Nonpareil Jack Dempsey
(Redirected from Nonpareil Dempsey)
| File:Nonpareil Jack Dempsey portrait.jpg | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American[1] |
| Born | John Edward Kelly December 15, 1862 Curran, County Kildare, Ireland |
| Died | November 1, 1895 (aged 32) |
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
| Weight | Middleweight |
| Boxing career | |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 69; with the inclusion of newspaper decisions |
| Wins | 51 (official); 52 (unofficial) |
| Win by KO | 24 |
| Losses | 3 |
| Draws | 11 |
| No contests | 3 |
John Edward Kelly (December 15, 1862 – November 1, 1895) was an Irish-born American boxer, better known as Nonpareil Jack Dempsey, who was the first holder of the World Middleweight Championship (1884–1891). He was nicknamed "Nonpareil" because of his reputation of being unbeatable.
Biography
[edit | edit source]Dempsey was born on December 15, 1862, in Curragh, County Kildare, Ireland. He claimed the middleweight title on July 30, 1884, by defeating George Fulljames in Great Kills, Staten Island, New York. He held the title for over six years, defending the title against two fighters during the reign.[2]
In Dempsey's first 65 contests, he lost only once, in a non-title bout to George LaBlanche (a fighter he had beaten previously to cement his claim as middleweight champion)[3] via a spinning backfist, a move that was later banned following Dempsey's death. He also faced Billy Baker in a 4-round bout that was fixed to have Baker win, though Baker failed to score a knockout, resulting in a no decision—Baker was later defeated by Dempsey on points in a rematch. His reign as middleweight champion ended when Bob Fitzsimmons pummeled him around the ring and begged him to concede before he was hurt any more. Dempsey, the reigning champion, would not give up; the fight continued and Fitzsimmons knocked him out in round 13. In his final bout, Dempsey, suffering from tuberculosis, lost to Tommy Ryan.
Though Dempsey beat his first battle with tuberculosis, he died at age 32 at the Portland, Oregon, home of his wife's parents on November 1, 1895, due to a recurrence of the disease.[4] He was buried in an initially unmarked grave at Mount Calvary Cemetery. M. James Brady, Dempsey's father-in-law, refused to permit former World Champion John L. Sullivan and John S. Barnes to raise funds to erect a monument over Dempsey's grave. The family believed that a four-foot marble shaft was a sufficient memorial. The matter was thus dropped.[5]
Dempsey was inducted into The Ring magazine Hall of Fame in 1954, and into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992.[6] The brothers Bernie and William Harrison Dempsey used his name as a pseudonym. And after the latter's success in the 1910s and 1920s he was usually mentioned with his nickname Nonpareil.
Professional boxing record
[edit | edit source]| 69 fights | 51 wins | 3 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 24 | 3 |
| By decision | 27 | 0 |
| Draws | 11 | |
| No contests | 3 | |
| Newspaper decisions/draws | 1 | |
All newspaper decisions are regarded as "no decision" bouts as they have "resulted in neither boxer winning or losing, and would therefore not count as part of their official fight record."
