Boxing
b. March 31, 1870, Redwood, NY
d. Aug. 3, 1948
Career Record
Other Resources
Ryan had his first professional fight in 1887 and was undefeated in 31 matches when he faced Mysterious Billy Smith for the world welterweight championship on July 26, 1894, in Minneapolis. Ryan won the title with a 20-round decision.
He claimed the middleweight title when Bob Fitzsimmons vacated it in 1895, but his claim wasn't generally recognized until his 10-round decision over George Green on February 25, 1898, in San Francisco. He then relinquished his welterweight championship to fight as a middleweight.
Ryan retained the title even during a two-year retirement in 1905 and 1906. He returned to the ring for two fights in 1907. His final appearance was an exhibition against Battling Nelson on August 4, 1907.
A clever fighter with a very good left jab, Ryan was often called on as an instructor. He won 85 matches, 68 by knockout; lost 3, 1 by knockout and 1 on a foul; and fought 5 draws, 9 no-decisions, and 6 no-contests.
International Boxing Hall of Fame
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| 1887 |
| ? | John Case | KO 5 | |
| ? | Jack Conway | Rock Island, IL | KO 3 |
| ? | Chris Christopher | Grand Rapids, MI | KO 8 |
| 1888 |
| Jul 20 | Joe Johnson | Marion, MI | KO 5 |
| Dec 21 | Dick England | Lake City, MI | KO 33 |
| 1889 |
| Apr 30 | Martin Shaughnessy | Detroit, MI | KO 23 |
| May 29 | Mike Dunn | Grosse Point, MI | KO 9 |
| Jun 18 | Martin Shaughnessy | Lake St. Clair, MI | KO 46 |
| Aug 10 | Jimmy Murphy | Grand Rapids, MI | NC 57 |
| Sep 3 | Henry Baker | Grand Rapids, MI | KO 3 |
| Nov 20 | Jimmy Murphy | Grand Rapids, MI | EX 8 |
| 1890 |
| Jul 20 | John McInerssey | Chicago, IL | KO 5 |
| Aug 4 | Bob Harper | Chicago, IL | KO 4 |
| Aug 28 | Professor Maguire | Chicago, IL | KO 3 |
| Sep 6 | Con Doyle | Shelby, IN | KO 28 |
| Nov 23 | Ed Bartlett | Sheffield, IL | KO 3 |
| 1891 |
| Feb 16 | Danny Needham | Minneapolis, MN | KO 76 |
| Aug 9 | Billy McMillan | Richardson, IL | KO 3 |
| Sep 28 | Jim Hall | Chicago, IL | EX 3 |
| Dec 15 | Frank Howson | Chicago, IL | KO 14 |
| 1892 |
| Apr 8 | Con Doyle | Dubuque, IA | W 8 |
| May 6 | Reddy Brennan | Dubuque, IA | TK 10 |
| Jul 30 | Jack Wilkes | South Omaha, NE | TK 17 |
| Nov 24 | Jack Collins | Detroit, MI | D 8 |
| Dec | "Hoboken" Tommy Kelly | Detroit, MI | D 8 |
| 1893 |
| Aug 29 | "Mysterious" Billy Smith | Brooklyn, NY | D 6 |
| Nov 2 | Harry Jamieson | Naugatuck, CT | KO 2 |
| Dec 11 | Dick Guthrie | Naugatuck, CT | NC 3 |
| 1894 |
| Jan 9 | "Mysterious" Billy Smith | Boston, MA | D 6 |
| Apr 10 | Morris Lane | W. Haven, CT | TK 3 |
| Apr 22 | Jack Wilkes NC 5 | | |
| May 22 | Jack Falvey | Hartford, CT | KO 8 |
| Jun 1 | Jack Pitts | Minneapolis, MN | KO 3 |
| Jul 26 | "Mysterious" Billy Smith | Minneapolis, MN | W 20 |
| | (Won World Welterweight Championship) |
| Sep 13 | Billy Layton | St. Joseph, MO | KO 4 |
| 1895 |
| Jan 18 | "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey | Brooklyn, NY | TK 3 |
| | (For Welterweight Championship of the World) |
| Feb 25 | Shorty Ahearn | Chicago, IL | W 4 |
| Mar 11 | Emmett Mellody | Kansas City, MO | W 4 |
| Mar 20 | Tom Tracey | Chicago, IL | D 8 |
| May 27 | "Mysterious" Billy Smith | Brooklyn, NY | NC 18 |
| | (For Welterweight Championship of the World) |
| 1896 |
| Jan 15 | Harry Baker | Grand Rapids, MI | W 3 |
| Mar 2 | Charles “Kid” McCoy | Maspeth, NY | LK 15 |
| Mar 6 | "Mysterious" Billy Smith | Syracuse, NY | ND 6 |
| May 18 | Joe Dunfee | Buffalo, NY | KO 6 |
| Jun 22 | Billy “Shadow” Maber | Buffalo, NY | TK 9 |
| Aug 20 | Dick Moore | Buffalo, NY | W 20 |
