8 Robert "Cocky" Turnbull     New York, NY                   W  8
Oct 24 Tom Henry                   New York, NY                   W  6
Nov  6 Tom Ferguson                New York, NY                   W  4
Nov 20 Billy Frazier               New York, NY                  TK  5
Nov 20 Jimmy Ryan                  New York, NY                   W  5
Nov 30 Mike Mallon                 Philadelphia, Pa              KO  2
        -Weights: 140 - 135
Dec 15 George Wilson               Philadelphia, Pa              ND  4
1883-1885

       Jim Corbett                 San Francisco, Ca             EX

1885
Jan 12 Billy Frazier               New York, NY                  ND  4
Jan 12 Jimmy Ryan                  New York, NY                  ND  4
       -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date;
        Dempsey had the best of the fighting in each contest
       Johnny Banks                New York, NY                   W   
Jan 22 Jim Fell                    New York, NY                   W  4
Mar 19 Charles Bixamos             New Orleans, La               KO  5
May  4 Tom Barry                   San Francisco, Ca             KO  5
May 11 Tom Cleary                  San Francisco, Ca             KO  5
Jun  5 Jim Carr                    San Francisco, Ca             KO  9
Jul  4 James Rodda                 Nevada City, Nv                W  2
Jul 20 Jack Keenan                 San Francisco, Ca             KO  2
Aug 29 Billy Manning               Los Angeles, Ca               KO  7
Sep 12 Tom Norton                  Sacramento, Ca                KO  4
Nov  2 Dave Campbell               Washington Territory          KO  3
Dec 16 Tom Barry                   Portland, Or                  KO  6
1886
Jan 13 Mike Mullery                New York, NY                  EX   
Jan 15 Jimmy Murray                New York, NY                   W  4
Jan 15 Tom Henry                   New York, NY                   W  4
       -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date 
Feb  3 Jack Fogarty                New York, NY                  KO 27
       -Middleweight Championship of the World;
        Weights: 148-142
Feb 24 Pete McCoy                  Jersey City, NJ                W  6
Mar  3 Joe Denning                 Newark, NJ                    EX  3
Mar  4 George LaBlanche            Larchmont, NY                 KO 13
       -Middleweight Championship of the World;
        Weights: 152 1/4-151 1/2
Apr 26 Ned McCann                  Philadelphia, Pa              KO  4
Apr 28 Charles "Bull" McCarthy     Philadelphia, Pa              ND  4
        -Dempsey was better
Apr 30 Jimmy Ryan                  Philadelphia, Pa               W  4
May 20 Paddy Norton                St. Paul, Mn                   W  4
       Ed Moehler                  Minneapolis, Mn                W  4
Jul 27 -Dempsey married Margaret Brady at Portland, Or
Nov 22 Jack Burke                  San Francisco, Ca              D 10
Dec 20 Jack Keenan                 Cheyenne, Wy                  EX  3

1887
Jan 31 Mike Boden                  Philadelphia, Pa               W  4
Feb  2 Jack Langdon                Philadelphia, Pa               W  4
Feb  5 Denny Killen                Philadelphia, Pa               W  4
Apr  9 Billy Baker                 Buffalo, NY                   ND  4
May  2 Stephan "Reddy" Gallagher   Cleveland, Oh                  D  6
Jul  4 Jack Ashton                 Providence, RI                EX   
Oct 10 Eddie Reede                 Hoboken, NJ                    W  4
Oct 13 Jim McHugh                  Hoboken, NJ                    W  4
Oct 15 Billy Dacey                 Hoboken, NJ                    W  4
Oct 31 Ned McCann                  Wilmington, De                 W  4
Nov  1 Frank Bosworth              Wilmington, De                 W  4
Nov  3 Denny Kelliher              Wilmington, De                 W  4
Nov  5 Bill Gabig                  Wilmington, De                 W  4
Dec 13 Johnny Reagan               Manhasset, NY                 TK 45
       -Middleweight Championship of the World;
        This bout was fought in two rings        
Dec 22 Joe Denning                 Brooklyn, NY                  EX  2
Dec 22 Tom Henry                   Brooklyn, NY                  EX  2
Dec 22 Jack McAuliffe              Brooklyn, NY                  EX  2
       -The previous 3 bouts were held the same date
Dec 29 Tom Henry                   Brooklyn, NY                  EX

