Schedule News Current Champs WAIL! Encyclopedia Links Store Home
The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia -- Old Timer

Denny Kelliher
(Denny Kelleher)
(the "Quincy Stonecutter")

BORN   February 1 1860; Quincy, Massachusetts
(Resided in Boston, Massachusetts)
DIED October 1935; Brookline, Massachusetts (see below)
WEIGHT 153-168 lbs

Kelliher was a quiet and polite man who was a scrappy competitor in the ring with fairly good boxing skills and a deadly punch; An opponent needed to be very careful of his blows, particularly his right hand punch

He was a quick, devastating hitter much like Stanley Ketchel and was capable of taking out much larger men; Jim Corbett stated that "pound for pound", Kelliher was one of the hardest hitters that ever graced the ring; The Logansport (In) Journal - Nov 1889 - said he was stronger than "Nonpariel" Jack Dempsey but not as clever

During his career, Denny defeated such men as Frank Herald, Jack Magee, Joe Ellingsworth, Jim Daly and Charles Turner

Kelliher had a head for business too; He entered several ventures such as a gym, sporting club and hotel; He had a brother, John

Philadelphia (Pa) Item 7/19/93 reported that - Denny Kelliher died last night; Kelliher resided in Port Richmond; He passed away at the Episcopal Hospital after brief illness; Kelliher, a few years ago, ranked among the best heavyweights in the local prize ring; He met nearly all the pugilists in his class who have appeared here in the last fifteen years; Of late, he was merely a chopping-block for men like Jim Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons and Joe Choynski

The old reports are very contradictory; If anyone discovers conclusive data that disagrees with these results, please advise Tracy Callis

Undated
       Tommy "Fatty" Langtry                                        D   
          -Reportedly, Kelliher fought Joe Goss, Johnny Connolly and Harry Allen

1883
Jan 18 Jack Loring                Boston, Ma                       EX  3

1884
Jan  7 Jim Sullivan               Boston, Ma                     ND-W  3   
          -This man was not "John L. Sullivan"
Mar  1 William Sheriff            Philadelphia, Pa                  D  3
Mar 31 William Sheriff            Philadelphia, Pa                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Apr 22 Frank Herald               Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1
          -At fight time, Kelliher refused to fight; After
          about 45 minutes, he agreed; Herald was mad and
          excited; When the bout started, Herald rushed at
          Kelliher and knocked him down; When Kelliher got
          up, Herald pursued him, swinging wildly; In a
          scuffle, Herald was thrown against a wall, striking
          his head; He fell to the floor and Kelliher pounded
          him flat to win
Aug 31 George LaBlanche           Boston, Ma                        L  3
          -Reports vary - "LK 3" - "L 4"; Some sources report 9/01/84; 
           Police intervened
Oct 22 Barney O'Neill             Philadelphia, Pa                  W  2
Oct 31 George LaBlanche           Boston, Ma                       LT  4
          -Some sources report 10/03/84;
           Some sources report "L 4"
Nov  1 Billy Lehman               Philadelphia, Pa                  L  4
          -Perhaps, this man was "Billy Leedom"
Dec 15 Bill Gabig                 Philadelphia, Pa                 LT  2 

1884-1885
       Frank Herald                                               SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but cancelled
       Billy Leedom                                                 L   
         -Perhaps, this is the 11/01/84 bout
       Billy Leedom                                                 L   

1885
Jan  9 Dominick McCaffrey         Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  3
          -Some sources report "L 3"
Jan 31 Patsy Cardiff              Philadelphia, Pa                 LT  4
          -Some sources report "L 4"
Feb 20 George LaBlanche           Boston, Ma                        D  3
          -Reports vary - "LT 3" - "L 2" - "L 3"; Police intervened
Feb 23 John McLaughlin            Philadelphia, Pa                  W  4 
Mar 24 Johnny Green               Boston, Ma                       TK  1
Apr 28 Dominick McCaffrey         New York, NY                     EX   
May  3 Pat Killen                 Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  4
Jun 12 Joe Lannon                 Boston, Ma                        D  4
           -Some sources report "L 4";
            Some sources report 6/12/84
Aug    Pete McCoy                 near Boston, Ma                 SCH 
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Sep 15 George LaBlanche           Quincy, Ma                       EX  3
Nov  7 "Philadelphia" Jimmy Ryan  Philadelphia, Pa                 EX  4
Dec 22 Ike Williams               Flushing, NY                     TK  1
          -Some sources report 12/27/85; Some sources report "TK 3"