| Nov 25 | "Mysterious" Billy Smith | Maspeth, NY | WF 9 |
| Dec 21 | "Australian" Billy McCarthy | Buffalo, NY | TK 7 |
| Dec 23 | Billy Payne | Syracuse, NY | KO 4 |
| | (For Welterweight Championship of the World) |
| 1897 |
| Feb 24 | Tom Tracey | Syracuse, NY | TK 9 |
| Mar 17 | Patsy Raedy | Rochester, NY | TK 18 |
| May 10 | Paddy Gorman | Rochester, NY | TK 3 |
| May 24 | Patsy Raedy | Rochester, NY | TK 6 |
| Jun 21 | Tom Williams | Syracuse, NY | KO 2 |
| Sep 8 | Charles “Kid” McCoy | Syracuse, NY | NC 5 |
| Nov 25 | "Australian" Jim Ryan | Elmira, NY | KO 5 |
| Nov 30 | Billy Stift | Chicago, IL | W 6 |
| Dec 20 | Bill Hefferman | Buffalo, NY | KO 3 |
| 1898 |
| Feb 25 | George Green | San Francisco, CA | TK 18 |
| Jun 13 | Tommy West | New York City, NY | TK 14 |
| Oct 24 | Jack Bonner | Brooklyn, NY | W 20 |
| Nov 8 | Jack Bonner | Philadelphia, PA | ND 6 |
| Nov 23 | Johnny Gorman | Syracuse, NY | KO 8 |
| Dec 2 | Tommy West | Philadelphia, PA | ND 6 |
| Dec 23 | Dick O'Brien | Hartford, CT | TK 14 |
| 1899 |
| Feb 1 | "Sailor" Tom Sharkey | Syracuse, NY | EX 6 |
| Feb 22 | Tom McCarthy | Hot Springs, AR | KO 12 |
| Mar 1 | Charles Johnson | Hot Springs, AR | KO 8 |
| Mar 13 | Paddy Purtell | Cincinnati, OH | TK 4 |
| Mar 18 | Bob Douglass | St. Louis, MO | ND 6 |
| Apr 6 | Frank “Dutch” Neal | Dubuque, IA | W 6 |
| Apr 17 | Billy Stift, Davenport, Ia W 20 | | |
| Aug 31 | Jack Moffatt | Dubuque, IA | W 20 |
| Sep 18 | Frank Craig | Brooklyn, NY | TK 10 |
| | (For World Middleweight Championship) |
| 1900 |
| Feb 2 | George Lawlor | Hot Springs, AR | TK 13 |
| May 29 | Charles “Kid” McCoy | Chicago, IL | L 6 |
| Jun 29 | John “Young” Mahoney | Chicago, IL | W 6 |
| Jul 24 | Jack Root | Chicago, IL | D 6 |
| Nov 10 | Geoff Thorn | Chicago, IL | KO 3 |
| Nov 27 | Kid Carter | Chicago, IL | W 6 |
| 1901 |
| Jan 17 | Jack Beauscholte | Springfield, IL | KO 3 |
| Jan 31 | Martin Judge | Minneapolis, MN | KO 4 |
| Mar 4 | Tommy West | Louisville, Ky | TK 17 |
| | (For World Middleweight Championship) |
| Aug 22 | Bob Douglass | Kansas City, MO | KO 7 |
| Oct 10 | George Green | Kansas City, MO | LF 6 |
| 1902 |
| Jan 30 | George Green | Kansas City, MO | KO 7 |
| Feb 15 | Jack Beauscholte | Chicago, IL | W 6 |
| Feb 25 | Tim Murphy | Kansas City, MO | TK 9 |
| Mar 14 | "Mysterious" Billy Smith | Kansas City, MO | KO 4 |
| Apr 3 | Billy Stift | Kansas City, MO | W 10 |
| May 26 | Jimmy Handler | Kansas City, MO | TK 4 |
| Jun 24 | Johnny Gorman | London, England | KO 3 |
| Sep 15 | Kid Carter | Ft. Erie, Ontario | KO 6 |
| | (For World Middleweight Championship) |
| Oct 3 | Barney Walsh | Kansas City, MO | KO 2 |
| Oct 3 | Jack Beauscholte | Kansas City, MO | KO 3 |
| 1903 |
| Jan 15 | Billy Stift | Kansas City, MO | KO 4 |
| Feb 3 | Cyclone Kelly | Hot Springs, AR | TK 7 |
| Jun 1 | James “Soldier” Walker | Battle Creek, MI | KO 5 |
| Jun 15 | Jack Hickey | Battle Creek, MI | KO 4 |
| Jun 30 | John Wille | Butte, MT | KO 4 |
| 1904 |
| Jan 27 | "Philadelphia" Jack O'Brien | Philadelphia, PA | ND 6 |
| Feb 24 | Jack Beauscholte | Indianapolis, IN | TK 6 |
| Sep 10 | Frank Garrard | Chicago, IL | KO 3 |
| Oct 10 | Bob Douglass | St. Louis, MO | KO 4 |
| Oct 26 | Tom Wallace | Benton Harbor, MI | KO 5 |
| Nov 15 | Jack Graham | South Bend, IN | KO 4 |
| Nov 23 | Jack Root | Philadelphia, PA | NC 4 |
| Dec 29 | Billy Stift | Benton Harbor, MI KO 4 | |
| 1907 |
| Feb 5 | Dave Barry | Hot Springs, AR | KO 5 |
| Mar 4 | Hugo Kelly | Rochester, NY | D 6 |
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This page last updated Wednesday, 18-Feb-2009 16:09:22 EST
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