1888
Jan 23 Denny Kelliher              Boston, Ma                    EX  3
Jan 31 Dominick McCaffrey          Jersey City, NJ                W 10
Feb 18 Billy Baker                 Buffalo, NY                   ND  4
Apr  3 Joe Denning                 Brooklyn, NY                  EX   
Apr 23 James Stevens               Brooklyn, NY                   W  4
Nov 15 Mike Donovan                Brooklyn, NY                   D  6
Dec    Denny Costigan              Brooklyn, NY                  EX   
1889

Feb  4 Denny Costigan              Buffalo, NY                   EX  3
Mar 18 Jim Daly                    Houtzdale, Pa                SCH
       -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Jun 10 Mike Lucie                  San Francisco, Ca             EX  3
Aug 22 Mike Dempsey                San Francisco, Ca             KO  7
Aug 27 George LaBlanche            San Francisco, Ca             LK 32
       -This bout was originally called a Middleweight Championship
        of the World; But, when LaBlanche weighed in at 161 lbs,
        it was declared a non-title bout; Also, LaBlanche was 
        accused of using an illegal punch, the "pivot" blow;
        LaBlanche claimed the title as a result of the win;
        Dempsey weighed 151 lbs
Oct    -Dempsey drubbed the featherweight boxer, Tommy Warren, in a
        "barroom" fight at San Francisco, Ca
1890
Feb 18 "Australian" Billy McCarthy San Francisco, Ca             TK 28
       -Middleweight Championship of the World;
        Weights: 147 1/2 - 152 1/2
May 16 Dave Campbell               Seattle, Wa                   EX   
Jun 27 Paddy Gorman                Aspen, Co                     EX   
Jul  4 Paddy Gorman                St. Louis, Mo                 EX   
Jul 28 Mike Brennan                Buffalo, NY                   EX   
Aug 25 Jimmy Carroll               Brooklyn, NY                  EX   
                                     
1891

Jan 14 Bob Fitzsimmons             New Orleans, La               LK 13
       -Middleweight Championship of the World;
        Weights: 147 1/2 - 150 1/2
       "Mysterious" Billy Smith    San Francisco, Ca             EX   
Oct 16 Young Mitchell              San Francisco, Ca             EX  4
Nov  9 Young Mitchell              Portland, Or                  EX  6
       -This bout was held during Nov 9-12 1891
Nov 16 Young Mitchell              Brooklyn, NY                  EX   
Nov 16 Young Mitchell              Brooklyn, NY                  EX   
       -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Nov 18 Young Mitchell              Brooklyn, NY                 SCH   
Nov 19 Young Mitchell              Brooklyn, NY                 SCH   
       -The previous 2 bouts were scheduled but not held;
        Dempsey was ill
                                     
1892


Aug 16 "Mysterious" Billy Smith    Portland, Or                  EX   
                                     
1893

Mar  1 Billy Keough                Portland, Or                   W  4
       -Weights: 148 - 190
Sep  4 Bob Fitzsimmons             New York, NY                  EX  3
Sep 25 Denny Costigan              Philadelphia, Pa              EX  3
Oct  7 John Clark                  Philadelphia, Pa  
       -This bout was scheduled but cancelled due to the small crowd
Nov  9 Denny Costigan              Buffalo, NY                   EX   
Nov    -Dempsey was scheduled to spar all week 
        in New York, NY at Jacobs' Third Avenue
        Theatre (Nov 13-18)
Dec    Denny Costigan              Boston, Ma                    EX   
Dec 14 Dick Moore                  Boston, Ma                    EX  3
Dec 30 Joe Fielden                 Washington, DC                EX  3
1894
Jan    Denny Costigan              Brooklyn, NY                 SCH   
       -This bout was scheduled to be held during Jan 14-19 1893;
        The outcome is not known
Apr  7 Harry Wyatt                 Buffalo, NY                  SCH   
       -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Sep  4 Bob Fitzsimmons             New Orleans, La               EX   
Sep  5 "Australian" Billy McCarthy New Orleans, La                D 20
       -Dempsey was better; Weights: 146 - 154
Nov  7 Tommy Ryan                  New Orleans, La              SCH   
       -This bout was scheduled but cancelled
Dec  6 Andy Bowen                  Savannah, Ga                  EX   
Dec 12 Tommy Ryan                  New Orleans, La              SCH   
       -This bout was scheduled but cancelled
1895

Jan 18 Tommy Ryan                  Brooklyn, NY                  LT  3
       -Welterweight Championship of the World;
        Weights: 142 - 145
Jun  8 John L. Sullivan            New York, NY                  EX   
       -This bout was part of a Benefit for Dempsey