1866
Jun 3 Crowley Davis St. Louis, Mo LF 59
-Some sources report "LF 92" vs "Billy Crowley" on 5/18/66
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From The Burlington (Ia) Hawk-Eye,
June 8 1866 |
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Jul -Donovan was given boxing instruction by Pat Kenrick and improved greatly
Sep Patsy Curtin St. Louis, Mo KO 5
Sep Jim Conroy Memphis, Tn TK 30
1867
Jun Pat McDermott Chicago, Il W 4
Jun 22 Mike Conroy St. Louis, Mo TK 62
-Some sources report 1866
Sep Dan Carr Chicago, Il TK 1
1868
Jun 12 John Boyne Indianapolis, In TK 23
-Some sources report "Tipton, In";
Some sources report 1/26/69
Jul Pat Kelly Grand Haven, Mi TK 7
1869
Jul 4 John Shanssey Cheyenne, Wy W 10
-The referee was Wyatt Earp;
Some sources report 7/04/68
1869-1872
-Donovan worked as a ship-caulker
1872
Jan Jack Curtin New York, NY TK 2
Feb Sam Jordan New York, NY W 3
Mar Teddy Neary New York, NY W 3
-Some sources report "Teddy Leary"
Jun Jack Lawrence New York, NY TK 2
Sep Byron McNeill New York, NY W 3
1873
Jim Murray near Philadelphia, Pa D 44
Langham Philadelphia, Pa W 3
Pete Hogan Philadelphia, Pa W 4
Smith Philadelphia, Pa W 4
1874
Apr 20 Fred Smith Philadelphia, Pa EX
Apr 20 Jim Murray Philadelphia, Pa EX
-The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
May 2 Tom Oxford Philadelphia, Pa EX
Jun Charley Burke Philadelphia, Pa ND 4
-Some sources report 1873; Reports vary - "W 4" - "D 4"
Jul 28 -Donovan seconded Jim Collins vs. Johnny Keenan near Pennsville, NJ
1875
Jun 11 an unnamed opponent Lancaster, Pa EX
-Some sources report 6/12/75
-Donovan owned a saloon
1874-1877
-Donovan worked as a ship-caulker and gave instruction in boxing
1877
Mar Dick Liston Troy, NY W 5
1878
Apr 6 William C. McClellan New York, NY LF 14
-Middleweight Championship of America;
Some sources report "LF 13";
Some sources report "San Francisco, Ca"
May 9 Billy Edwards New York, NY EX
May 18 William C. McClellan New York, NY W 7
-McClellan claimed a foul that was not allowed;
He refused to continue fighting; The referee
declared Donovan the winner; Some sources
report "WF 7" - some report "WF 8"
Aug Billy Costello Virginia City, Nv TK 2
Aug George Crockett San Francisco, Ca TK 2
1872-1879
-Donovan rose to the top and was considered to be
middleweight champion of America by most people
during George Rooke's inactivity
1879
Jan 23 -Donovan trained and seconded Billy Lynn vs Jack Hallinan
in Virginia City, Nv
Harry Maynard in California SCH
-This bout was scheduled but not held;
Maynard agreed to fight an "Unknown" but when
he learned the "Unknown" was Mike Donovan,
he refused to go through with the bout
Mar George "Deacon" Smith Sacramento, Ca TK 3
Apr 19 -Donovan was scheduled to spar in Brooklyn, NY
Aug 18 William C. McClellan San Francisco, Ca D 94
-Some sources report "D 96"
Edward McGlinchey New York, NY WF 6
Sep 29 William C. McClellan Brooklyn, NY EX
1880
Feb John L. Sullivan Boston, Ma EX 4
-Reports vary - "EX 3" - "ND 3" - "ND 4"
Mar 20 William C. McClellan New York, NY EX
May 1 George Clark Brooklyn, NY EX 3
May 11 George Rooke Long Point, ---, Canada SCH
-Middleweight Championship of America;
This bout was scheduled but not held;
Authorities prevented the bout
May 24 George Rooke Coney Island, NY SCH
-Middleweight Championship of America;
This bout was scheduled but not held;
Authorities prevented the bout
Oct Edward McGlinchey Boston, Ma D 5
Nov Edward McGlinchey Boston, Ma W 3
Nov 24 Edward McGlinchey Bridgeport, Ct D 6
Dec Edward McGlinchey New York, NY W 3
1881
Jan 21 William C. McClellan Brooklyn, NY EX 3
Feb 25 Edward McGlinchey New York, NY EX 5
Mar 16 Pete McCoy Boston, Ma SCH
Mar 16 Mike Donovan Boston, Ma SCH
-This bout was scheduled but not held; Donovan could not appear
Mar 21 John L. Sullivan Boston, Ma EX 3
-Some sources report "EX 4"