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69 | Loss | 51–3–11 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: Tommy Ryan | TKO | 3 (15) | Jan 18, 1895 | Error creating thumbnail: Sea Side A.C., Coney Island | |
| 68 | Draw | 51–2–11 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: Billy McCarthy | PTS | 20 | Sep 5, 1895 | Error creating thumbnail: Auditorium Club, New Orleans | |
| 67 | Win | 51–2–10 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: Billy Keough | PTS | 4 | Feb 28, 1893 | Error creating thumbnail: Pastime A.C., Portland | |
| 66 | Loss | 50–2–10 (4) | United Kingdom Bob Fitzsimmons | RTD | 13 (?) | Jan 14, 1891 | Error creating thumbnail: California A.C., San Francisco | Lost world middleweight title |
| 65 | Win | 50–1–10 (4) | United Kingdom Billy McCarthy | TKO | 28 (?) | Feb 18, 1890 | Error creating thumbnail: California A.C., San Francisco | Retained world middleweight title |
| 64 | Loss | 49–1–10 (4) | Canada George LaBlanche | KO | 32 (?) | Aug 27, 1889 | Error creating thumbnail: California A.C., San Francisco | |
| 63 | Win | 49–0–10 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: Mike Dempsey | KO | 7 (?) | Aug 22, 1889 | Error creating thumbnail: San Francisco | |
| 62 | Draw | 48–0–10 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: Mike Donovan | PTS | 6 | Nov 15, 1888 | Error creating thumbnail: Palace Rink, Williamsburg | |
| 61 | Win | 48–0–9 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: James Stevens | PTS | 4 | Apr 23, 1888 | Error creating thumbnail: Grand Theater, Williamsburg | |
| 60 | Win | 47–0–9 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: Billy Baker | PTS | 10 | Feb 18, 1888 | Error creating thumbnail: Adelphia Theatre, Buffalo | |
| 59 | Win | 46–0–9 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: Dominick McCaffrey | PTS | 10 | Jan 31, 1888 | Error creating thumbnail: Pavonia Rink, Jersey City | |
| 58 | Win | 45–0–9 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: John Reagan | TKO | 45 (?) | Dec 13, 1887 | Error creating thumbnail: Long Island | |
| 57 | Win | 44–0–9 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: Bill Gabig | PTS | 4 | Nov 5, 1887 | Error creating thumbnail: Grand Central Theater, Wilmington | |
| 56 | Win | 43–0–9 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: Denny Kelliher | PTS | 4 | Nov 3, 1887 | Error creating thumbnail: Grand Central Theater, Wilmington | |
| 55 | Win | 42–0–9 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: Frank Bosworth | PTS | 4 | Nov 1, 1887 | Error creating thumbnail: Grand Central Theater, Wilmington | |
| 54 | Win | 41–0–9 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: Ned McCann | PTS | 4 | Oct 31, 1887 | Error creating thumbnail: Grand Central Theater, Wilmington | |
| 53 | Win | 40–0–9 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: Billy Dacey | PTS | 4 | Oct 15, 1887 | Error creating thumbnail: Hoboken Casino, Hoboken | |
| 52 | Win | 39–0–9 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: Jim McHugh | PTS | 4 | Oct 13, 1887 | Error creating thumbnail: Hoboken Casino, Hoboken | |
| 51 | Win | 38–0–9 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: Eddie Reede | PTS | 6 | Oct 10, 1887 | Error creating thumbnail: Hoboken Casino, Hoboken | |
| 50 | Draw | 37–0–9 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: Reddy Gallagher | PTS | 6 | May 2, 1887 | Error creating thumbnail: Frankfort St. Gym, Cleveland | |
| 49 | NC | 37–0–8 (4) | Error creating thumbnail: Billy Baker | ND | 4 | Apr 9, 1887 | Error creating thumbnail: Adelphia Theatre, Buffalo | |
| 48 | Win | 37–0–8 (3) | Error creating thumbnail: Denny Killen | PTS | 4 | Feb 5, 1887 | Error creating thumbnail: Theatre Comique, Philadelphia | |
| 47 | Win | 36–0–8 (3) | Error creating thumbnail: Jack Langdon | PTS | 4 | Feb 2, 1887 | Error creating thumbnail: Theatre Comique, Philadelphia | |
