Monthly heavyweight rankings from 1882 onwards

Thanks, I seem to be managing about 1 year per month at the moment. At that rate I should reach 1945 in about 4 or 5 years lol.

 

1893 might be finished sooner than expected, as there was very little fighting done in that year by many of the top fighters. It seems that there was a downturn in the money available from boxing compared to other avenues of money making, such as acting.

A complication I have come up against is when to include middleweights who occasionally fight against bigger men. I have made a decision to follow the judgement of Barry Hugman, who defines the middleweights as going up to 166 pounds until 1899, when the light-heavyweight division is established. I am also not including fighters who indicate to the press that they consider themselves middleweights, or who are usually described by the press as middleweights. I am therefore choosing to exclude the Fitzsimmons-Hall fight in 1893, as both men considered themselves middleweights, the fight was billed as a middleweight fight, and the heaviest of them was 167.5 pounds, which is close enough to Hugman's limit. If they were willing to call it a middleweight fight at the time, I'll follow their lead.

Spoilers - I see Hall as joining the heavyweight ranks when he fights Slavin in 1893, and Fitzsimmons as joining when he fights Choynski in 1894.

 

January 1893

January 1893 was a quiet month, with no notable fights to report.

James J Corbett (#2) was interviewed about the challenge of Joe Goddard (#3). He said that Goddard must beat Jackson in order to call himself the real Australian champion. He also stated his wish to fight Charlie Mitchell (#7) and Peter Jackson (#1):

“Goddard must win the championship of his own country before I will recognize him. I am the champion of America and of the world, and I claim the right to say whom I shall meet. I am prepared to fight the champion of England or of Australia. I prefer Charlie Mitchell, acknowledged champion boxer of England and an undefeated man. After his arrival in this country, which will be a very short time, I will allow him a certain period to show that he means business. In case of him failing to do so, Peter Jackson is my next choice. And in case he does not come to the scratch, I will meet any man in the world, barring no color or nationality, the fight to take place next fall.”

No changes to the rankings.

1) Peter Jackson
2) James J Corbett
3) Joe Goddard
4) Frank Slavin
5) Joe Choynski
6) Jake Kilrain
7) Charlie Mitchell
8) George Godfrey
9) Joe McAuliffe
10) Peter Maher

February 1893

6/2/93 Joe Choynski (#5) beat Tommy West on points over 3 rounds.
15/2/93 Frank Childs beat Billy Smith by 12th round KO.

On 23rd February 1893, James J Corbett (#2) accepted the challenge of Peter Jackson (#1), and said he would fight him in July 1894, or in December 1893 if Charlie Mitchell (#7) did not wish to fight.

On 27th February 1893, Charlie Mitchell (#7) deposited his forfeit for his upcoming fight with James J Corbett (#2).

No changes to the rankings.

March 1893

On the 3rd March 1893, “Denver” Edward Smith beat Joe Goddard (#3) by KO in the 18th round. This was a close, hard-fought fight in which both men were knocked down. Goddard was the clear favourite before the fight, and this win did wonders for the reputation of Smith, who had lost to Joe Choynski (#5) in 1892.

1) Peter Jackson
2) James J Corbett
3) Frank Slavin - up by 1
4) Joe Choynski - up by 1
5) Edward Smith - new entry due to win over Goddard
6) Joe Goddard - down by 3 due to loss to Smith
7) Jake Kilrain - down by 1
8) Charlie Mitchell - down by 1
9) George Godfrey - down by 1
10) Joe McAuliffe - down by 1

Peter Maher drops out due to Smith's entry

April 1893

On 1st April 1893, Frank Childs drew with Hank Griffin on points over 20 rounds.

No changes to the rankings.

May 1893

29/5/93, Frank Slavin (#3) fought against middleweight Jim Hall, who had recently lost to Bob Fitzsimmons in a world championship fight at the lower weight. Slavin was a huge favourite, and was expected to easily defeat Hall. According to newspaper reports Slavin looked strange, apparently having a “peculiar dazed expression” from the beginning, and he hardly fought at all. He claimed afterwards that he had no clear memory of anything that had happened after he arrived at the venue. There were claims that he had been drugged or plied with drink, and the fight was considered by some to be a fix. Given the suspicious circumstances around this fight, I have treated this as more of a “draw” than a knockout win, as a sort of middle-ground between a win and a no-contest.

