Nonpareil Dempsey

“Nonpareil”

Boxing · Deceased

51-3-11 (3 NC)RECORD

24WINS BY KO / TKO

27WINS BY DECISION

68PRO FIGHTS

Profile

Full name	John Edward Kelly
Nickname	Nonpareil
Date of birth	15 Dec 1862
Died	1 Nov 1895
Nationality	Irish-American
Birthplace	Curragh, Ireland
Based in	Not added yet
Weight classes	Middleweight, Lightweight
Trainers	Not added yet
Height	173 cm (5′8″)
Reach	Not added yet
Stance	Orthodox
Years active	1883–1895
Status	Deceased
Last fight	Draw vs Billy McCarthy, 5 Sep 1895

Details on this page were compiled from public information on 11 Oct 2026. The fight history below may be incomplete. Is this you? Claim this profile to correct anything and add your photo and bio. Claim this profile

Titles and honours

World middleweight champion (1884–1891)

Background

John Edward Kelly, known as Nonpareil Jack Dempsey, was an Irish-born American boxer and the first world middleweight champion. He lost the title to Bob Fitzsimmons in 1891 and died in Portland, Oregon, in 1895.

Fight history

69 fights on file. More fights can be added when this profile is claimed.

Result	Opponent	Method	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Draw	Billy McCarthy	Decision (points)	20	5 Sep 1895	New Orleans, Louisiana, US	Date as listed on Wikipedia (out of sequence in its table)
Loss	Tommy Ryan	TKO	3	18 Jan 1895	Coney Island, New York, US
Win	Billy Keough	Decision (points)	4	28 Feb 1893	Portland, Oregon, US
Loss	Bob Fitzsimmons	TKO (corner retirement)	13	14 Jan 1891	San Francisco, California, US	Lost world middleweight title
Win	Billy McCarthy	TKO	28	18 Feb 1890	San Francisco, California, US	Retained world middleweight title
Loss	George LaBlanche	KO	32	27 Aug 1889	San Francisco, California, US
Win	Mike Dempsey	KO	7	22 Aug 1889	San Francisco, California, US
Draw	Mike Donovan	Decision (points)	6	15 Nov 1888	Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, US
Win	James Stevens	Decision (points)	4	23 Apr 1888	Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, US
Win	Billy Baker	Decision (points)	10	18 Feb 1888	Buffalo, New York, US
Win	Dominick McCaffrey	Decision (points)	10	31 Jan 1888	Jersey City, New Jersey, US
Win	John Reagan	TKO	45	13 Dec 1887	Long Island, New York, US
Win	Bill Gabig	Decision (points)	4	5 Nov 1887	Wilmington, US
Win	Denny Kelliher	Decision (points)	4	3 Nov 1887	Wilmington, US
Win	Frank Bosworth	Decision (points)	4	1 Nov 1887	Wilmington, US
Win	Ned McCann	Decision (points)	4	31 Oct 1887	Wilmington, US
Win	Billy Dacey	Decision (points)	4	15 Oct 1887	Hoboken, New Jersey, US
Win	Jim McHugh	Decision (points)	4	13 Oct 1887	Hoboken, New Jersey, US
Win	Eddie Reede	Decision (points)	6	10 Oct 1887	Hoboken, New Jersey, US
Draw	Reddy Gallagher	Decision (points)	6	2 May 1887	Cleveland, Ohio, US
No contest	Billy Baker	Newspaper decision	4	9 Apr 1887	Buffalo, New York, US	Newspaper decision
Win	Denny Killen	Decision (points)	4	5 Feb 1887	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Win	Jack Langdon	Decision (points)	4	2 Feb 1887	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Win	Mike Boded	Decision (points)	10	31 Jan 1887	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Draw	Jack Burke	Decision (points)	10	22 Nov 1886	San Francisco, California, US
