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Part !V-Welterweights Through 1905
The Welterweight division has had alot of action in the early years, as indicated by the following stats:
53 World Title Bouts
Title Changed Hands 20 Times
11 different Title Holders
Title Lineage (number of successful defenses in parens):
1886 - 1887 Paddy Duffy (1)
1887 - 1889 William McMillan (2)
1889 - Paddy Duffy (0)
1889 - 1890 Tommy Ryan (2)
1890 - Tom Meadows (0)
1890 - 1892 Tommy Ryan (3)
1892 - 1893 Mysterious Billy Smith (1)
1893 - 1896 Tommy Ryan (9) - Ryan vacated Title to move up to MW
1897 - Mysterious Billy Smith (1)
1897 - 1898 Joe Walcott (2)
1898 - 1899 Matty Matthews (0)
1899 - 1900 Young Peter Jackson (1)
1900 - Mysterious Billy Smith (0)
1900 - 1901 Joe Walcott (1)
1901 - 1902 Young Peter Jackson (3)
1902 - Rube Ferns (0)
1902 - 1903 Young Peter Jackson (2)
1903 - Joe Walcott (0)
1903 - 1904 Jimmy Gardner (2)
1904 - 1905 Joe Walcott (2)
1905 - Dixie Kid (1)
Just about everyone who held the WW title IRL took the belt at one time or another, albeit briefly. Ryan compiled a 40-3 mark before outgrowing the division and moving up to successfully challenge for the Middleweight crown. Walcott's chances for an impressive run of successful defenses were hurt by a propensity for fouling, costing him the title on two occasions (versus Matthews in 1898 and Gardner in 1903). Joe Gans, long-time Lightweight champ, has moved up to add even more competition to the division in 1906.
Jan 1906 Top Ten Rankings
WBA Champ Dixie Kid (USA) 23-4-1 (13)
1. Mysterious Billy Smith 46-13 (35)
2. Johnny Summers 16-3-1 (10)
3. Joe Walcott 50-14-2 (20)
4. Young Joseph 16-1 (7)
5. Honey Mellody 19-5 (7)
6. Jimmy Gardner 17-3-1 (10)
7. Willie Lewis 19-6 (15)
8. Young Peter Jackson 33-6-2 (25)
9. Mike Sullivan 20-6 (12)
10. Battling Bill Hurley 17-4 (8)
Lesser Titles
NABF and CBU: Smith (CAN)
GBU: Summers (UK)
USBA: Rube Ferns (USA) 31-13 (25) currently ranked 12th
Everyone with at least 20 bouts in the Top Ten is still in Prime career stage. So far there have been four retirements:
Paddy Duffy (USA) 1884-1897 43-12 (25) WBA Champ
Tom Meadows (AUS) 1886-1899 34-19 (25) WBA Champ
Charley White (USA) 1886-1899 28-19 (18) No Titles
William McMillan (UK) 1885-1901 45-11 (30) WBA Champ
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