The following day, Charlie Mitchell (#9) and Jim Hall (#8) got into an argument which turned into a physical fight. Mitchell came off best, with Hall knocked down and suffering a cut.

1) Peter Jackson
2) James J Corbett
3) Joe Choynski - up by 1
4) Edward Smith - up by 1
5) Frank Slavin - down by 2 due to loss (fix?)
6) Joe Goddard
7) Jim Hall - new entry due to win over Slavin (fix?)
8) Jake Kilrain - down by 1
9) Charlie Mitchell - down by 1
10) George Godfrey - down by 1

Joe McAuliffe drops out due to Hall's entry.

June 1893

12/6/93 Joe Goddard (#6) beat Willis Kennedy by 2nd round KO.

On 24th June 1893, it was reported that a fight between middleweight Bob Fitzsimmons and Joe Choynski (#3) was close to being agreed.

26/6/93 Peter Maher beat Val Flood by 4th round KO.

1) Peter Jackson
2) James J Corbett
3) Joe Choynski
4) Edward Smith
5) Frank Slavin
6) Joe Goddard
7) Jim Hall
8) Charlie Mitchell - up by 1
9) Jake Kilrain - down by 1 due to inactivity
10) George Godfrey

 

July 1893

4/7/93 “Denver” Edward Smith (#4) drew with Reddy Gallagher over 4 rounds.

On 10th July 1893, it was reported that the manager of Peter Jackson (#1) had deposited $1,000 to bind a match with ’James J Corbett (#2) in November. Jackson was reported to look “wonderfully well”, and said he would sail for America from England as soon as possible.

14/7/93 "Denver" Edward Smith (#4) fought a 4-round exhibition bout with Peter Maher. The two men shared a manager and fought a number of sparring exhibitions while on tour. It was reported that Smith had earned “a place among the top notchers” by beating Joe Goddard.

22/7/93 “Denver” Edward Smith (#4) fought a 4-round exhibition bout with Jim Williams, the champion of Utah.

No changes to the rankings.

August 1893

On 4th August 1893, it was reported that James J Corbett (#2) and Charlie Mitchell (#8) were struggling to agree on which club should host their upcoming fight.

On the 7th August 1893, Peter Maher beat Denis Ike Hayes by KO in the first round.

No changes to the rankings.

September 1893

On 22nd September 1893, Charlie Mitchell (#8) received news from London that his five-month-old son had died. He was quoted as follows:

“I knew it was only a question of hours with the little chap when I left home. Think of it, I left the bedside of my dying baby to make a match with Mr Corbett, and yet the American public think I am not sincere. Rather than lose my child I would willingly sacrifice every farthing in my possession and allow Mr Corbett to remain undisputed the champion of the world. But my presence at the bedside could do no good, and I was better off thousands of miles away, where I could not see the sufferings of the little fellow. All the championships in the world and all the money on the face of the globe would not repay me for the loss of my boy.”

On 24th September, James J Corbett (#2) agreed terms with Charlie Mitchell (#8).

On 26th September 1893, Peter Maher beat Nick Burley by 1st round KO, then beat Tom Johnson by 1st round KO.

On 29th September 1893, Charlie Mitchell (#8) fought an exhibition with Jim Hall (#7), and was reported to be in good shape, some 25 pounds lighter than he had been the previous spring.

No changes to the rankings.

October 1893

18/10/93 Joe McAuliffe drew with Peter Maher over 4 rounds, but it was reported that the referee was “taking instruction from the powers that be”, and that Maher had certainly outpointed McAuliffe.

20/10/93 middleweight champion Bob Fitzsimmons issued a challenge to fight any middleweight in the world, and said he would be willing to fight either Corbett (#2) or Mitchell (#8) should either of them wish to cancel their upcoming fight.

1) Peter Jackson
2) James J Corbett
3) Joe Choynski
4) Edward Smith
5) Frank Slavin
6) Joe Goddard
7) Jim Hall
8) Peter Maher - new entry due to win over McAuliffe
9) Charlie Mitchell - down by 1
10) Jake Kilrain - down by 1

George Godfrey drops out due to Maher's entry.

