I had a famous boxing name.Was considered unbeatable, until sickness took over. Lost my first fight to an alltime great after not losing in first 63 bouts.Became immortalized after death...Who was I ?
Nonpareil Jack Dempsey actually fits, when going by the Ring Record Book. Fleischer did not count the two failures to knock out Billy Baker as defeats. George LaBlanche's 32 round knockout resulted in Dempsey retaining the middleweight title on the grounds that LaBlanche used an illegal pivot punch. That brings the Nonpareil up to 63 fights when he loses the title to Fitz. Burt, I don't know if he's the answer you're looking for, but if not, let's eliminate him so we can further proceed.
D, you are correct...It is John Kelly who became the original Jack Dempsey "the Nonpariel ".Dempsey by all accounts was unbeatable until the early ravages of tuberculosis and a prime Bob Fitzimmons, who took the title from Dempsey in 1891...He is also known by his famous bout with George LaBlanche,when LaBlanche missed a punch and came back with his elbow on Dempseys chin knocking him cold.This illegal blow became known as the "pivot" punch and was banned from boxing thereafter. Dempsey died in 1895 from full scale tuberculosis, and became immortalized, from a famous poem written for him.It's a tear jerker D...b.b.
Perhaps someday, a sequel poem will answer M. J. McMahon's tribute, which assured that the Nonpareil would not remain forgotten after all. "But ages hence shall save The memory of that poor Irish lad That fills poor Dempsey's grave"
D, The full poem is beautiful ! If I could get on a time machine going back to see the prime Nonpareil Jacki Dempsey in action..It would be akin to the Rosetta's stone. The riddle of the calibre of fighters of Dempsey's time and after would be solved...b.b.
The greatest Irish fighter of all time. Just googled the full poem and it's enough to bring tears to your eyes. "Overgrown with firs and lichens, I found Jack Dempsey’s grave. O Fame, why sleeps thy favored son In wilds, in woods, in weeds And shall he ever thus sleep on, Interred his valiant deeds." I guess threads like this answer that question.