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Dempsey, Jack ("The Non-Pareil")

[John Kelly]

Boxing

b. Dec. 15, 1862, County Kildare, Ireland
d. Nov. 2, 1895

Fight-by-fight Record

Other Resources

John Kelly, an immigrant barrel-maker from Ireland, went to watch the fights on Long Island on April 27, 1883. He volunteered to replace a fighter who didn't show up for one of the bouts, gave his name as "Jack Dempsey," and won in 21 rounds. So he became a professional boxer and was undefeated in his first fifty-five fights over the next five years.

On July 30, 1884, he beat George Fulljames of Canada in 22 rounds and was considered welterweight and middleweight champion because of the victory. Dempsey had forty-one fights without a loss before meeting Johnny Reagan in his first genuine defense of the title on December 13, 1887. The bout took place outdoors on Long Island in heavy rain. By the fourth round, the ring was underwater, and the fight was moved twenty miles. The rain turned to snow. Dempsey finally won on a knockout in the 45th round.

His first "defeat" came on August 27, 1889, in a title fight against George LeBlanche, who knocked Dempsey out in the 32nd round. However, LeBlanche used an illegal "pivot punch" and was over the weight limit, anyway, so Dempsey was still considered the champion.

Dempsey lost the middleweight title on January 14, 1891, when he was knocked out by Bob Fitzsimmons in the 13th round at New Orleans. His health failing, he fought once in 1893 and once more in 1894. His final appearance was in a benefit for himself on January 18, 1895, when he lost a three-round decision to Tommy Ryan.

Shortly afterward, Dempsey went to Portland, OR, hoping to regain his health, but he died before the end of the year.

He won 58 fights, 8 by knockout, and lost only 3, 2 by knockout. He also fought 8 draws and 4 no-decisions.

International Boxing Hall of Fame

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Fight-by-Fight Record

1883
Apr 7   Ed McDonald                 Long Island          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               New York, NY           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 4
Mar 4   Tom Sullivan                New York, NY          KO 2
Mar 6   Billy Dacey                 Brooklyn, NY          KO 9
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
Jul 9   Tom Henry                   Far Rockaway, NY      NC 3
Jul 30  George Fulljames            Staten Island, NY    KO 22
        (For World Middleweight Championship)
Aug 2   Professor Walter Watson     Philadelphia, PA      EX 4
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
Dec 15  George Wilson               Philadelphia, PA      ND 4

1885
Jan 12  Billy Frazier               New York, NY          ND 4
Jan 12  Jimmy Ryan                  New York, NY          ND 4
---     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
---     James Rodda                 in Nevada              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 Terr.      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
Feb 3   Jack Fogarty                New York, NY         KO 27
        (For World Middleweight Championship)
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
        (For World Middleweight Championship)
Apr 26  Ned McCann                  Philadelphia, PA      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     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
        (For World Middleweight Championship)
Dec 22  Joe Denning                 Brooklyn, NY          EX 2
Dec 22  Tom Henry                   Brooklyn, NY          EX 2
Dec 22  Jack McAuliffe              Brooklyn, NY          EX 2
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
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

1890
Feb 18  "Australian" Billy McCarthy San Francisco, CA    TK 28
        (For World Middleweight Championship)
May 16  Dave Campbell               Seattle                 Wa   EX
Jul 4   Gorman                      St. Louis               Mo   EX
Jul 28  Mike Brennan                Buffalo, NY             EX

1891
Jan 14  Bob Fitzsimmons             New Orleans, LA      LK 13
        (For World Middleweight Championship)

1892
Aug 16  "Mysterious" Billy Smith    Portland, OR            EX

1893
Mar 1   Billy Keough                Portland, OR           W 4
Sep 4   Bob Fitzsimmons             New York, NY          EX 3
Sep 25  Denny Costigan              Philadelphia, PA      EX 3
Nov 9   Denny Costigan              Buffalo, NY             EX
Dec     Denny Costigan              Boston, MA              EX
Dec 14  Dick Moore                  Boston, MA            EX 3
Dec 30  Joe Fielden                 Washington, DC        EX 3

1894
Sep 4   Bob Fitzsimmons             New Orleans, LA         EX
Sep 5   "Australian" Billy McCarthy New Orleans, LA       D 20
Dec 6   Andy Bowen                  Savannah, GA            EX

1895
Jan 18  Tommy Ryan                  Brooklyn, NY       KO by 3
        (For World Welterweight Championship)
Jun 8   John L. Sullivan            New York, NY            EX

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