Young Mitchell
(Jonathan L. Herget)
BORN January 30 1868; San Francisco, California
(Some sources report 1867)DIED 1945; San Francisco, California HEIGHT 5-6 1/4 (Some sources report 5-6 3/4) WEIGHT 125-154 lbs
Mitchell was a good boxer who was quick and carried a stiff punch; He was also game and durable; He was called "Young Mitchell" because his style of fighting was similar to that of Charlie Mitchell; He was one of only nine men to retire unbeaten over his entire career; The others were Jack McAuliffe, Jimmy Barry, Rocky Marciano, Laszlo Papp, Terry Marsh, Ji Won Kim, Ricardo Lopez and Sven Ottke
His first important battle was with Jack Campbell, at Harry Maynard's, for the Featherweight Championship of the Pacific Coast; Mitchell won in ten rounds
Mitchell never lost a fight from 1884 to 1893; During his life, he became an intimate friend of "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey
Mitchell was a retired employee of the city of San Francisco and living there when he celebrated his 75th birthday in 19431884 Jun 7 Jack Campbell San Francisco, Ca EX 4 Jun 14 Jack Campbell San Francisco, Ca WF 10 -Featherweight Championship of the Pacific Coast Jun 20 Jack Campbell San Francisco, Ca EX 3 Jul 12 Tom Carroll San Francisco, Ca KO 4 Jul 27 Jack Campbell Berkeley, Ca EX 3 Aug Jim Johnson San Francisco, Ca KO 3 Jack Campbell D 8 Sep Charles Kohler San Francisco, Ca KO 1 Oct 24 Frank Frayne San Francisco, Ca KO 3 Nov 17 Jack Campbell San Francisco, Ca EX 4 Dec 16 Jack Campbell San Francisco, Ca EX 4 Dec 30 Jack Campbell San Francisco, Ca EX 4 1885 Jan 21 Jack Campbell San Francisco, Ca EX 4 Jan 26 Jack Campbell San Francisco, Ca EX 4 Jan 30 Jack Campbell San Francisco, Ca EX 4 Feb 14 Jack Campbell San Francisco, Ca EX 4 Mar 10 Jim Boyd San Francisco, Ca KO 4 Mar 13 Jack Campbell San Francisco, Ca EX 4 Apr 3 Jim Carr San Francisco, Ca EX 4 Apr 22 Pete O'Brien San Francisco, Ca KO 8 May 29 Robert "Cocky" Turnbull San Francisco, Ca KO 7 Jun 22 Jack Keenan San Francisco, Ca KO 35 -Featherweight Championship of the United States; Featherweight Championship of the Pacific Coast; Some sources report 7/22/85 Nov 29 Billy Hamilton San Rafael, Ca SCH -This bout was scheduled but postponed; Police intervened Nov 30 Billy Hamilton Berkeley, Ca KO 11 -Police intervened; Some sources report "ND 11" Dec 1 Billy Hamilton Alviso, Ca KO 23 1886 Mar 13 Billy Hamilton Berkeley, Ca KO 9 Sep 10 Tom Cleary San Francisco, Ca KO 7 1887 Jan 23 Martin "Buffalo" Costello Honolulu, Oahu, Hi EX 4 Jan 31 Dago Frank on board the ship, Alameda KO 4 Mar 14 "Torpedo" Billy Murphy Sydney, NSW, Aus KO 5 -Some sources report "KO 4" on 3/18/87 Apr 12 Jack Hall Sydney, NSW, Aus D 47 -Lightweight Championship of Australia; A "draw" was agreed upon after 47 rounds May 24 Jack Malloy Sydney, NSW, Aus D 36 Jun Sam Jones Newcastle, NSW, Aus KO 3 Jun Bill Powell Wallsend, NSW, Aus KO 3 Jul 4 Martin "Buffalo" Costello Ballarat, Vic, Aus EX 6 Sep 3 Peter Boland Albury, NSW, Aus D 40 -Some sources report 8/07/87; Some sources report "D 4"; The men fought in a blinding rain storm Sep 24 Peter Boland Melbourne, Vic, Aus ND 6 -Some sources report 8/27/87 and "D 6" Oct 15 Peter Boland Melbourne, Vic, Aus ND 6 -Some sources report "KO 4" Nov 7 Barney Donovan Auckland, NZ KO 4 -Some sources report "ND 4" 1888 Jun 28 Tom Cleary San Francisco, Ca KO 30 Jun 29 J.W. Geogan