Jack Dempsey
Titles: middleweight champion 1884-1891
Record: 50-3-8
Born: December 15, 1862 in Curran, County Kildare, Ireland
Years active: 1883-1895
Nickname: The Nonpareil
Nonpareil was the first holder of the middleweight title and was also
noted for his clever timing and accuracy of his punches. He 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. His nickname of "Nonpareil" was
accurate as he simply had no peers in ability that included a 6 year
unbeaten streak to start his career. Like many of his age he boxed both
with and without gloves and also fought much larger men. Born in Ireland
his family left for America when he was still a boy and settled in
Brooklyn, New York. Like other fighters of his day he also had to change
his name from Kelly to Dempsey because his parents disapproved of boxing.
In his very first pro bout Dempsey won a 21 round decision and only a
year later laid claim to the newly established middleweight when he
defeated George Fulljames. Universal recognition did come until he
defeated Jack Fogarty in 27 brutal rounds in 1886. His reign lasted for
2 bouts before a elbow punch in the 32nd round by George LaBlanche knocked
him out. Dempsey had previously defeated LaBlanche and was said to have
had the upper hand until the blow occurred. The blow was outlawed
immediately after this bout. He would not loose again in this decade.
Dempsey fought on going from one coast to the other and once again gained
universal recognition as middleweight champion when he knocked out
Australian Billy McCarthy in the 32nd round. A year of wins followed
before Dempsey took on the bigger and future heavyweight champion Bob
Fitzsimmons in New Orleans and received a horrific beating. Dempsey was
knocked down 13 times in 13 rounds and had Fitzsimmons pleading to him
to give up. But Dempsey kept getting up and only a punch the throat which
effected his speech for the rest of his life would keep him down in the
13th round. In his dressing room he reportedly wept uncontrollably. This
fight took everything out of Dempsey, he was never the same again as he
fought only 3 more times and in his last fight was knocked out in the
third by Tommy Ryan for his welterweight title. Dempsey died within the
year from tuberculosis. In case you are wondering......yes, Nonpareil
was the man Jack Dempsey admired enough to take on his name when he
entered professional boxing.
Jack Dempsey
Career Record: 50 W, 3 L, 8 D (26 K.O's)
1883
Apr 7 Ed (Rug) McDonald, Maspeth, Long Island, NY KO 21
Aug 14 Jack Boylan, Flushing, NY KO 23
Sep 3 Harry Force, Brooklyn, NY (Coney Island) NC 11
Sep 17 Thomas (Soap) McAlpine, New York City, NY D 4
Oct 15 Jack Boylan, New York City, NY ND 6
Nov 10 Billy Frazier W 6
Nov 25 Robert (Cocky) Turnbull, New York City, NY D 8
1884
Jan William Mahoney, New York City, NY KO 3
Feb 10 Joe Heiser, Brooklyn, NY (Williamsburg) D 8
Feb 14 Jim Fell, New York City, NY KO 2
Feb 28 Jim Barry, New York City, NY KO 3
Mar 2 Joe Hennessey, New York City, NY KO 4
Mar 4 Tom Sullivan, New York City, NY KO 2
Mar 6 Billy Dacey, Brooklyn, NY (Coney Island) KO 9
Apr 25 Joe Hayes, New York City, NY D 6
May 1 Jack Bowles, New York City, NY KO 6
Jul 9 Tom Henry, Far Rockaway, NY NC 3
Jul 30 George Fulljames, Staten Island, NY KO 22
-Middleweight Championship of the World;
Sep 4 Mike Dempsey, Rockaway, NY KO 7
Sep 15 Jimmy Ryan, Philadelphia, Pa (Club Theatre) NC 7
Oct 8 Robert (Cocky) Turnbull, New York City, NY W 8
Oct 24 Tom Henry, New York City, NY (8th Street Theatre) W 6
Nov 6 Tom Ferguson, New York City, NY (Harry Hill's) W 4
Nov 20 Billy Frazier, New York City, NY (Alhambra) TKO 5
Nov 20 Jimmy Ryan, New York City, NY (Alhambra) W 5
Nov 30 Mike Mallon, Philadelphia, Pa KO 2
Dec 15 George Wilson, Philadelphia, Pa ND 4
1885
Jan 12 Billy Frazier, New York City, NY ND 4
Jan 12 Jimmy Ryan, New York City, NY ND 4
--- Johnny Banks, New York City, NY W ?
Jan 22 Jim Fell, New York City, NY W 4
Mar 19 Charles Bixamos, New Orleans, La (Sportsman Park) KO 5
May 4 Tom Barry, San Francisco, Ca KO 5
May 11 Tom Cleary, San Francisco, Ca (Wigwam AC) KO 5
Jun 5 Jim Carr, San Francisco, Ca KO 9
--- James Rodda, in Nevada W 2
Jul 20 Jack Keenan, San Francisco, Ca (Golden Gate Park) 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 15 Jimmy Murray, New York City, NY W 4
Jan 15 Tom Henry, New York City, NY W 4
Feb 3 Jack Fogarty, New York City, NY (Clarendon Hall) KO 27
-Middleweight Championship of the World
Feb 24 Pete McCoy, Jersey City, NJ (Oakland Rink) W 6
Mar 4 George LaBlanche, Larchmont, NY KO 13
-Middleweight Championship of the World;
Apr 26 Ned McCann, Philadelphia, Pa (Theatre Comique) KO 4
Apr 28 Charles (Bull) McCarthy, Philadelphia, Pa ND 4
Apr 30 Jimmy Ryan, Philadelphia, Pa W 4
May 20 Paddy Norton, St. Paul, Mn W 4
Ed Moehler, Minneapolis, Mn W 4
Nov 22 Jack Burke, San Francisco, Ca (Merchants Pavilion) D 10
--- Sandy Bannister, Buffalo, NY KO 2
1887
Jan 31 Mike Boden, Philadelphia, Pa (Theatre Comique) W 4
Feb 2 Jack Langdon, Philadelphia, Pa (Theatre Comique) W 4
Feb 5 Denny Killen, Philadelphia, Pa (Theatre Comique) W 4
Apr 9 Billy Baker, Buffalo, NY ND 4
May 2 Stephan (Reddy) Gallagher, Cleveland, Oh D 6
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 (Long Island) TKO 45
-Middleweight Championship of the World;
1888
Jan 31 Dominick McCaffrey, Jersey City, NJ (Pavonia Rink) W 10
Feb 18 Billy Baker, Buffalo, NY ND 4
Apr 23 James Stevens, Brooklyn, NY (Williamsburg) W 4
Nov 15 Mike Donovan, Brooklyn, NY D 6
1889
Aug 22 Mike Dempsey, San Francisco, Ca KO 7
Aug 27 George LaBlanche, San Francisco, Ca (Calif. AC) TKO by 32
1890
Feb 18 "Australian" Billy McCarthy, San Francisco, Ca TKO 28
1891
Jan 14 Bob Fitzsimmons, New Orleans, La (Olympic Club) TKO by 13
-Middleweight Championship of the World;
1893
Mar 1 Billy Keough, Portland, Or (Pastime AC) W 4
1894
Sep 5 "Australian" Billy McCarthy, New Orleans, La D 20
1895
Jan 18 Tommy Ryan, Brooklyn, NY (Coney Island) TKO by 3