Mike Conley
(the "Ithaca Giant")

BORN   September 27 1860; Towanda, Pennsylvania (in upper Pennsylvania near the New York state border)
DIED March 14 1920; Ithaca, New York
HEIGHT 6-0
WEIGHT 180-200 lbs

Conley was very muscular and a very hard hitter; He was a bonafide heavyweight with a "heavyweight" punch; His greatest weakness was his lack of boxing finesse; Reportedly, Conley was Heavyweight Champion of the Northwest during his career

During his career, Conley defeated such men as John Clow, Frank Glover, Mike Boden, Denny Kelliher, Bill Gabig, Bob Caffrey and Mike Burke

Undated
          -As a child, Mike moved to Ithaca, New York; 
           Later, in his adult life, he relocated to 
           Ashland, Wisconsin

1883-1884
          -Conley went to Professor John S. Clark's Academy
           for boxing instruction in Philadelphia, Pa; He was
           a great attraction there, meeting all-comers

1884-1886
       John W. Dickerson          Philadelphia, Pa                   ND   
          -Dickerson was the Heavyweight Champion of Pennsylvania;
           Conley was better

1886
May 15 Jack Ashton                Ithaca, NY                          D  3
          -Police intervened
Jun 21 Frank Herald               New York, NY                       LK  1
          -Some sources report 1883
Jun 25 Harry Umlah                Elmira, NY                         KO  2
Aug 30 John W. Dickerson          Philadelphia, Pa                   KO  3
Sep  1 Bill Gabig                 Philadelphia, Pa                   ND  4
          -Conley knocked Gabig down 5 times but Gabig lasted and claimed win;
           This bout may have been held at Minneapolis, Mn
Sep 27 Tom Kelly                  Philadelphia, Pa                   TK  2
Oct  3 Mike Boden                 Philadelphia, Pa                   KO  4
          -Some sources report "W 4"
Oct  5 Mike Monahan               Philadelphia, Pa                   TK  2
          -Some sources report 10/02/1886
Nov  2 Denny Kelliher             Philadelphia, Pa                   KO  1
Nov  4 John Moody                 Philadelphia, Pa                   KO  1
Nov  6 Tommy "Fatty" Langtry      Philadelphia, Pa                   TK  2
          -Some sources report 11/13/1886; Some sources report a "draw"
Dec  2 Jack King                                                     KO  1
          -Some sources report 12/14/1886
Dec    Mike McGuire               Philadelphia, Pa                   KO  1
          -Some sources report "John Maguire";
Dec    John Heenan                Philadelphia, Pa                   KO  2
          -Some sources report "KO 1"
Dec    Dave Clemens               Philadelphia, Pa                   KO  1
Dec    Mike Monahan               Philadelphia, Pa                   KO  1
Dec    Joe Godfrey                Philadelphia, Pa                   KO  1
Dec    John Donnelly              Philadelphia, Pa                   KO  1
Dec    John Ballard               Philadelphia, Pa                   KO  1
Dec    Mike Monahan               Philadelphia, Pa                   KO  1

1886-1887
       Pat McAnney                Philadelphia, Pa                   KO  1
       John Wiley                 Philadelphia, Pa                   TK  2
          -Some sources report "Dick Wiley"
       an unnamed opponent                                           KO   
       an unnamed opponent                                           KO   
       an unnamed opponent                                           KO   
       an unnamed opponent                                           KO   
          -The previous 4 bouts were probably held from
           mid-December 1886 thru mid-February 1887

1887
Feb  5 Bill Gabig                 Philadelphia, Pa                   ND  4
Feb 21 James "Sparrow" Golden     Philadelphia, Pa                   ND  4
          -Conley knocked Golden down 20 times
Mar  1 Bob Caffrey                Philadelphia, Pa                   KO  2
Mar 10 Bill Gabig                 Philadelphia, Pa                   TK  2
          -Some sources report 03/26/1887
Mar 19 Bob Caffrey                Philadelphia, Pa                   TK  2
Mar    Henry Anders               Philadelphia, Pa                   KO  1
Oct 15 O.H. Smith                 Ashland, Wi                        KO  2
Dec 16 Tom Fraker                 Ashland, Wi                        LF  1

