Pre_Ring Magazine Year-end heavyweight ratings 1882-1922

Good catch. Thanks!

 

I'm in here trying to repair my errors (in the 1870's) correctly pointed out by SimonLock. I've also made a poor effort to include the 1860's (top 3 only), since at least an attempt was made to crown a World Champion in 1860.

In this post, I've included Matt Donnellon's 1880-1923 Top 10 ratings, at the end of my top 3 ratings, from 1860-1879.

LATEST EDIT (OF 1860-1869): 06-28-2022, based on SimonLock's suggestions.

1859 No World Championship Fights to here.)
Champion: Vacant
1-Contender: Tom Sayers
2-Contender: John C. Heenan
3-Contender: Tom Paddock

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1860
Champion: Vacant (First Try at a World Champion: John C. Heenan vs. Tom Sayers ended in a 42 Round Draw.)
1-Contender: John C. Heenan
2-Contender: Jem Mace
3-Contender: Sam Hurst

1861
Champion: Vacant
1-Contender: Jem Mace
2-Contender: John C. Heenan
3-Contender: Tom King

1862
Champion: Vacant
1-Contender: Tom King
2-Contender: John C. Heenan
3-Contender: Joe Coburn

1863
Champion: Vacant
1-Contender: Joe Coburn
2-Contender: John C. Heenan
3-Contender: Jem Mace

1864
Champion: Vacant
1-Contender: Joe Coburn
2-Contender: Joe Wormworld
3-Contender: Jem Mace

1865
Champion: Vacant
1-Contender: Jimmy Elliot
2-Contender: Joe Wormworld
3-Contender: Jem Mace
1866
Champion: Vacant
1-Contender: Jem Mace
2-Contender: Mike McCoole
3-Contender: Jimmy Elliot

1867
Champion: Vacant
1-Contender: Jem Mace
2-Contender: Jimmy Elliot
3-Contender: Mike McCoole

1868
Champion: Vacant
1-Contender: Jem Mace
2-Contender: Jimmy Elliot
3-Contender: Mike McCoole

1869
Champion: Vacant
1-Contender: Jem Mace
2-Contender: Tom Allen
3-Contender: Joe Coburn

------------

1870
Champion: Jem Mace
1-Contender: Tom Allen
2-Contender: Joe Coburn
3-Contender: Mike McCoole

1871
Champion: Jem Mace
1-Contender: Tom Allen
2-Contender: Mike McCoole
3-Contender: Joe Coburn

1872 (Jem Mace abandoned title?)
Champion: Tom Allen
1-Contender: Mike McCoole
2-Contender: Joe Goss
3-Contender: Joe Coburn

1873
Champion: Tom Allen
1-Contender: Mike McCoole
2-Contender: Joe Goss
3-Contender: Ben Hogan

1874
Champion: Tom Allen
1-Contender: Joe Goss
2-Contender: Ben Hogan
3-Contender: Larry Foley

1875
Champion: Tom Allen
1-Contender: Joe Goss
2-Contender: Ben Hogan
3-Contender: William Miller

1876
Champion: Joe Goss
1-Contender: Tom Allen
2-Contender: Charles Smith
3-Contender: Jack Knifton

1877
Champion: Joe Goss
1-Contender: Tom Allen
2-Contender: Jack Knifton
3-Contender: Charles Smith

1878
Champion: Joe Goss
1-Contender: Tom Allen
2-Contender: Morris Grant
3-Contender: Jack Knifton

1879
Champion: Joe Goss
1-Contender: Tom Allen
2-Contender: Morris Grant
3-Contender: Paddy Ryan

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Matt Donnellon's Ratings from 1880-1923:

1880
1-Dwyer
2-Miller
3-Ryan
4-Sullivan
5-Hadley
6-Goss
7-Foley
8-Godfrey
9-Elliott
10-Knifton

1881
1-Sullivan
2-Ryan
3-Miller
4-Hadley
5-Farnan
6-Dalton
7-CC Smith
8-Godfrey
9-Donaldson
10-McDonald