1886
Jan  6 Mike Cleary                Philadelphia, Pa                  D  4
Feb  5 Jack Ashton                Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  2
Feb 12 Jack Fallon                Philadelphia, Pa                  D  4 
Feb 17 John P. Loughlin           Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  4
          -Some sources report "W 4" on 2/19/86
Mar 17 Tommy Drohan               Boston, Ma                       EX  3
          -Some sources report "ND 3"
Mar 23 Jack Fallon                Philadelphia, Pa                  L  4
          -Some sources report "LK 2"; Perhaps, this is the 2/12/86 bout?
Apr 26 Pete McCoy                 Boston, Ma                       EX  4
May  4 Pete McCoy                 Boston, Ma                      SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
May 24 "Philadelphia" Jimmy Ryan                                  SCH   
        -This bout was scheduled but cancelled
Jun 22 -Kelliher opened a hotel, the Newport House, in Nantasket, Ma 
Jul    Jack Fogarty                                               SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Aug 20 Joe Lannon                 Nantasket, Ma                    EX  3
          -Some sources report "D 8"
Aug 20 Pete McCoy                 Nantasket, Ma                    EX  3
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same night
Aug 24 Joe Lannon                 Nantasket, Ma                    EX  3
Aug 27 Joe Lannon                 Nantasket, Ma                    EX  3
Aug 27 Pete McCoy                 Nantasket, Ma                    EX  3
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same night
Aug 30 Joe Lannon                 Nantasket, Ma                    EX  3
Sep    Jack Fogarty                                               SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Oct 27 Tom Drohan                 South Boston, Ma                 EX   
Oct 30 Tommy "Fatty" Langtry      Philadelphia, Pa                  W  4
          -Some sources report "W 6"
Nov  2 Mike Conley                Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  1
Nov 12 John W. Dickerson          Philadelphia, Pa                  D  6
          -Some sources report "D 4"
Nov 23 Tommy "Fatty" Langtry      Philadelphia, Pa                  W  4 
Nov 29 John P. Clow               Philadelphia, Pa                  D  4
Nov 30 Tommy "Fatty" Langtry      Philadelphia, Pa                  D  4 
Dec 10 Jack King                  Philadelphia, Pa                  D  4 

1887
Mar 17 Jack Dougherty             Philadelphia, Pa                  W  4
Apr  1 "Philadelphia" Jimmy Ryan  Philadelphia, Pa                 EX   
Jun 27 Pete McCoy                 Boston, Ma                        D  8
          -Some sources report 6/22/87
Jul 25 Jack Magee                 Boston, Ma                       KO  1
          -Reports vary - 7/23/87 and 7/26/87
Aug 29 Pete McCoy                 Boston, Ma                        D  8
          -Some sources report 8/30/87
Oct 13 Pete McCoy                 Boston, Ma                       EX  3
Oct 17 Pete McCoy                 Quincy, Ma                      SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Nov  3 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Wilmington, De                    L  4
Nov  9 George LaBlanche           Wilmington, De                   LK  2

1888
Jan 16 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Boston, Ma                       EX  3
          -Some sources report that Dempsey boxed Jack McAuliffe; 
           Some sources report "EX 4"
Jan 17 Jack Fogarty               Boston, Ma                      SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Jan 23 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Boston, Ma                       EX  3
Jan 24 Pete McCoy                 Boston, Ma                       EX   
Jan 26 Jack Fallon                Hoboken, NJ                       L  6
          -Steve O'Donnell was the referee
Jan 31 Mike Gillespie             Jersey City, NJ                  EX   
Feb  7 Jack Fallon                New York, NY                     EX  3
          -Reports vary - "ND 3" - "EX 4";
           Some sources report this as a wrestling match
Feb 13 Jack Fallon                New York, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Feb 20 Jim Daly                   Philadelphia, Pa                  D 10
Feb 25 Jack Fallon                Brooklyn, NY                    SCH             
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Mar 28 -Kelliher was scheduled to appear in Boston, Ma
Apr  3 Mike Boden                 Newark, NJ                        L  4
          -Some sources report "ND 4" on 4/04/88 at "Long Island, NY"
Apr 12 Pete McCoy                 Providence, RI                   EX   
May  1 Pete McCoy                 Boston, Ma                      SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Jun 12 -A bout was set between Kelliher and Jim Fell to be held
          in Providence, RI
Aug 18 Pete McCoy                 Nantasket, Ma                   SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Oct  1 Bill Dunn                  Wilmington, De                   LT  5
          -Some sources report "L 5"
Oct 16 Joe Lannon                 Quincy, Ma                       EX   
          -Reportedly, at this point in his career, Kelliher had bested
           Tommy McManus twice, fought two draws with the "St. Joe Kid"
           and also fought Bill Gabig and Jack Burke
Dec 17 Robert Burns               Fitchburg, Ma                   SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but postponed
Dec 20 Jim Daly                   Boston, Ma                        D 10
          -Some sources report "L 10"

