Charlie Mitchell
(Charles Watson Mitchell)

BORN     November 24 1861; Birmingham, England
DIED      April 3 1918; Brighton, England (Some sources report Hove, England)
HEIGHT   5-9
WEIGHT   130-175 lbs
RACE     White; English
MANAGERS  George W. "Pony" Moore, Billy Thompson (in America), Charles E. "Parson" Davies
Mitchell was a crafty, feisty, scrappy competitor and one of the hardest hitters for his size the ring has ever known; As a middleweight, he was one of the best who ever fought

He had exceptional ability at using the London Prize Ring Rules to his advantage; During his career, he engaged in over 100 fights with both gloves and knuckles, using the London Prize Ring Rules as well as the Queensberry Rules

He often fought men who were 30-40 pounds heavier; Mitchell was elected to the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1957 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2002

Undated
       Andy Gray                                                    W   
       Hutchinson                                                   W   
       "Chelsea Pride"            London, Eng                      KO  2

1878
Jan 11 Bob Cunningham             Birmingham, Eng                   W   
          -Bare-knuckles were used for this bout
 
1879
       Billy Kennedy              London, Eng                       D   
          -Kennedy was called the Lightweight Champion of England;
          Gloves were used for this bout
Nov 22 "Black Chris" Smithers     Wolverhampton, Eng                W   
          -Bare-knuckles were used for this bout
Dec    Bailey Gray                near Manchester, Eng              W  1
          -Bare-knuckles were used for this bout
 
1878-1880
 
          -Mitchell often took on all-comers in London and 
          fought as many as four bouts in an evening at:
        
           * Mickey Welch's "White Bear" in Bermondsey; 
           * Bill Richardson's "Blue Anchor" in Shoreditch; 
           * Ted Napper's "Five Ink Horns" in Shoreditch; 
           * Langham's "St. Giles Room" in Leicester Square; 
           * Joe Hadley's "The Bells" in East End
 
          -Mitchell became the Boxing Instructor for the 
          International Athletic Club at the "White Rose" 
          in London
 
       Tom Elbein                 Antwerp, Bel                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
          Elbein backed out
 
          -Mitchell opened a Boxing School at the "Palais Rubens"
          in Antwerp, Bel
 
1881
Feb    W. Caradoff                Antwerp, Bel                      W  4
          -Gloves were used for this bout
May 16 Tom Tully                  London, Eng                       D  6
          -Queensberry rules and gloves were used
Jun 16 Jack Burke                 Winkfield, Eng                    D 25
          -Welterweight Championship of England;
          London Rules and bare-knuckles were used;
          Police intervened; Mitchell and Burke were 
          jailed for six weeks 
      
          -Mitchell won a Lightweight Championship Competition
          at "The Eagle" in Finsbury, Eng
       
          -Mitchell won several fights against minor opponents
 
1882
Mar 29 Pat Condon                 Chelsea Baths, Eng                W  3
Apr  4 Ned Harnatty               Chelsea Baths, Eng                W  3
          -Mitchell won a Middleweight Championship Competition
Apr 15 Tom Symonds                London, Eng                      EX   
       Roger Wallis               in England                        W   
Dec 21 Bill England               Chelsea Baths, Eng                W  3
          -Some sources report that England was 6-0, 196 lbs
Dec 21 George Cox                 Chelsea Baths, Eng                W  3
          -Some sources report that Cox was 6-3, 196 lbs
Dec 21 Bill Springhall            Chelsea Baths, Eng                W  3
          -The previous 3 bouts were held the same date as 
          part of a Billy Madden Heavyweight Competition
Dec 22 Joe Stubbins               Chelsea Baths, Eng                W  3
Dec 22 W. Heal                    Chelsea Baths, Eng                W  3
Dec 22 Dick Roberts               Chelsea Baths, Eng                W  3
          -The previous 3 bouts were held the same date as 
          part of a Billy Madden Heavyweight Competition
 