Mar 25 Mike Cleary New York, NY EX
Apr 25 George Rooke New York, NY TK 2
-Reports vary - "W 2" - "TK 3" - "EX 3";
Police intervened
Sep George Rooke New York, NY W 3
-Some sources report "George Burke";
Some sources report "W 4"
Oct George Rooke New York, NY EX
Dec 26 George Rooke New York, NY ND 4
1882
Jan 14 Edward McGlinchey New York, NY EX
Jan 23 George Rooke Chicago, Il SCH
-This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Mar 20 Jack Turner New York, NY EX 3
Apr 24 George Rooke New York, NY EX
Oct 3 Jimmy Elliott New York, NY SCH
-This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Dec 28 Jack Smith New York, NY EX
1883
Jan Tommy Chandler Chicago, Il D 8
-This man was not the famous middleweight
Feb 17 Jack Smith New York, NY EX
Mar 1 Billy Edwards New York, NY EX
Mar 13 Pete McCoy New York, NY EX
Apr 21 Pete McCoy New York, NY L 3
-Some sources report "EX 3"
May 7 George Rooke Newburgh, NY EX
Aug -Negotiations were under way for a bout between
Donovan and William Sheriff of England
Aug 25 Jack Davis New York, NY D 1
-Some sources report "NC 1"; Police intervened
Dec 10 Arthur Mullen New York, NY SCH
-This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Dec 31 Jack Smith Williamsburg, NY EX
1884
Feb 1 Sperry Williamsburg, NY EX
Feb 8 "Dangerous" Jack Hughes Philadelphia, Pa EX
Apr 14 John L. Sullivan New Orleans, La EX
Apr 23 Pete McCoy Atlanta, Ga EX 4
Apr 28 John L. Sullivan Memphis, Tn EX 3
Apr 30 John L. Sullivan Little Rock, Ar EX 2
May 1 John L. Sullivan Memphis, Tn EX 3
May 2 John L. Sullivan Nashville, Tn EX
May 10 Bernard Peoria, Il EX
May 10 Mike Gillespie Peoria, Il EX
-The previous 2 bouts were held the same date;
Some sources report "Bloomington, Il"
Jun 30 Steve Taylor New York, NY EX
Oct 6 Jack Welsh Philadelphia, Pa W 4
Oct 17 Walter Watson New York, NY W 7
-This bout was for the position of Boxing Instructor
at the New York Athletic Club; Some sources report
"W 6"
Nov James Gladden New York, NY EX
Dec 2 Denny Butler New York, NY EX 3
Dec 31 John L. Sullivan Brooklyn, NY EX
-This bout was part of the play, The Lottery of Life
1885
Jan 1 John L. Sullivan New York, NY EX
Jan 1 John L. Sullivan New York, NY EX
-The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
as part of the play, The Lottery of Life
Apr 24 Denny Butler New York, NY EX
-Some sources report 4/24/86
Sep 9 -Donovan owned a liquor store at 156 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY
1886
Jan 15 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey New York, NY EX 4
Jul 17 Frank Herald Greenville, NJ SCH
-This bout was scheduled but postponed;
Herald was ill with a cold
Sep -Donovan was fined for refusing to answer questions during a court trial
Oct -Donovan got into a barroom fight with Pug McCarthy and shoved him down;
McCarthy received a broken neck and died; A coroner's inquest followed;
Donovan was set free
1887
Feb 5 H.K. Bloodgood New York, NY EX
Apr 11 Jack Fallon New York, NY EX
Apr 15 Jake Kilrain New York, NY EX
Apr 26 Jack Fallon Brooklyn, NY EX
Aug 8 Pete McCoy Boston, Ma EX
-The pevious 2 bouts were held the same date
Aug 8 John L. Sullivan Boston, Ma EX 3
Aug 11 John L. Sullivan Boston, Ma EX 3
Oct -Donovan trained Johnny Reagan and seconded him on 10/13/87
vs "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey
1888
Feb 25 Johnny Reagan Brooklyn, NY SCH
-This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Feb 25 Mike Gillespie Brooklyn, NY EX
Jun 4 John L. Sullivan New York, NY EX
Aug 26 Johnny Reagan Brooklyn, NY SCH
-This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known;
Some sources report 8/26/89
Nov 15 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey Brooklyn, NY D 6
-Some sources report "EX 6"
Undated (Prior to 1889)
George Siler Chicago, Il EX
1889
Feb 19 -Jack Donovan, brother of Mike Donovan, arrived in San Francisco