Win	Ed Moehler	Decision (points)	4	25 May 1886	Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
Win	Paddy Norton	TKO	4	20 May 1886	Saint Paul, Minnesota, US
Win	Jimmy Ryan	Decision (points)	4	30 Apr 1886	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Win	Charle McCarthy	Decision (points)	4	28 Apr 1886	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Win	Ned McCann	KO	4	26 Apr 1886	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Win	George LaBlanche	TKO	13	14 Mar 1886	Larchmont, New York, US	Won inaugural world middleweight title
Win	Pete McCoy	Decision (points)	6	24 Feb 1886	Jersey City, New Jersey, US
Win	Jack Fogarty	TKO	27	2 Feb 1886	New York, US
Win	Jim Murray	Decision (points)	4	15 Jan 1886	New York, US
Win	Tom Henry	Decision (points)	4	15 Jan 1886	New York, US
No contest	Mike Donovan	No contest	4	15 Jan 1886	New York, US	Possibly an exhibition
Win	Tom Berry	TKO	6	14 Dec 1885	Portland, US
Win	Dave Campbell	KO	3	2 Nov 1885	Portland, US
Win	Tom Norton	TKO	4	12 Sep 1885	Sacramento, California, US
Win	Young Billy Manning	TKO	8	29 Aug 1885	Los Angeles, California, US
Win	Jack Keenan	KO	2	20 Jul 1885	San Francisco, California, US
Win	Jim Carr	KO	9	5 Jun 1885	San Francisco, California, US
Win	Tommy Cleary	KO	5	11 May 1885	San Francisco, California, US
Win	Tom Barry	KO	5	4 May 1885	San Francisco, California, US
Win	Charles Bixamos	KO	5	19 Mar 1885	New Orleans, Louisiana, US
Win	Jim Fell	Decision (points)	4	22 Jan 1885	New York, US
Draw	Bill Frazier	Decision (points)	4	12 Jan 1885	New York, US
Win	Jimmy Ryan	TKO	4	12 Jan 1885	New York, US
Win	George Wilson	Newspaper decision	4	15 Dec 1884	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US	Newspaper decision (not counted in official record)
Win	Mike Malone	TKO	2	30 Nov 1884	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Win	Bill Frazier	TKO	5	20 Nov 1884	New York, US
Win	Tom Ferguson	Decision (points)	4	6 Nov 1884	New York, US
Win	Tom Henry	Decision (points)	6	24 Oct 1884	New York, US
Win	Bob Turnbull	Decision (points)	8	8 Oct 1884	New York, US
Draw	Jimmy Ryan	Decision (points)	7	15 Sep 1884	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Win	Mike Dempsey	KO	7	4 Sep 1884	Rockaway, New York, US
Win	George Fulljames	TKO	21	30 Jul 1884	Staten Island, New York, US	Claimed world middleweight title
Draw	Tom Henry	Decision (points)	4	8 Jul 1884	Rockaway Beach, Queens, New York, US
Draw	Jack Hayes	Decision (points)	6	25 Apr 1884	New York, US
Win	Bill Dacey	TKO	9	6 Mar 1884	Coney Island, New York, US	Won vacant New York lightweight title
Win	Tommy Sullivan	Decision (points)	2	4 Mar 1884	New York, US
Win	Joe Hennesey	Decision (points)	4	2 Mar 1884	New York, US
Win	Jim Barry	TKO	3	28 Feb 1884	New York, US
Win	Jim Fell	Decision (points)	2	14 Feb 1884	New York, US
Draw	Joe Heiser	Decision (points)	8	10 Feb 1884	Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, US
Win	William Mahoney	KO	3	15 Jan 1884	New York, US
Draw	Bob Turnbull	Decision (points)	7	25 Oct 1883	New York, US
Draw	Tom McAlpine	Decision (points)	4	17 Sep 1883	New York, US
No contest	Harry Force	No contest	11	3 Sep 1883	Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York, US	Pro debut; Police intervened

Record source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).