1882-1883
       Billy Madden               in England                       EX   
 
1883
Jan 23 Tug Wilson                 Leceister, Eng                   EX  3
Jan 29 Tug Wilson                 Manchester, Eng                  EX  3
Feb  5 Tug Wilson                 Sheffield, Eng                   EX   
Feb    Alf Greenfield             Birmingham, Eng                  EX  3
Feb 17 Jack Clarke                Newcastle, Eng                   TK  1
          -Clarke was the Champion of North England;
          Some sources report that Clarke was 5-10, 205 lbs
Feb 24 Tug Wilson                 Birmingham                       EX   
Apr  9 Mike Cleary                New York, NY                      W  3
          -Police intervened;
          Some sources report "KO 3"
          Some sources report "TK 3"
          Some sources report "D 3" on 4/19/8
Apr 13 Herbert Slade                                              SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
          Police intervened
May 14 John L. Sullivan           New York, NY                     LT  3
          -Mitchell knocked Sullivan down in the first round;
          Police intervened
May 15 John L. Sullivan           Long Island, NY                 SCH   
          -This bout was proposed by Joe Coburn as a 
          bare-knuckle fight to the finish; Mitchell
          accepted but Sullivan did not; The bout 
          fell through
Jun  1 Billy Madden               Troy, NY                         EX   
Jun  2 James Lynch                Albany, NY                       EX  3
          -Mitchell knocked down Lynch twice;
          Lynch resorted to wrestling holds;
          The bout was stopped;
          Lynch weighed 170 lbs
Jun    Garrett                    Syracuse, NY                     KO  1
Jun    Joe Coburn                 Syracuse, NY                     EX  3
       Billy Baker                Buffalo, NY                     SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
          Negotiations fell through
       Billy Madden               Buffalo, NY                      EX   
       Billy Madden               Cleveland, Oh                    EX   
       Billy Madden               St. Louis, Mo                    EX   
       Billy Madden               Kansas City, Mo                  EX   
       Billy Madden               Denver, Co                       EX   
Jul  2 Billy Madden               Pueblo, Co                       EX   
Jul  3 Billy Madden               Pueblo, Co                       EX   
Jul    Billy Lynn                 Leadville, Co                    ND  3
          -Reports vary as to actual details of this fight;
           Mitchell contracted to stop Lynn inside 4 rounds;
           Mitchell quit fighting after 3 rounds; The referee
           rendered a "ND" verdict but gave Lynn the winner's
           money; Some sources report 7/05/1883;
           Reports vary on verdict - "KO 2" - "KO 3" - "L 3"
Jul    Denis "Ike" Hayes          Leadville, Co                     W  4
Jul    Davis                      Leadville, Co                    KO  1
Sep 11 Herbert Slade              Kansas City, Mo                 SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held; 
          Slade left town
Sep 18 Herbert Slade              New York, NY                     KO   
          -This was a "private" fight
       Sam McGowan                                                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held; 
          McGowan backed out of the fight
Oct  2 William Sheriff            Flushing, NY                      D  7
          -Harry Hill first declared Mitchell the winner;
          Another round was fought and the fight was called
          a draw; Weights: 150-175
Oct    Herbert Slade              Long Island, NY                   D  3
Nov    Ned Donnelly               London, Eng                      EX  3
Nov    Jack Knifton               London, Eng                      EX   
Nov    Tug Wilson                 Manchester, Eng                  KO  3
Nov    Jem Mace                   Liverpool, Eng                   EX   
 
1883-1884
       "Denver" Ed Smith          in England                        D   
          -London Rules were used for this bout;
          Police intervened

          -Mitchell challenged Dominick McCaffrey to a bout

1884
Mar 12 Billy Madden               Easton, Pa                       EX   
Mar 20 Joe Denning                New York, NY                      W  4
Mar 26 Jake Kilrain               Boston, Ma                        D  4
May 12 Billy Edwards              New York, NY                     TK  3
          -Police intervened
Jun 30 John L. Sullivan           New York, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but cancelled; 
          Sullivan was drunk and unable to fight;
          Some sources report 5/30/84
Sep    -Mitchell was scheduled to appear in New York, NY
Oct 13 Dominick McCaffrey         New York, NY                      L  4
          -Police intervened
Oct 21 Jack Burke                 New York, NY                      D  4
          -Mitchell knocked down Burke twice
Nov 24 Jack Burke                 New York, NY                      D  3
          -Some sources report "D 8"
       
