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The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia -- Old Timer

George Kessler

BORN   1865; Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom (Fought out of Butte City, Montana)
HEIGHT 5-6 (Some sources report 5-7)
WEIGHT 158-175 lbs


Kessler was a muscular, well-built man with a short reach; He was a strong slugger and a rough-and-tumble fighter who also wrestled

 

The Following Bouts Represent Kessler's Record As
Reported In The Butte (Mt) Weekly-Miner 05-15-1889

1877 *
     Tom Page                    Melbourne, Vic, Australia        W  9

Undated (1877-1889)
     Dan Hiller                  Portland, Or                     W  5
     Jack Harper                 Portland, Or                     W  4
     Big Riley                   Portland, Or                     W  3
     Al Stuart                                                    W  
     Jim Skinner                 Salem, Or                        W 36
     Al Jackson                  Tacoma, Wa                       W  3
     Al Jackson                                                   W 17
     Jack Fields                 Vancouver Island, BC, Canada     W  1
     Red McKinzie                Tacoma, Wa                       D 10
     Red McKinzie                                                 D 20
     Young Dempsey                                               ND  6
       -Some sources report "D 6"                                                    
 

 * Compare his date of birth to the date of the first fight (date looks false)

1884
Feb  8 Mike Roach                  Chicago, Il                      W  5

1888
Oct 21 Jerry Slattery              Butte, Mt                        D 20
Undated (1885-1889) -Kessler had several fights in Butte City, Mt Dave Campbell Butte, Mt ND -Police intervened; Campbell had the best of the fighting; Perhaps, this bout is a reference to the 06/13/1890 contest 1889
Feb 16 Tally Owens Philipsburg, Mt ND 10 Mar 6 Jack Ryan Butte, Mt W 4 Mar 16 "California" Jack Dempsey Butte, Mt D 6 Aug 14 Billy McCarthy San Francisco, Ca ND 3 Oct 28 Mike Brennan Tenino, Washington Territory LF 10 -This was a very hard fought, rough, and dirty fight between Kessler and Brennan Dec 11 John Coyle Butte, Mt W 9 -The fighting was fast and furious from start to finish 1890 Jan 21 "Denver" Ed Smith Denver, Co ND 7 May 25 Mike Brennan Butte, Mt D 15 -This was another very hard fought, rough, and dirty fight between Kessler and Brennan; Local Deputy Sheriff O'Neill stopped the fight after round fifteen Jun 13 Jack Campbell Butte, Mt L 4 Nov 17 George LaBlanche Butte, Mt WF 13 -LaBlanche kicked Kessler and lost the fight on the foul; Some sources report "KO 13" in 1889 1893 Aug 25 Richard "Dick" Moore Minneapolis, Mn LF 3 1894 Jan 4 Jack Ferris Butte, Mt KO 6 1896 Jan 30 George LaBlanche Chicago, Il ND 6 *** The Following Bouts Are Reported But Not Confirmed *** 1897 Jan "Denver" Ed Smith Denver, Co D -The crowd broke into the ring; Fighting was even between the men; Perhaps, this bout is a reference to the 01/21/1890 contest
*** Much Data Was Provided By Mike DeLisa ***

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