1882
1-Sullivan
2-Hadley
3-Godfrey
4-Kilrain
5-C C Smith
6-Grant
7-Mitchell
8-Cleary
9-McCaffrey
10-Eliott

1883
1-Sullivan
2-Mitchell
3-Godfrey
4-Kilrain
5-Miller
6-Cleary
7-Greenfield
8-Hadley
9-Woodson
10-McHenry Johnson

1884
1-Sullivan
2-McCaffrey
3-Kilrain
4-Burke
5-Mitchell
6-Farnan
7-Cleary
8-Godfrey
9-Cardiff
10-Thompson

1885
1-Sullivan
2-McCaffrey
3-Burke
4-Mitchell
5-Kilrain
6-Cleary
7-Cardiff
8-Killen
9-Godfrey
10-Lees

1886
1-Sullivan
2-Kilrain
3-Cardiff
4-Mitchell
5-Burke
6-McCaffrey
7-Killen
8-Godfrey
9-Lannon
10-Cleary

1887
1-Sullivan
2-Kilrain
3-Cardiff
4-Killen
5-Mitchell
6-Burke
7-Ashton
8-Godfrey
8-Jackson
10-McAuliffe



1888
1-Sullivan
2-Jackson
3-Killeen
4-Kilrain
5-Cardiff
6-Godfrey
7-Burke
8-Slavin
9-McAuliffe
10-Ashton

1889
1-Jackson
2-Sullivan
3-McAuliffe
4-Godfrey
5-Slavin
6-Killen
7-Cardiff
8-Kilrain
9-Ashton
10-Goddard

1890
1-Jackson
2-Slavin
3-Goddard
4-Godfrey
5-Corbett
6-McAuliffe
7-Kilrain
8-Choynski
9-Killen
10-Laing

1891
1-Jackson
2-Corbett
3-Slavin
4-Goddard
5-Kilrain
6-Godfrey
7-McAuliffe
8-Choynski
9-Laing
10-Maher

1892
Champion Corbett
2. Jackson
3. Goddard
4. Slavin
5. Choynski
6. Fitzsimmons
7. Hall
8. Godfrey
9. McAuliffe
10. Kilrain


1893
Champion Corbett
2. Jackson
3. Fitzsimmons
4. Denver Smith
5. Hall
6. Goddard
7. Slavin
8. Choynski
9. McAuliffe
10. Godfrey

1894
Champion Corbett
2. Jackson
3. Fitzsimmons
4. Smith
5. Choynski
6. Maher
7. Goddard
8. Hall
9. Slavin
10. Godfrey

1895
Champion Maher
2. Fitzsimmons
3. Jackson
4. Slavin
5. Smith
6. Choynski
7. Felix
8. Hall
9. Creedon
10. O’Donnell

1896
Champion Corbett
2. Fitzsimmons
3. Maher
4 Choynski
5. Sharkey
6. Armstrong
7. Creedon
8. Goddard
9. Ruhlin
10. O’Donnell


1897
Champion Fitzsimmons
2. Maher
3. Sharkey
4. Choynski
5. Childs
6. Corbett
7. Ruhlin
8. Jeffries
9. O’Donnell
10. Armstrong

1898
Champion Fitzsimmons
2. Jeffries
3. Sharkey
4. Maher
5. Corbett
6. McCoy
7. Ruhlin
8. Childs
9. Armstrong
10. Choynski