November 1893

1/11/93 Jim Hall (#7) fought an exhibition with George Godfrey, and Charlie Mitchell (#9) also featured in an exhibition bout. Mitchell said he would stay in America until he had fought Corbett (#2).

8/11/93 40-year-old George Godfrey drew with Steve O’Donnell.


No changes to the rankings.

December 1893

15/12/93 George Godfrey beat Joe Butler on points over 4 rounds.

On 22nd December 1893, it was reported that the proposed fight between James J Corbett (#2) and Charlie Mitchell (#9) was being challenged in the courts, with the Governor of Florida being opposed to fights being held in his state. Mitchell expressed confidence that the fight would take place. A few days later, Corbett and Mitchell were arrested in a “friendly suit” brought by the club hosting the fight, in order to test the laws in Florida around gloved contests. It was hoped that this would result in such fights being deemed legal, and the fight would therefore be able to be held early in 1894.

No changes to the rankings.

1893 Year End Rankings

My rankings at the end of 1893 are therefore as follows:

1) Peter Jackson – Aged 32 - World Coloured Champion and British Empire Champion (drew Corbett in '91, beat Slavin in '92, inactive in '93)
2) James J Corbett – Aged 27 - National Police Gazette World Champion and American Champion (drew Jackson in '91, beat Sullivan in ‘92, inactive in '93)
3) Joe Choynski – Aged 25 - American fighter (beat Smith and Godfrey in '92, unbeaten in '93)
4) "Denver" Edward Smith - Aged 28 - English fighter (lost to Choynski in '92, beat Goddard in '93)
5) Frank Slavin – Aged 31 - Former NPG World Champion (beat Kilrain in '91, lost to Jackson in '92, lost to Hall in '93 (fix?))
6) Joe Goddard – Aged 32 - Australian fighter (beat McAuliffe and Maher in '92, lost to Smith in '93)
7) Jim Hall - Aged 25 - Australian fighter (beat Slavin in '93 (fix?))
8) Peter Maher - Aged 24 - Irish Champion (beat Fallon in '91, lost to Fitz and Goddard in '92, beat McAuliffe in '93)
9) Charlie Mitchell – Aged 32 - English champion (drew Sullivan in '88, beat Mace in '90, scheduled to fight Corbett)
10) Jake Kilrain – Aged 34 - Former NPG World Champion (beat Godfrey and lost to Slavin in '91, inactive in '92 & '93)

I still have Jackson as #1, because both he and Corbett were inactive in the year. As they are so closely matched, any win over a ranked opponent would be enough to swap their positions.

As noted previously, I have included Jim Hall after his fight with Slavin, as he began to be described in the press as a heavyweight after this fight. As an example, an article in December 1893 describing Mitchell's training camp for the Corbett fight stated "Jim Hall and Steve O'Donnell, the Australian Heavyweights, will join Mitchell on Anastasia Island next week". After beating Slavin (Heavy), he beat Pritchard (Middle), had a couple of no-contests with Mitchell (Heavy) and a no-contest with Godfrey (Heavy). Overall, I think it is fair to class him as a Heavyweight at this point.

Bob Fitzsimmons beat Hall in a middleweight fight in March 1893, which was his only notable fight in the year. He still holds the middleweight title at the end of 1893, and although he had previously fought Maher at heavyweight in 1892, he confirmed later that year that he considered himself a middleweight. In October 1893 he challenged any middleweight in the world. Until he signs articles to fight again against a top heavyweight, or confirms his desire to move to the heavyweight division, I will not include him in my rankings.

Both these men were really "Light-Heavyweights", but this division did not exist at the time.

 

I’m here Matt, and I will hopefully find some time this weekend to finalise 1894.

As it stands I think we agree on the top 10, albeit with a slightly different order!

As always, appreciate your contributions.

 

January 1894

1/1/94 New Zealand Champion Harry Laing beat Australian Champion Joe Goddard (#6) by 12th round retirement to win the Australian Heavyweight Title. Goddard was expected to win, but Laing was faster and managed to tire Goddard out so much that he gave in after 12 rounds of the scheduled 20.

