Real name John Edward Kelly Stance Orthodox Height 1.73 m Draws 11 Nationality Irish Role Boxer Total fights 67 | Rated at Middleweight Name Nonpareil Dempsey Division Middleweight Nickname(s) Nonpareil Wins 51 Martial art Boxing | |
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Born December 15, 1862
Curran, County Kildare, Ireland ( 1862-12-15 ) Died November 2, 1895, Portland, Oregon, United States | ||
John Edward Kelly (December 15, 1862 – November 1, 1895) was an Irish-born American boxer, better known as Jack "Nonpareil" Dempsey who was the first holder of the World Middleweight Championship. He was nicknamed "Nonpareil" because of his reputation of being unbeatable.
Biography
Dempsey was born on December 15, 1862 in Curran, County Kildare, Ireland.
In Dempsey's first 65 contests, he lost only 3 times (to George LaBlanche (a loss he avenged) and to Billy Baker twice (both bouts were fixed to have Baker win)). This ended when Bob Fitzsimmons pummelled him around the ring and begged him to concede before he was hurt any more. Dempsey, the reigning champion, would not give up; the fight continued and Fitzsimmons knocked him out in round 13. In his final bout, Dempsey, suffering from tuberculosis, lost to Tommy Ryan.
Though Dempsey beat his first battle with tuberculosis, he died at the Portland, Oregon home of his wife's parents on November 1, 1895 at 32 due to a recurrence of the disease. He was buried in an unmarked grave at Mount Calvary Cemetery. M. James Brady, Dempsey's father-in-law, refused to permit former World Champion John L. Sullivan and John S. Barnes to raise funds to erect a monument over Dempsey's grave. The family believed that the four-foot marble shaft was a sufficient memorial. The matter was thus dropped.
Dempsey was inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954, and into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992.