San Francisco, Ca EX 4 Jul 28 Tom Cleary San Francisco, Ca EX 4 Dec 5 Paddy Gorman San Francisco, Ca KO 27 -Welterweight Championship of the Pacific Coast Dec 22 Billy Shannon San Francisco, Ca EX 4 1889 Feb 9 Billy Shannon San Francisco, Ca EX 4 Mar 13 Sailor Brown San Francisco, Ca KO 21 -Middleweight Championship of the Pacific Coast Mar -Mitchell and Walter Watson opened the "Sportsman's Point" in San Francisco; A saloon in which they performed boxing instruction Mar George LaBlanche San Francisco, Ca SCH -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known May 27 Denny Kelliher Cambridge, Ma ND 4 May 31 -Mitchell seconded Jack Havlin vs Frank Griffin at Boston, Ma Jul 15 Billy Shannon San Francisco, Ca EX 4 Oct 29 Johnny Reagan San Francisco, Ca SCH -This bout was scheduled but not held; Reagan was ill Nov 7 -Mitchell announced he wanted to fight "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey; Dempsey taught Mitchell much of what he knew; They had been great friends 1890 Tom Gleason San Francisco, Ca D Aug John "Jack" Burke Seattle, Wa KO 3 Aug Dan Murphy Seattle, Wa KO 3 Aug Billy West Tacoma, Wa KO 3 1891 Feb 20 George LaBlanche San Francisco, Ca KO 12 -This fight was determined to be a fake; The purse was withheld; Prior to the bout, LaBlanche wrote to a friend to bet on Mitchell; No evidence was found against Mitchell Sep 23 Stephan "Reddy" Gallagher San Francisco, Ca KO 13 Oct 16 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey San Francisco, Ca EX 4 Nov 9 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey Portland, Or EX 6 -This bout was held during Nov 9-12 1891 Nov Jim O'Brien Portland, Or KO 3 Nov 16 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey Brooklyn, NY EX Nov 16 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey Brooklyn, NY EX -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date Nov 18 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey Brooklyn, NY SCH Nov 19 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey Brooklyn, NY SCH -The previous 2 bouts were scheduled but not held; Dempsey was ill Nov 19 "Brooklyn" Jimmy Carroll Brooklyn, NY SCH -Mitchell was scheduled to meet Carroll during Nov 19-21 since Dempsey was ill; The outcomes are not known Dec Billy Dacey Brooklyn, NY KO 2 Dec Tom Leary Brooklyn, NY KO 4 Dec "Brooklyn" Jimmy Carroll Brooklyn, NY EX 4 Dec Charlie Norton New York, NY TK 1 -Some sources report "Newark, NJ"; Some sources report "W 1" Dec Ed Fitzgerald Newark, NJ KO 3 Dec Jack McGinn Newark, NJ KO 3 Dec Fred Woods Philadelphia, Pa W 1 -Some sources report "KO 1" Dec Jim Broad Baltimore, Md KO 3 1892 Mar 8 Gus Herget San Francisco, Ca EX 3 Mar 12 "Mysterious" Billy Smith San Francisco, Ca EX 3 Oct Billy Leedom San Francisco, Ca SCH -This bout was scheduled but postponed; It was eventually cancelled 1893 Jan 30 -George LaBlanche admitted he faked a loss to Mitchell in San Francisco, Ca (1891) Sep 26 Billy Shannon San Francisco, Ca EX 4 Dec 1 "Australian" Jim Ryan Oakland, Ca D 8 -Police intervened 1894 Feb 9 -Mitchell and Jack McAuliffe got into a street fight 1897 Mar 21 -Mitchell got into a tavern fight with "Mysterious"Billy Smith *** Photo And Much Data Provided By William Schutte ***
Record courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian,
International Boxing Research Organization1.18.06 [Return to Top]