| 46 | Win | 35–0–8 (3) | Canada Mike Boded | PTS | 10 | Jan 31, 1887 | Error creating thumbnail: Theatre Comique, Philadelphia | |
| 45 | Draw | 34–0–8 (3) | Southern Ireland (1921–1922) Jack Burke | PTS | 10 | Nov 22, 1886 | Error creating thumbnail: Mechanic's Pavilion, San Francisco | |
| 44 | Win | 34–0–7 (3) | Error creating thumbnail: Ed Moehler | PTS | 4 | May 25, 1886 | Error creating thumbnail: Leland Rink, Minneapolis | |
| 43 | Win | 33–0–7 (3) | Error creating thumbnail: Paddy Norton | TKO | 4 (5) | May 20, 1886 | Error creating thumbnail: Exposition Rink, Saint Paul | |
| 42 | Win | 32–0–7 (3) | Error creating thumbnail: Jimmy Ryan | PTS | 4 | Apr 30, 1886 | Error creating thumbnail: Philadelphia | |
| 41 | Win | 31–0–7 (3) | Error creating thumbnail: Charle McCarthy | PTS | 4 | Apr 28, 1886 | Error creating thumbnail: Theatre Comique, Philadelphia | |
| 40 | Win | 30–0–7 (3) | Error creating thumbnail: Ned McCann | KO | 4 (4) | Apr 26, 1886 | Error creating thumbnail: Comique Theatre, Philadelphia | |
| 39 | Win | 29–0–7 (3) | Canada George LaBlanche | TKO | 13 (?) | Mar 14, 1886 | Error creating thumbnail: Larchmont | Won inaugural world middleweight title |
| 38 | Win | 28–0–7 (3) | Error creating thumbnail: Pete McCoy | PTS | 6 | Feb 24, 1886 | Error creating thumbnail: Oakland Avenue Rink, Jersey City | |
| 37 | Win | 27–0–7 (3) | Error creating thumbnail: Jack Fogarty | TKO | 27 (?) | Feb 2, 1886 | Error creating thumbnail: Clarendon Hall, New York | |
| 36 | Win | 26–0–7 (3) | Error creating thumbnail: Jim Murray | PTS | 4 | Jan 15, 1886 | Error creating thumbnail: Germania Assembly Rooms, New York | |
| 35 | Win | 25–0–7 (3) | United Kingdom Tom Henry | PTS | 4 | Jan 15, 1886 | Error creating thumbnail: Germania Assembly Rooms, New York | |
| 34 | NC | 24–0–7 (3) | Error creating thumbnail: Mike Donovan | NC | 4 | Jan 15, 1886 | Error creating thumbnail: Germania Assembly Rooms, New York | Potentially an exhibition bout |
| 33 | Win | 24–0–7 (2) | Error creating thumbnail: Tom Berry | TKO | 6 (10) | Dec 14, 1885 | Error creating thumbnail: Portland | |
| 32 | Win | 23–0–7 (2) | Error creating thumbnail: Dave Campbell | KO | 3 (8) | Nov 2, 1885 | Error creating thumbnail: Portland | |
| 31 | Win | 22–0–7 (2) | Error creating thumbnail: Tom Norton | TKO | 4 (6) | Sep 12, 1885 | Error creating thumbnail: Armory Hall, Sacramento | |
| 30 | Win | 21–0–7 (2) | Error creating thumbnail: Young Billy Manning | TKO | 8 (?) | Aug 29, 1885 | Error creating thumbnail: Turnverein Hall, Los Angeles | |
| 29 | Win | 20–0–7 (2) | Republic of Ireland Jack Keenan | KO | 2 (?) | Jul 20, 1885 | Error creating thumbnail: San Francisco | |
| 28 | Win | 19–0–7 (2) | Error creating thumbnail: Jim Carr | KO | 9 (?) | Jun 5, 1885 | Error creating thumbnail: Wigwam Theatre, San Francisco | |
| 27 | Win | 18–0–7 (2) | Error creating thumbnail: Tommy Cleary | KO | 5 (?) | May 11, 1885 | Error creating thumbnail: Mechanic's Pavilion, San Francisco | |
| 26 | Win | 17–0–7 (2) | Error creating thumbnail: Tom Barry | KO | 5 (?) | May 4, 1885 | Error creating thumbnail: Mechanic's Pavilion, San Francisco | |
| 25 | Win | 16–0–7 (2) | Error creating thumbnail: Charles Bixamos | KO | 5 (?) | Mar 19, 1885 | Error creating thumbnail: Sportsmen's Park, New Orleans | |
| 24 | Win | 15–0–7 (2) | United Kingdom Jim Fell | PTS | 4 | Jan 22, 1885 | Error creating thumbnail: Athletic Hall, New York | |
| 23 | Draw | 14–0–7 (2) | Error creating thumbnail: Bill Frazier | PTS | 4 | Jan 12, 1885 | Error creating thumbnail: New York | |
| 22 | Win | 14–0–6 (2) | Error creating thumbnail: Jimmy Ryan | TKO | 4 (4) | Jan 12, 1885 | Error creating thumbnail: New York | |
| 21 | Win | 13–0–6 (2) | Error creating thumbnail: George Wilson | NWS | 4 | Dec 15, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: Clarks Club, Philadelphia | |
| 20 | Win | 13–0–6 (1) | Error creating thumbnail: Mike Malone | TKO | 2 (?) | Nov 30, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: Philadelphia | |
