Nonpareil Dempsey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nonpareil Jack Dempsey |
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | John Edward Kelly |
| Rated at | Middleweight |
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | December 15, 1862 Curran, County Kildare, Ireland, U.K. |
| Died | November 1, 1895 (aged 32) Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 67 |
| Wins | 51 |
| Wins by KO | 23 |
| Losses | 4 |
| Draws | 11 |
| No contests | 1 |
John Edward Kelly (born December 15, 1862 – died November 1, 1895) was an Irish-born American boxer. He was famously known as Nonpareil Jack Dempsey. He was the very first boxer to hold the World Middleweight Championship, a title he held from 1884 to 1891. People called him "Nonpareil" because it meant he was thought to be unbeatable!
The "Nonpareil" Boxer
John Edward Kelly was born in Curran, County Kildare, Ireland. He became a boxing champion on July 30, 1884. He won the middleweight title by beating George Fulljames in Great Kills, Staten Island, New York. Jack Dempsey kept his title for more than six years. During this time, he successfully defended it against two other strong fighters.
Jack Dempsey had an amazing start to his boxing career. In his first 65 fights, he only lost three times. He lost once to George LaBlanche, but he later won a rematch against him. He also lost twice to Billy Baker, but these fights were arranged for Baker to win.
His incredible winning streak ended when he fought Bob Fitzsimmons. Fitzsimmons was a very strong boxer. He hit Dempsey hard and even asked him to stop the fight so he wouldn't get hurt more. But Dempsey, being the champion, refused to give up. The fight continued, and Fitzsimmons eventually knocked him out in the 13th round.
In his very last fight, Dempsey was not well. He was suffering from tuberculosis, a serious illness. He lost this final match to Tommy Ryan.
Later Life and Legacy
Even though Jack Dempsey had fought off tuberculosis once, the illness came back. He sadly passed away at the age of 32. He died on November 1, 1895, at his wife's parents' home in Portland, Oregon. He was buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery (Portland, Oregon).
Jack Dempsey's boxing achievements were remembered long after his death. He was honored by being inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954. Later, in 1992, he was also welcomed into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. These honors show how important and skilled he was as a boxer.
Boxing Career Highlights
Jack Dempsey had an impressive professional boxing record.
| 68 fights | 50 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 23 | 3 |
| By decision | 27 | 0 |
| Draws | 11 | |
| No contests | 3 | |
| Newspaper decisions/draws | 1 | |
It's important to know that some old boxing matches had "no decision" results. This means neither boxer officially won or lost. These fights do not count as part of their official fight record.