On 19th January 1894, it was reported that Harry Laing (#5) had agreed to fight Mick Dooley over 20 rounds.

25/1/94 National Police Gazette World Champion James J Corbett (#2) beat Charlie Mitchell (#10) in the first defence of his title. In an effort to make Corbett forget his technique through anger, Mitchell made insulting remarks to the Champion before the fight began. Despite the referee requesting it, the two men refused to shake hands. Mitchell’s plan apparently worked too well, and Corbett was in such a rage he abandoned his usual cautious approach and was described as “like a cyclone”. After a fairly even first round, Corbett fiercely battered Mitchell over the next 2 rounds, scoring multiple knockdowns, before finally knocking him out in the third.

1) James J Corbett – up by 1 due to win over Mitchell
2) Peter Jackson – down by 1
3) Joe Choynski
4) "Denver" Edward Smith
5) Harry Laing – new entry due to win over Goddard
6) Frank Slavin – down by 1
7) Joe Goddard – down by 2 due to loss
8) Jim Hall – down by 1
9) Peter Maher – down by 1
10) George Godfrey – new entry due to Mitchell’s loss

Charlie Mitchell drops out due to his loss to Corbett.

February 1894

February 1894 was a quiet month, with no notable fights to report.

On 1st February 1894, Charlie Mitchell’s trainer for his fight with Corbett (#1) was interviewed. He stated that Mitchell was once a great man, but like Sullivan has “seen his day”. He commented that he thinks Corbett (#1) is the favourite against Jackson (#2), as he is 25% stronger and better than he was when they fought to a draw.

No changes to the rankings.

March 1894

March 1894 was a quiet month, with no notable fights to report.

On 6th March 1894, it was reported that there was no place in the United States which would permit a fight between James J Corbett (#1) and Peter Jackson (#2). The governor of Florida, who had been forced by the courts to allow the Corbett-Mitchell fight, stated that he intended to outlaw prize fighting. Many other governors also stated that prize fighting would not be allowed in their state.

No changes to the rankings.

April 1894

On 9th April 1894, Peter Jackson (#2) said that as no club in America had offered to host his fight with Corbett, it was unlikely to happen. He said that Corbett (#1) was asking for ludicrous amounts of money to fight in private, and that he was therefore forced to be satisfied with their draw in 1891.

On 11th April 1894, the Champion of Australia and New Zealand Harry Laing (#5) was alighting from a moving train and fell onto the tracks. The wheels of the train went over both his legs, severely injuring them. Upon arrival at the hospital, both his legs were amputated below the knee. Despite initially being awake and in reasonably good spirits the following morning, he took a sudden turn for the worst and died shortly after noon.

The Referee in Sydney reported: “Thus passed away one of the most redoubtable boxers of modern times, for there can be no doubt that, fit and well, Laing was a match for even Peter Jackson, or any other of the present claimants for the fistic championship of the world, a position to which Harry aspired, and had a good chance of reaching had death not suddenly put a stop to his career as an exponent of the manly art of self-defence.”

On 28th April 1894, former World Champion John L Sullivan stated that he believed the Corbett-Jackson fight would take place in England, that being “the only civilized country in which glove contests between champions can be surely pulled off”. He predicted a win for Corbett.

1) James J Corbett
2) Peter Jackson
3) Joe Choynski
4) "Denver" Edward Smith
5) Frank Slavin – up by 1 due to Laing’s death
6) Joe Goddard – up by 1
7) Jim Hall – up by 1
8) Peter Maher – up by 1
9) George Godfrey – up by 1
10) Charlie Mitchell – new entry

Harry Laing is removed from the rankings due to his untimely death

May 1894

28/5/94 Peter Maher (#8) beat George Godfrey (#9) by 6th round KO.

In May 1894, James J Corbett (#1) stated that his next fight would be his last, as he intended to retire from the ring for good.

In advance of his fight against Joe Choynski (#3), I have installed middleweight Champion Bob Fitzsimmons into the heavyweight ranks. He had previously beaten Peter Maher (#5) and Jim Hall (#8), so enters my rankings above them at #5.

