titles: Heavyweight champion from 1892-1896
   
Years active: 1886-1903
   
Born: November 1, 1966 in San Francisco, California (USA)
   
Record: 11-4-3 
   
Nickname: Gentleman Jim

Jim Corbett makes my list more because of his historical worth than his
boxing abilities. He also deserves credit for destroying John L. Sullivan,
the "Myth" of a champion who was considered as unbeatable as Foreman, Liston, 
and Tyson. A skillful boxer Corbett used quickness and defense rather then 
brute strength to win fights. Corbett is also credited with developing the 
left hook and was involved in the first film ever made of a fight. Corbett 
grew up in San Francisco and led a double life as a bank teller at day and 
a boxer at night. He first came to fame by defeating Joe Choynski 3 times 
and the ultra thought Jake Kilran. Next he crossed the color barrier and 
drew with perhaps the best heavyweight of the time in Peter Jackson over 
61 rounds. Finally he meet Sullivan in New Orleans for the championship. 
Sullivan chased Corbett for 17 rounds before he knocked Corbett down for 
the first time in his career. But in the 21st round the Corbett landed a 
solid left hook and the follow up attack finished the champion off. 
Corbett lost his title in 1897 to a smaller and quicker Bob Fitzsimmons 
who knocked him out in the 14th round. Corbett would also loose at the 
only other attempt to regain his title to James Jefferies via knockout.  
     

1886

        Billy Welch             CA                      L 4
        Billy Welsh             CA                      KO 1

1887

        Frank Smith             Salt Lake City          KO 2
        Tom Johnson             CA                      W 4
        James Dailey            CA                      KO 3
        Mike Brennan            CA                      W 3
        William Miller          CA                      W 6
        Billy Hayes             CA                      KO3 
27 Aug  Jack Burke              CA                      D 8

1888

        Duncan McDonald         Evanston,IL             W 6
30 Jun  Frank Glover            CA                      D 3

1889

30 May  Joe Choynski            Fairfax,CA              NC 4
 5 Jun  Joe Choynski            Benecia,CA              KO 27
15 Jul  Joe Choynski            San Francisco,CA        W 4
29 Jul  Dave Campbell           Portland,OR             D 10

1890

18 Feb  Jake Kilrain            New Orleans,LA          W 6
14 Apr  Dominick McCaffrey      Brooklyn,NY             W 4

1891

21 May  Peter Jackson           San Francisco,CA        D 61
 8 Oct  Ed Kinney               MI                      W 4

1892

21 Jan  Bob Caffrey             PA                      KO 1
16 Feb  Bill Spilling           NY                      KO 1
 7 Sep  John Sullivan           New Orleans,LA          KO 21
        (Won World Heavyweight Championship)

1894

25 Jan  Charley Mitchell        Jacksonville            KO 3
        (Retained World Heavyweight Championship)
7 Sep   Peter Courtney          NJ                      KO 6

1895

4 Jan   Jim McVey               LA                      KO 3

1896

14 Jun  Tom Sharkey             CA                      D 4

1897

17 Mar  Bob Fitzsimmons         Carson City,NV          KO by 14
        (Lost World Heavyweight Championship)

1898

22 Nov  Tom Sharkey             New York,NY             L D.Q 9 

1900

11 May  James Jeffries          Coney Island,NY         KO by 23
        (For World Heavyweight Championship)
30 Aug  Charles "Kid" McCoy     New York,NY             KO 5

1903

14 Aug  James Jeffries          San Francisco,CA        KO by 10
        (For World Heavyweight Championship)