on the steamer "Mariposa" from the Antipodes
Apr 26 -Donovan seconded Johnny Murphy vs. Cal McCarthy at Boston, Ma
Jun 6 -A Benefit for Donovan was scheduled to be held at New Orleans, La;
Likely he sparred
Jun 13 Johnny Reagan New York, NY EX
Jun 13 William C. McClellan New York, NY EX
-The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Jul 6 Pat Kenrick New Orleans, La SCH
-This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Jul 6 Charlie Mitchell New Orleans, La EX 4
Jul 6 Denny Butler New Orleans, La EX 4
-The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Jul 8 -Donovan seconded Jake Kilrain vs. John L. Sullivan at Richburg, Ms
1890
Jan 31 an unnamed opponent New Orleans, La EX
Feb 21 -Donovan was scheduled to appear in Philadelphia, Pa
Mar 20 Jim Corbett New York, NY EX 3
-Donovan called Corbett the quickest big man he ever faced
Mar 21 Johnny McGee Philadelphia, Pa SCH
-This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
-Corbett and Mike Donovan sparred several times in New York
during March and April 1890; Likely, they sparred in Boston,
Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington too
1891
May 4 William C. McClellan New York, NY KO 1
Dec 26 Jim Corbett New York, NY EX 1
1892
Jan 22 Jim Corbett Philadelphia, Pa EX 3
Apr 9 Jim Corbett New York, NY EX
Apr 9 Bob Fitzsimmons New York, NY SCH
Apr 9 Jimmy Carroll New York, NY SCH
The outcomes are not known for the previous 2 bouts
Apr 9 Walter Campbell Philadelphia, Pa EX
-The previous 4 bouts were scheduled for the same date
May 28 John Murray Philadelphia, Pa SCH
-This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Jul 23 Bill Slavin New York, NY ND
-This was a "private" fight which occurred on a street;
Donovan denied that he was involved
Aug -Donovan trained Jim Corbett for his bout against John L. Sullivan
Sep 5 Jim Corbett near Gainesville, Fl EX
-This bout was held on a "training car" that was
part of a southbound train
Dec 17 Dominick McCaffrey New York, NY ND 3
-Some sources report "EX 3"
1893
Mar 14 -Donovan conducted a boxing tournament in New York, NY
Apr 14 -Donovan conducted a boxing tournament in New York, NY
1894
Feb 17 -A Benefit for Mike Donovan was held in New York, NY;
Likely, he sparred a bout or two
Apr 27 -Donovan conducted a boxing show in New York, NY
Nov 8 Bob Fitzsimmons New York, NY EX
Dec 1 -Sources reported that Jem Mace was coming to America
and would box Mike Donovan soon after he arrived
1895
Jan 29 H. Kelly Manayunk, Pa ND
Feb 9 -A Benefit for Mike Donovan was held at New York, NY;
Likely, he sparred
May 4 Denny Butler Philadelphia, Pa SCH
-This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
1896
Jan Joe Choynski New York, NY EX
-Donovan sparred regularly with Choynski in preparation for
Joe's bout with Jim Hall
Dec 14 Jem Mace New York, NY D 4
-Some sources report "EX 3" in "Utica, NY"
1897
Aug Jem Mace Birmingham, England SCH
-This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Sep 3 Jem Mace Birmingham, England D 6
1900
Mar 20 Jim Corbett New York, NY EX 3
*** The Following Bouts Are Reported But Not Confirmed ***
1870
Jimmy Murray Red Bank, NJ D 3
-This was not the famous fighter "Jimmy Murray"
1873
Jun Jimmy Murray Philadelphia, Pa D 44
-This was not the famous fighter "Jimmy Murray"
1880
Mar 1 John Clark Brooklyn, NY EX 3
1881
Mar 28 Billy Edwards near New York, NY LT 16
-It is not clear whether Donovan, the famous middleweight fighter,
fought Edwards or not
1888
Feb 13 Jack Smith New York, NY D 12
-Smith fought a man named "Mike Donovan" but from
the description, it may not have been this "Mike Donovan"
1892
Jan 18 Jim Corbett Philadelphia, Pa EX 1
Review courtesy of
Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing
Research Organization
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