1886-1888 
       Jim Fell                                                       W   

1888
Mar  1 Pat Killen                                                   SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
           Killen's hands were ailing
Apr  7 John Clow                  Ashland, Wi                        TK  4
          -This bout was promoted as the Heavyweight Championship
           of the Northwest; Some sources report "TK 3" on 04/08/1888
Apr  9 -Conley challenged any man in the world to a fight
Apr 20 Paddy McDonald             Antigo, Wi                         EX  4
Oct 26 Joe McAuliffe              San Francisco, Ca                  LK  2
          -Some sources report "L 2"
       Alec Greggains                                                 L  2

1889
Sep  7 Patsy Cardiff              Ashland, Wi                       SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held; 
           Police intervened
Sep 21 Frank Keller               Ashland, Wi                        EX  3
          -Some sources report "ND 3"
Oct  5 John Clark                 Ashland, Wi                        EX  3

1890
Mar    Dave Flaherty              Portland, Or                       KO  3
Mar 20 Frank Glover               Portland, Or                        W  2
          -Police intervened and stopped the contest; Some sources report 03/22/1890
Apr 12 Tom Fraker                 Oregon City, Or                    EX  4
Jun    Mike Burke                 Denver, Co                         KO  1
Jul  2 Billy Woods                Denver, Co                          D  3
          -Police intervened; 
           Some sources report 7/02/91;
           Conley was to knock out Woods inside of five
           rounds or 20 minutes; Conley began knocking 
           Woods around and Woods resorted to fouling 
           techniques and falling when Conley came near
Jul    Abe Nixon                  Idaho Springs, Co                  KO  3
          -Some sources report Sep 1890
Aug 30 Fred Stoll                 Dallas, Tx                         KO  1
Oct 19 Dick Sullivan              Dallas, Tx                         WF  2

1891
Jan  5 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Dallas, Tx                         EX  3
Feb  9 Billy Woods                New Orleans, La                    LK  2
          -Some sources report 1892
       Tommy Monoghan             Philadelphia, Pa                    D  4

1892
Apr 30 C.F. Fisher                El Paso, Tx                        KO 10
          -Some sources reports "W 10" on 04/28/1892

1894
Oct 20 Con Riley                  Cincinnati, Oh                      W  1
          -Police intervened

1896
Mar    Jim Corbett                                                   EX   
Apr  7 Jim Corbett                St. Louis, Mo                      EX   
          -This bout was part of a play, A Naval Cadet;
           Corbett and Conley were arrested but let go;
           The play and the sparring continued for the
           week of Apr 7-11 1896

          -Conley retired to Memphis, Tn where he operated a hotel

1897
Oct    -Conley contracted to spar with Bob Fitzsimmons who was
          touring in the Cincinnati, Oh area

Oct 17 Bob Fitzsimmons            Indianapolis, In                   EX   
Nov 14 Bob Fitzsimmons            Kansas City, Mo                    EX   
Nov 25 Bob Fitzsimmons            Topeka, Ks                         EX  3
          -Some sources report "EX 4";
           Conley knocked a tooth out of Fitzsimmons' mouth

1901
Apr  8 -Some sources report that Conley was wanted by 
          the authorities for the murder of Charles Gildea

*** The Following Bout Is Reported But Not Confirmed ***

1886
Oct  1 Bill Gabig                 Philadelphia, Pa                   ND  4
          -Perhaps, this is the 09/01/1886 bout

1890
Aug 18 John Clark                 Dallas, Tx                         EX   


*** Much Data Was Provided By William Schutte ***

*** Some Data Provided By Jake Wegner ***

Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization