Was Tommy Ryan Middleweight Champion BEFORE the first Kid McCoy fight

Just discussing it with @Tonto62 and don't want to derail a thread

It seems Ryan made a claim, but Fitz had only just moved to heavyweight, and I think it's more accurate to say it was for the vacant title, than McCoy took Ryan's title.

The Brooklyn Daily Times - 1896-02-26 (page 6)
A short time ago the country at large was without a heavyweight champion and the latter at the time created no little amount of discussion among the general sporting fraternity. That has been all settles, however, but now more trouble arises for the "sport" in regard as to who is the middleweight champion. Some people claim that Fitzsimmons is still the middleweight champion, others take a very much different view of it. There is no telling what amount of gossip this matter will create before it is settled. Fitzsimmons says that he is the heavyweight champion of the world, no one will dispute his right to this title, and that he will never again fight as low as 158 pounds. This move on the part of Bob lets him out of the middleweight divisionm and incidentally is the cause of all the trouble in regards to as to who is the present middleweight champion. There are at least half a dozen aspirants already looking for the much-coveted honor of being called the world's middleweight champion. Tommy Ryan, who is to box "Kid" McCoy in the Empire club Monday night, says that, with Fitzsimmons out of the middleweight class, his is American middleweight champion.
"Have I not defeated all the crack welterweights and light heavyweights," said Ryan, "and why shouldn't I claim the title of champion? I think I have the best right to it of any many in America. I issued a challenge some time ago to meet any 158-pound in the world, barring, of course, Fitzsimmons. Now that the latter has been promoted to a class higher, I think I am the right person to fill the gap made vacant by this change. Should I win from McCoy, and it's hardly necessary for me to say that I am confident that I will, I shall stand ready to meet any middleweight in the world, Dan Creedon preferred."

The Brooklyn Daily Times - 1896-03-03 (page 6)
A CLEVER BOXER.
"Kid" McCoy Gains a Decisive Victory Over Tommy Ryan.
THEY FOUGHT FIFTEEN ROUNDS
AND THEN RYAN HAD TO RELINQUISH THE TITL OF MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION WITH WHICH HE HAD CLOTHED HIMSELF ONE WEEK AGO—M'COY IS A TIPTOPPER—RYAN SEVERELY PUNISHED—HIS OPPONENT CAME OUT OF THE FRAY WITHOUT A MARK

 

IIRC he first claimed the Welter title against Needham, but Mysterious Billy Smith also claimed it a bit before, and then also beat Needham. You generally either see it counted from the Needham fight or the Smith fight, though I'd imagine there's more nuance too it in reality.

Shouldn't be too hard to get a decent idea of what people thought of the claims, and see if any others were relevant

 

Good to see you again.

I get your stance, but there are also some claims that are so weak or not taken seriously they are really worth mentioning. In this case, since it was only a brief period in the lead up to a fight he lost, I don't think it's really worth taking seriously.

Ryan never even had a fight in this period, as it was only from when Fitz beat Maher the second time, on Feb 21st until losing to McCoy on Mar 2nd.

BTW did you know Kid McCoy claimed the heavyweight titile on 1898? Though I don't think anyone took it seriously in the least.

Edit:
The Marion Star - 09 Jul 1898
The Heavyweight Championship.
Fitzsimmons lays claim to the title of heavyweight champion becasue he knocked out Corbett, the acknowledged champion. Corbett thinks he ought to have the alleged honor, as Fitzsimmons refused to accept a challenge, which included thirty odd conditions. McCoy alleges that Fitzsimmons and Corbett are afraid of him, and so argues himself into championship by a course of procedure that convinces no one. Goddard says that as he knocked out Maher he would have a good chance with Fitzsimmons. Maher adds that he is still a member of that bunch, because he knocked out a man who made Corbett show the white feather. Sharkey says that he is the heavyweight champion because he won more victories for the length of time he has fought than any other man. Jeffries says that youth must be served, and that, as he is the youngest man in the group, and has beaten Sharkey, he must be considered.

There are some longer articles, if you look at March of that year, when he made the claim, you can find more. The claim wasn't totally without merit, as he did challenge Corbett and Fitzsimmons
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle., March 10, 1898, Page 4, Image 4
http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lc...asetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1

The sun., March 11, 1898, Page 4, Image 4
http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lc...asetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1