1899
Champion Jeffries
2. Sharkey
3. Fitxsimmons
4. Maher
5. McCoy
6. Corbett
7. Kennedy
8. Ruhlin
9. Childs
10. Martin


1900
Champion Jeffries
2 Fitzsimmons
3 Corbett
4 McCoy
5 Ruhlin
6 Sharkey
7 Childs
8 Maher
9 Kennedy
10 Martin

1901
Champion Jeffries
2 Ruhlin
3 McCoy
4 Childs
5 Sharkey
6 Root
7 Martin
8 Maher
9 Griffin
10 Gardner

1902
Champion Jeffries
2 Fitzsimmons
3 Ruhlin
4 Martin
5 Johnson
6 Gardner
7 O’Brien
8 Root
9 Hart
10 Carter

1903
Champion Jeffries
2 Fitzsimmons
3 Johnson
4 Ruhlin
5 Gardner
6 Root
7 Hart
8 O’Brien
9 Armstrong
10 McVey

1904
Champion Jeffries
2 Johnson
3 Hart
4 Root
5 O’Brien
6 Gardner
7 Ruhlin
8 Ferguson
9 Martin
10 McVey

1905
Champion Hart
2 Johnson
3 O’Brien
4 Jeanette
5 Root
6 Fitzsimmons
7 Ruhlin
8 Kaufman
9 J Twin Sullivan
10 Schreck

1906
Champion Burns
2 Johnson
3 O’Brien
4 Langford
5 Jeanette
6 McVey
7 Kaufman
8 Schreck
9 Hart
10 Ruhlin

1907
Champion Burns
2 Johnson
3 Kaufman
4 Langford
5 Jeanette
6 McVey
7 O’Brien
8 Schreck
9 Jim Flynn
10 Sullivan

1908
Champion Johnson
2 Langford
3 Kaufman
4 Burns
5 Jeanette
6 McVey
7 O’Brien
8 Hart
9 Ross
10 Schreck

1909
Champion Johnson
2 Langford
3 Jeanette
4 McVey
5 Kaufman
6 Ketchell
7 O’Brien
8 Ferguson
9 Lang
10 Schreck

1910
Champion Johnson
2 Langford
3 Jeanette
4 McVey
5 Kaufman
6 Burns
7 Lang
8 Jim Flynn
9 Dan Flynn
10 Curran

1911
champion Johnson
2 McVey
3 Langford
4 Jeanette
5 Wells
6 Jim Flynn
7 Al Palzar
8 Carl Morris
9 Dan Flynn
10 Clarke

1912
Champion Johnson
2 Langford
3 Jeanette
4 McVey
5 Gunboat Smith
6 Willard
7 Ross
8 Mc Carthy
9 Jim Flynn
10 Palzar

1913
Champion Johnson
2 Smith
3 Langford
4 Jeanette
5 McVey
6 Jim Johnson
7 Pelkey
8 Willard
9 Moran
10 Carpentier

1914
Champion Johnson
2 Langford
3 Jeanette
4 McVey
5 Carpentier
6 Clarke
7 Dillon
8 Wills
9 Levinsky
10 Coffey

1915
Champion Willard
2 Johnson
3 Moran
4 Dillon
5 Wills
6 McVey
7 Jeanette
8 coffey
9 Langford
10 Morris

1916
CHAMPION Willard
2 Wills
3 Miske
4 Dillon
5 Morris
6 Levinsky
7 Moran
8 Weinert
9 McVey
10 Jeanette

1917
Champion Willard
2 Wills
3 Fulton
4 Langford
5 Norfolk
6 Miske
7 Greb
8 Dempsey
9 Jeanette
10 Gibbons

1918
Champion Willard
2 Wills
3 Dempsey
4 Fulton
5 Gibbons
6 Greb
7 Miske
8 Meehan
9 Madden
10 Jeanette

1919
Champion Dempsey
2 Wills
3 Fulton
4 Greb
5 Gibbons
6 Carpentier
7 Miske
8 Johnson
9 Norfolk
10 Brennan

1920
Champion Dempsey
2 Wills
3 Fulton
4 Greb
5 Gibbons
6 Carpentier
7 Miske
8 Norfolk
9 Tunney
10 Weinert

1921
Champion Dempsey
2 Wills
3 Fulton
4 Gibbons
5 Greb
6 Carpentier
7 Miske
8 Tunney
9 Beckett
10 Brennan

1922
Champion Dempsey
2 Wills
3 Greb
4 Gibbons
5 Miske
6 Tunney
7 F.Johnson
8 Brennan
9 Beckett
10 Carpentier

1923
Champion Dempsey
2 Wills
3 Firpo
4 Tunney
5 Carpentier
6 Miske
7 Gibbons
8 Greb
9 Renault
10 F.Johnson

 

Thanks for doing this, it’s very interesting.