1) James J Corbett
2) Peter Jackson
3) Joe Choynski
4) "Denver" Edward Smith
5) Bob Fitzsimmons – new entry as deemed to now be competing at Heavyweight
6) Peter Maher – up by 2 due to win over Godfrey
7) Frank Slavin – down by 1
8) Joe Goddard – down by 1
9) Jim Hall – down by 1
10) George Godfrey – down by 1

Charlie Mitchell drops out due to Fitzsimmons’s entry

June 1894

17/6/94 Joe Choynski (#3) fought middleweight World Champion Bob Fitzsimmons (#5). Fitzsimmons was knocked down in the 3rd round, but recovered and knocked Choynski down 3 times in the 4th. After Fitzsimmons scored a further 2 knockdowns in the 5th round, police intervened and stopped the contest. As no official knockout had occurred, the fight was officially ruled a draw, but Fitzsimmons was clearly the victor.

1) James J Corbett
2) Peter Jackson
3) Bob Fitzsimmons – up by 2 due to win over Choynski
4) Joe Choynski – down by 1 due to loss
5) "Denver" Edward Smith – down by 1
6) Peter Maher
7) Frank Slavin
8) Joe Goddard
9) Jim Hall
10) George Godfrey

 

July 1894

16/7/94 Peter Maher (#6) beat Frank “Coffee Cooler” Craig by 2nd round KO. John L Sullivan described Maher as “the coming champion”.

21/7/94 Peter Maher (#6) beat Joe Butler over 4 rounds by newspaper decision.

On 27th July 1894, Peter Maher (#6) challenged Corbett (#1), Slavin (#7) and Jackson (#2). His manager denied that Corbett was champion of the world, saying that there had been no contest for the championship since Mitchell and Sullivan fought in March 1888.

28/7/94 Peter Maher (#6) beat Pat Cleary on points over 3 rounds.

28/7/94 Bob Fitzsimmons (#3) beat Frank Kellar by 2nd round KO. Kellar was the Heavyweight champion of Michigan, and about 20 pounds heavier than Fitzsimmons.

No changes to the rankings

August 1894

On 3rd August 1894, the Sydney Referee declared Peter Jackson (#2) to be the World Champion, as a result of Corbett (#1) failing to face him in the ring in a championship fight.

On 13th August 1894, a meeting between James J Corbett (#1) and Peter Jackson (#2) ended without a fight being arranged. Jackson insisted he would not fight in the south of the USA, as he feared for his life as a black man. Corbett insisted he would not fight in England, as they would only be allowed to fight a limited number of rounds, and he wished to fight to a finish. The men agreed that if a club in the north of the USA offered a suitable purse for a finish fight, they would fight. The two men clashed over Corbett’s status as champion. Jackson described Corbett as the American Champion, but Corbett insisted he was the World Champion.

15/8/94 Peter Maher (#6) beat Jim Foster by 1st round KO.

On 15th August 1894, it was reported that Bob Fitzsimmons (#3) had challenged Corbett (#1). The New York Times reported that “The consensus of opinion among sporting men is that Corbett will have to accept the offer of Jackson or Fitzsimmons or retire from pugilism.”

No changes to the rankings.

September 1894

On 8th September 1894, it was reported that representatives of James J Corbett (#1) and Peter Jackson (#2) had a meeting with the Sioux City Athletic Club, who propose to host the fight on a sandbar in the Missouri River in order to avoid state rules which outlaw prizefighting. Despite Corbett being keen, it was reported that Jackson had refused to fight in that location, and that he wished to fight within 3 months whereas Corbett wished to delay until May or June 1895. Due to a lack of agreement, no articles were signed and the fight was declared off.

Speaking to the press afterwards, Corbett called Jackson “a cowardly n****r”, and said that he would fight him anywhere in America. As I noted previously when reporting the words of the previous American champion, no such censorship was present in the original article.

On 12th September 1894, it was reported by the Sydney Referee that James J Corbett (#1) had received a great welcome on his visit to Ireland. The newspaper described him as the American champion, and said that by calling himself the World’s champion he was “sailing under false colours”.