| 19 | Win | 12–0–6 (1) | Error creating thumbnail: Bill Frazier | TKO | 5 (?) | Nov 20, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: New York | |
| 18 | Win | 11–0–6 (1) | Error creating thumbnail: Tom Ferguson | PTS | 4 | Nov 6, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: Harry Hill's, New York | |
| 17 | Win | 10–0–6 (1) | United Kingdom Tom Henry | PTS | 6 | Oct 24, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: Eighth-Street Theatre, New York | |
| 16 | Win | 9–0–6 (1) | Error creating thumbnail: Bob Turnbull | PTS | 8 | Oct 8, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: Billy Madden's Athletic Hall, New York | |
| 15 | Draw | 8–0–6 (1) | Error creating thumbnail: Jimmy Ryan | PTS | 7 | Sep 15, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: Clark's Theatre, Philadelphia | |
| 14 | Win | 8–0–5 (1) | Error creating thumbnail: Mike Dempsey | KO | 7 (?) | Sep 4, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: Rockaway | |
| 13 | Win | 7–0–5 (1) | Error creating thumbnail: George Fulljames | TKO | 21 (?) | July 30, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: Staten Island, New York | Claimed world middleweight title |
| 12 | Draw | 6–0–5 (1) | United Kingdom Tom Henry | PTS | 4 | Jul 8, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: Rockaway Beach, Queens | |
| 11 | Draw | 6–0–4 (1) | Error creating thumbnail: Jack Hayes | PTS | 6 | Apr 25, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: New York | |
| 10 | Win | 6–0–3 (1) | Error creating thumbnail: Bill Dacey | TKO | 9 (?) | Mar 6, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: Campbell's Hotel, Coney Island | Won vacant Lightweight Championship of New York Queensberry Rules & hard gloves |
| 9 | Win | 5–0–3 (1) | Error creating thumbnail: Tommy Sullivan | PTS | 2 | Mar 4, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: New York | |
| 8 | Win | 4–0–3 (1) | Error creating thumbnail: Joe Hennesey | PTS | 4 | Mar 2, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: New York | |
| 7 | Win | 3–0–3 (1) | Error creating thumbnail: Jim Barry | TKO | 3 (4) | Feb 28, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: Billy Madden's Athletic Hall, New York | |
| 6 | Win | 2–0–3 (1) | United Kingdom Jim Fell | PTS | 2 | Feb 14, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: New York | |
| 5 | Draw | 1–0–3 (1) | Error creating thumbnail: Joe Heiser | PTS | 8 | Feb 10, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: Williamsburg, Brooklyn | |
| 4 | Win | 1–0–2 (1) | Error creating thumbnail: William Mahoney | KO | 3 (?) | Jan 15, 1884 | Error creating thumbnail: New York | |
| 3 | Draw | 0–0–2 (1) | Error creating thumbnail: Bob Turnbull | PTS | 7 (4) | Oct 25, 1883 | Error creating thumbnail: Clarendon Hall, New York | |
| 2 | Draw | 0–0–1 (1) | Error creating thumbnail: Tom McAlpine | PTS | 4 | Sep 17, 1883 | Error creating thumbnail: Harry Hill's, New York | |
| 1 | NC | 0–0 (1) | Error creating thumbnail: Harry Force | NC | 11 (?) | Sep 3, 1883 | Error creating thumbnail: Coney Island, Brooklyn | Police intervened at Blissville (now part of Long Island City) and fight moved to Coney Island. It was never completed |
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References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Ring Sports Magazine. (Reno, Nevada) April 1994.
- ^ Lenzen, Connie. "Mount Calvary Cemetery; Portland, Oregon", June 1994.
- ^ Tacoma Daily Times, Tacoma, Washington, March 13, 1909.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
[edit | edit source]- Boxing record for Jack Dempsey from BoxRec (registration required) Lua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- Jack 'Nonpareil' Dempsey at Find a GraveLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Look up nonpareil in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Lua error in Module:Authority_control at line 153: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).