1889
Feb 19 Jack Ashton                                                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but postponed
Mar 26 George "Deacon" Smith      Boston, Ma                       EX  3
Apr 22 Jim Daly                   Boston, Ma                        W 15
          -Daly fought 13 rounds with a broken hand;
           Some sources report 2/18/89
May 27 Young Mitchell             Boston, Ma                       ND  4
          -Some sources report "L 4"
Jul  2 Joe Lannon                 Boston, Ma                      SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
Jul 10 Joe Lannon                 Dedham, Ma                      SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
           Lannon did not show
Aug 20 Joe Ellingsworth           Los Angeles, Ca                  TK 42
          -Some sources report "TK 43"
Nov 20 Billy McCarthy             San Francisco, Ca                LT 23
          -Reports vary - "L 23" - "LK 21" - "LK 31"

1890
Jan 20 -Kelliher accompanied "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey to his camp in 
           Alameda, Ca; Dempsey was reportedly near death's door
Feb 18 -Kelliher seconded "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey vs Billy McCarthy
           in San Francisco, Ca
Mar 20 Billy Hennessey             San Diego, Ca                  SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Apr 25 Charles Turner              San Francisco, Ca               KO 12
          -Reports vary - "KO 13" - "L";
           Some sources report 4/28/90
May 23 Joe Ellingsworth            San Francisco, Ca               LK 51
          -Reports vary - "LT 49" - "LK 50"
Nov  3 Black Pearl (Harris Martin) Minneapolis, Mn                  L 20
          -Kelliher claimed he was fouled but no foul was declared;
           The "Twin City AC" later said he was not treated fairly
           and was offered a return bout vs "Black Pearl"

1891
Jan 21 Black Pearl (Harris Martin) St. Paul, Mn                   SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but postponed
Feb 10 Black Pearl (Harris Martin) St. Paul, Mn                     D 10
Mar 23 "Australian" Billy Smith    St. Paul, Mn                    LT  8
          -Police intervened
Jun 20 Jack Fogarty                Philadelphia, Pa               SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Jul 11 Fred Woods                  Philadelphia, Pa                EX   

1892
Jan    Joe Tansey                                                 SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled for Jan-Feb 1892; The outcome is not known
Jul  3 -Kelliher was challenged by Bill Slavin, brother of Frank "Paddy" Slavin
Nov 23 Joe Choynski                Philadelphia, Pa                LK  2
          -Some sources report "L 2" on 11/24/92
Nov 28 Peter Jackson               Philadelphia, Pa                ND  3
          -Some sources report "L 4"
Dec 31 Fred Woods                  Philadelphia, Pa                ND  3

1895
Sep  9 -The Boston (Ma) Daily Globe reported that Kelliher had defeated 
           Billy Gallagher in the past

1897
Mar 16 -Kelliher accompanied John L. Sullivan on a train to Carson City, NM 
           for the Jim Corbett-Bob Fitzsimmons heavyweight championship bout

1894-1900
       Joe Butler                                                   D  4

1902
Mar  8 -Dennis F. Kelliher and Mary L. Kelliher, as Dennis F. Kelliher & Co., 
           applied for a license of the First and Fourth classes to sell 
           intoxicating liquors

*** The Following Bouts Are Reported But Not Confirmed ***

1885
May  1 George LaBlanche                                             L  2
          -Some sources report "D 2"

1888-1890
       Bob Fitzsimmons                                             LK   

1892
Apr  1 Joe Butler                                                   D  4
          -Some sources report 4/01/94

1889-1897
       Henry Baker                                                 LT  1
          -Some sources report "L 1"

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