15/9/94 Joe Choynski (#4) beat Harry Miller over 3 rounds.
15/9/94 Peter Maher (#6) beat Jack Bonner by 2nd round KO.
17/9/94 Joe Choynski (#4) beat Mike Boden by 3rd round TKO.
19/9/94 Joe Choynski (#4) drew with Bob Armstrong over 6 rounds.

26/9/94 World Middleweight Champion Bob Fitzsimmons (#3) defended his title against Dan Creedon by 2nd round KO. The following day, he challenged James J Corbett (#1). He also commented that he believed Peter Jackson (#2) would beat Corbett if they ever met.

On 27th September 1894, James J Corbett (#1) stated that Bob Fitzsimmons (#3) should first beat Steve O’Donnell in order for him to pay attention to his challenge.

No changes to the rankings.

October 1894

3/10/94 “Denver” Edward Smith (#5) beat Billy Keough by 7th round disqualification.

On 3rd October 1894, Bob Fitzsimmons (#3) stated that he would claim the World Championship by default if Corbett (#1) did not match his $1,000 forfeit within 30 days.

On 4th October 1894, a British newspaper said that Fitzsimmons (#3) could not claim the title until the best boxer in the world – Peter Jackson (#2) – had been defeated.

6/10/94 Peter Maher (#6) beat Peter Courtney over 3 rounds.

On 11th October 1894, James J Corbett (#1) signed articles to fight Bob Fitzsimmons (#3) at the Florida Athletic Club for a purse of $41,000, on a date between July and September 1895 to be selected by the club. “Denver” Edward Smith (#5) commented that he expected Corbett to win, and said he would challenge the winner.

27/10/94 Peter Maher (#6) beat Peter Courtney by 2nd round KO.
22/10/94 Joe Goddard (#8) beat Jim Quigley by 2nd round KO.

No changes to the rankings.

November 1894

On 10th November 1894, Peter Jackson (#2) arrived in England. He said that he had been anxious for a match with Corbett, but that “it seems this will never come about”.

Shortly after his arrival, Frank Slavin (#7) offered to fight Peter Jackson (#2).

No changes to the rankings.

December 1894

6/12/94, Frank Slavin (#7) beat Bob Marshall by 2nd round KO.

On 22nd December 1894, Peter Jackson (#2) was challenged by the coloured middleweight Frank “Coffee Cooler” Craig, who wished to move up to heavyweight. Craig had lost to Peter Maher (#9) in July 1894.

No changes to the rankings.

My rankings at the end of 1894 are therefore as follows:

1) James J Corbett – Aged 28 - National Police Gazette World Champion and American Champion (drew Jackson in '91, beat Sullivan in ‘92, beat Mitchell in '94)
2) Peter Jackson – Aged 34 - World Coloured Champion and British Empire Champion (drew Corbett in '91, beat Slavin in '92, inactive in '93 and ‘94)
3) Bob Fitzsimmons – Aged 31 – World Middleweight Champion and Heavyweight contender (beat Maher in ’92, Hall in ’93, Choynski in ’94)
4) Joe Choynski – Aged 26 - American fighter (beat Smith and Godfrey in '92, lost to Fitz in ‘94)
5) "Denver" Edward Smith - Aged 29 - English fighter (lost to Choynski in '92, beat Goddard in '93, unbeaten in ‘94)
6) Peter Maher – Aged 25 - Irish Champion (lost to Fitz and Goddard in '92, beat McAuliffe in '93, Godfrey in ‘94)
7) Frank Slavin – Aged 32 - Former NPG World Champion (beat Kilrain in '91, lost to Jackson in '92, lost to Hall in '93 (fix?), unbeaten in ‘94)
8) Joe Goddard – Aged 33 - Australian fighter (beat McAuliffe and Maher in '92, lost to Smith in '93 and Laing in ‘94)
9) Jim Hall - Aged 26 - Australian fighter (beat Slavin in '93 (fix?), unbeaten in '94)
10) George Godfrey – Aged 41 – Canadian coloured fighter (beat Lannon and lost to Choynski in '92, lost to Maher in ’94)

Special mention to Harry Laing, who would have featured in this list had it not been for his tragic accident.

 

Thanks Matt. Are you including the Armstrong/Slavin fight in 1895? I know you mentioned before that you couldn’t find a contemporary source to substantiate it.