A few points if you decide to do a third version:

1859 - Morrissey had retired by the end of the year, and Heenan claimed his American title. Maybe include Tom Paddock?

1860 - Sayers retired on 20th May 1860. I would include Sam Hurst, the English champion.

1863 - King retired in Dec 1863, following his win over Heenan. I would include Mace

1864 - Elliott was in prison from May 1863 to June 1865

1865 - Coburn retired in 1865. I would include Mace

1866 - Coburn still retired, not sure Elliott had fought after leaving prison. I would include McCoole the American champion.

 

As I mentioned in the intro, it's a poor attempt at the 1860's. It needs a lot of work, just to reveal a sensible top 3, year by year, in that decade. Those are all GREAT points you made, and I'll surely look into every one of those!

 

Great stuff thank you, it must have been a lot of work!I think its interesting that you have Johnson making his first appearance in the ratings at no5 in1902 after that he climbs higher each year.
1903 no 3
1904 no 2
1905 no 2
1906 no 2
1907 no 2
Four years as the standout challenger, that's a long time to be waiting for your title shot.
Many wring their hands about Wills being the premier challenger for so long,and of course he never did get his chance,but Johnson was 30 when the younger Burns finally defended against him. Theoretically Johnson could have been champ in1905 / 6.

 

As I see it, Johnson entered the top 10 when he beat Joe Kennedy in March 1902. He reached #5 by the end of 1902, and beat Ed Martin and Sam McVea in Feb 1903 to reach #2 behind Jeffries.

He beat McVea again in 1903 and 1904, and Martin again in 1904, but didn’t fight any other top contenders. This was enough to keep him at #2 until Mar 1905, when he lost to Marvin Hart and dropped to #4.

In May 1905 he rose to #3 when Jeffries retired, behind Hart and Fitzsimmons.

He lost to Jennette in Nov 1905, dropping him to #4, and avenged this the following month putting him back at #3.

O’Brien beat Fitzsimmons later in Dec 1905, so Johnson was #3 behind Hart and O’Brien.

He beat Jennette again in Jan 1906, staying at #3.

In Feb 1906, Burns beat Hart, pushing Johnson down to #4 behind O’Brien, Burns and Hart.

He beat Jennette again in Mar 1906, and stayed at #4.

In April 1906 he beat Langford, and in May 1906 Hart lost to Schreck, meaning Johnson rose to #3 behind Burns and O’Brien.

He beat Jennette again in Sep 1906, staying at #3, then drew with him in Nov 1906.

In Jul 1907 he beat Fitzsimmons, which was enough to push him up to #2 behind Burns. He would stay there until Dec 1908 when he won the title.

In total then, in my opinion, he was #2 from Feb 1903 to Mar 1905 behind Jeffries (2 years 1 month), then from Jul 1907 to Dec 1908 behind Burns (1 year 5 months).

 

Just for Clarity: I had NOTHING to do with MATT DONNELLON'S top 10 Ratings from 1880-1923. That was an amazing effort on Matt's part! Mr. Donnellon's ratings fit in perfectly with the Ring's Ratings from 1924-2022. It makes the Glove era's top 10 ratings complete. I've seen nothing better than Matt's ratings for the early glove years.

I'm simply playing around, attempting to get a top 3 ratings going, from 1860-1879, which is really Bare Knuckle ratings for the most part. I chose 1860 to start because a real attempt to crown a World Champion was made in that year, for I believe the first time. Simon Lock's suggestions to me in that have been invaluable! He seems to know the 1860-1879 era much better than I do.

I've saved Matt Donnellon's Rating's on my Computer, along with a hard copy, attached to The Ring's Ratings. They're both great World Class Boxer lists, year by year, for reference. When I get mine into a sensible order, I'll add them to my list. My goal is to assemble lists of Lineal Champions and Lineal Champion Caliber fighters from each decade, 1860's through current.