Denny Costigan

BORN    Fought out of Providence, Rhode Island
DIED November 18 1907; New York, New York (consumption; in Metropolitan Hospital on Blackwell's Island)
WEIGHT  130-145 lbs

Costigan was trainer and manager of "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey; He was described as "the chubby, black mustasched young gentleman who travels with and trains Jack Dempsey and keeps himself good and fat that he may the better stand the punching he gets when he and Dempsey spar in Billy Madden's play, Around New York"

1882
Mar 27 Patsy Sheppard             Bridgeport, Ct                   EX   
          -Some sources report 04/03/1882
Jun 20 David "Funny" Cook         New York, NY                      D  4
Nov 10 Young McCoy                New York, NY                     EX   
Dec 14 George Fulljames           New York, NY                     EX   
Dec 28 Frank King                 New York, NY                     EX   

1882-1883 
       Jack Keenan                New York, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
           Keenan did not show
       Stiff 'Un                  New York, NY                      W   

1883
Jan  1 Frank White                New York, NY                     ND  4
Jan    Bob Farrell                New York, NY                     EX   
Mar 19 -Costigan was scheduled to appear in Boston, Ma
Mar 29 Jim Connolly               New York, NY                     EX   
May 16 Bob Farrell                New York, NY                     EX  3
Apr 21 Martin "Fiddler" Neary     New York, NY                     EX   
       Jimmy Connolly             New York, NY                     EX   
          -Connolly knocked Costigan out
Sep 13 Jack Files                 New York, NY                     ND  3
Oct 25 Gus Lambert                New York, NY                     EX   
Dec  6 Jimmy Murray               New York, NY                      D  3
          -Some sources report 12/07/1883

1884
Feb  7 Tom Kelly                  New York, NY                     KO  2
Feb 25 Mike Mullery               New York, NY                     EX   
Mar  6 Jack Files                 New York, NY                     EX   
          -Some sources report 03/16/1884
Mar 13 Joe "Young" Nixey          Newark, NJ                       EX   
Mar 17 -Costigan competed in an oyster opening contest vs Tommy Hagin in New York, NY;
          Then, he sparred with "Young Nixey"
Mar 17 Joe "Young" Nixey          New York, NY                     EX   
Mar 26 Billy Frazier              Boston, Ma                       EX  3
Apr  2 Joe "Young" Nixey          Brooklyn, NY                     EX   
May 12 Joe "Young" Nixey          New York, NY                     EX   
Jun 30 Joe "Young" Nixey          New York, NY                     EX   
Aug 13 Billy Frazier              Boston, Ma                       EX  3
Aug 25 J.J. Bagley                Boston, Ma                       EX   
Oct  6 Pete McCoy                 New York, NY                     EX   
Nov 20 -Costigan seconded Polly McQuade vs George Morris in New York, NY
Dec  9 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   New York, NY                     EX  4

1885
Feb 10 Walter DeBaum              Brooklyn, NY                     EX   
Apr  2 Johnny Riley               Philadelphia, Pa                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Apr 17 Jimmy Mitchell             Philadelphia, Pa                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Apr 17 Johnny Riley               Philadelphia, Pa                 EX  3
May    Tommy Ferguson             New York, NY                     EX   
          -Costigan and Ferguson engaged in sparring contests during May 1885

1886
Jan 15 Mike Mullery               New York, NY                     EX   
Jan 23 -Costigan seconded Charley Cooley vs Dan Titus in New York, NY
May 10 -Costigan seconded Jack Burke vs Charlie Mitchell in Chicago, Il
May 20 Tom Cleary                 St. Paul, Mn                     EX   
May 20 Clung                      St. Paul, Mn                     EX   
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Jun    Tom Cleary                 Minneapolis, Mn                  EX   
Dec  6 Jack Keenan                Portland, Or                     EX  4
Dec  6 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Portland, Or                     EX  3
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Dec 18 Jack Keenan                Salt Lake City, Ut               EX   
Dec 20 Jack Keenan                Cheyenne, Wy                     EX  3
Dec 27 Jack Burke                 Milwaukee, Wi                    EX  3
          -Some sources report tihs bout
Dec 27 Jack Keenan                Milwaukee, Wi                    EX  3
Dec 27 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Milwaukee, Wi                    EX  3
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date

1887
Mar 15 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Rochester, NY                    EX  4
Mar 22 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Detroit, Mi                      EX  4
Aug    Tom Henry                                                  SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but cancelled
Dec 13 -Costigan seconded "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey vs Johnny Reagan at 
           Lloyd's Neck, NY and Sands Point, NY
Dec 28 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   New Haven, Ct                   SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known

1888
Jan 15 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Baltimore, Md                    EX  3
Feb  7 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Troy, NY                         EX  4
          -Some sources report "Rochester, NY";
           Costigan and Dempsey were scheduled to spar in
           Madden's play during the week; Then, tour the 
           "Middle States" and be on the road until Spring
Feb  8 -Costigan, Billy Dacey, Jack Fallon, and Tom Henry 
           left for Troy, NY to participate in a sparring
           exhibition; The outcomes are not known  
Feb  9 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Troy, NY                         EX  3
Feb 13 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Buffalo, NY                      EX  3
Mar 26 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Brooklyn, NY                     EX  4
Apr 16 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   New York, NY                     EX  4
          -This bout was part of a week-long engagement
May  8 "Boston" Jimmy Conley      Providence, RI                   EX   
Dec  3 -Costigan attended the Jack Fallon-Tom Lees bout in Brooklyn, NY
Dec  9 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Brooklyn, NY                     EX  4
          -Costigan and Dempsey were scheduled to spar several times during the week
Dec 15 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Brooklyn, NY                     EX  4

1889 
Jan    "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Baltimore, Md                    EX   
Jan 14 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Pittsburgh, Pa                   EX  3
Jan 18 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Pittsburgh, Pa                   EX  3
Feb  4 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Buffalo, NY                      EX  3
Feb 10 -Costigan and Dempsey made provisions to go to San Francisco, Ca 
           with a variety show and give sparring exhibitions
Apr 15 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Brooklyn, NY                     EX   
Apr 24 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Brooklyn, NY                     EX   
Apr 29 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   San Jose, Ca                     EX   
May 22 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Sacramento, Ca                   EX  4
May 23 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Sacramento, Ca                   EX  4
May 24 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Oakland, Ca                      EX   
May 25 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Oakland, Ca                      EX  4
Nov 30 Mike Lucie                 San Francisco, Ca                EX   
          -Some sources report 11/29/1889

1890
Aug 25 Jack McAuliffe             Brooklyn, NY                     EX   

1891
Jan 13 Mike Leary                 New Orleans, La                  EX   

1893
Sep 25 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Philadelphia, Pa                 EX  3
Oct  2 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Philadelphia, Pa                 EX  3
Nov  9 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Buffalo, NY                      EX   
Nov 10 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Buffalo, NY                      EX   
Nov 11 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Buffalo, NY                      EX   
Nov 13 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   New York, NY                     EX   
Dec    "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Boston, Ma                       EX  3

1894
Jan  8 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Brooklyn, NY                     EX  3
Jan 27 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   New York, NY                     EX  3
Feb 13 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Roanoke, Va                      EX  4
Feb 20 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Atlanta, Ga                      EX  4
Feb 21 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Atlanta, Ga                      EX  4

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

1889
       Charles "Sailor" Brown                                       L   

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

*** Assistance Was Provided By Sergei Yurchenko ***

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