          -Mitchell toured New York and Pennsylvania
          in November and December giving exhibitions
 
Nov 29 Jack Gillespie             Pittsburgh, Pa                  SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
          Police intervened and prevented the bout
Nov 29 Billy Madden               Pittsburgh, Pa                   EX   
          -Mitchell sparred Billy Madden instead of Gillespie
 
Dec  2 "Captain" James C. Daly    New York, NY                     EX  3
Dec    Jim Brady                  Buffalo, NY                      KO  3
Dec    -Mitchell sparred in Philadelphia, Pa and Bradford, Pa
 
1885
Feb 23 John Scholes               Toronto, Ont, Can                 W  4
May 22 Mike Cleary                San Francisco, Ca                 D  4
          -Police intervened; Some sources report "D 5"
Jun 29 Jack Burke                 Chicago, Il                       D  6
Oct 12 Joe Coburn                 Auburn, NY                       EX   
 
1886
May 16 Jack Burke                 Chicago, Il                       D 10
          -Some sources report 5/10/86
Jun 11 Patsy Cardiff              Minneapolis, Mn                   D  5
          -Cardiff knocked Mitchell down; 
          Most observers thought Cardiff won 
       Dave Campbell              in America                      SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
 
1887
Feb  5 Jem Smith                  in England                       EX  3
Feb 15 Jem Mace                   Islington, Eng                   EX   
Feb 16 Jack Knifton               Westminster, Eng                 EX  3
Feb 17 Jack Knifton               Islington, Eng                   EX  3
Feb    Ben Bendoff                Islington, Eng                   EX   
       Jem Mace                   Liverpool, Eng                   EX  3
Mar    Jem Smith                  Picadilly, Eng                   EX  4
       Alf Greenfield             Westminster, Eng                 EX   
May 28 Jake Kilrain               New York, NY                     EX  4
Jun    Jake Kilrain               Buffalo, NY                      EX   
Jul  4 Jake Kilrain               Shelbyville, In                  EX   
Jul 28 Patrick "Reddy" Gallagher  Cleveland, Oh                     W  6
          -Gallagher retired after six rounds; 
           Mitchell broke his own little finger;
           Some sources report 7/23/87
Sep  8 Jake Kilrain               New York, NY                     EX  4
Sep 19 Jake Kilrain               Boston, Ma                       EX   
1888
Jan  6 Jake Kilrain               Dublin, Ire                      EX  3
Mar 10 John L. Sullivan           Chantilly, Fr                     D 39
          -Some sources report this as a Heavyweight 
          Championship of the World contest; London
          Prize Ring Rules and bare-knuckles were 
          used for this bout; Sullivan scored the
          first knockdown; Mitchell drew first blood
          in the eighth round; Weights: 166 - 200
Nov 19 Jake Kilrain               Philadelphia, Pa                 EX   
          -Police intervened
Dec 17 Jake Kilrain               Chicago, Il                      EX  3
Dec 18 Jake Kilrain               Chicago, Il                      EX  3
Dec 19 Jake Kilrain               Chicago, Il                     SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
          Police prevented the bout
Dec 20 Jake Kilrain               Chicago, Il                      EX  3
Dec 22 Jake Kilrain               Cincinnati, Oh                  SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
          Warrants were issued to arrest the fighters;
          The fighters did not appear
Dec 26 Jake Kilrain               Cleveland, Oh                    EX   
Dec 27 Jake Kilrain               Cleveland, Oh                    EX   
          -After the bout, Mitchell got into a fight with Hughey Burns,   
          a local thug
Dec 31 Jake Kilrain               St. Louis, Mo                   SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
          Police intervened and prevented the bout
 
1889
Jan  4 Jake Kilrain               Buffalo, NY                      EX   
Jan  5 Jake Kilrain               Buffalo, NY                     SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Jan    Jake Kilrain               Albany, NY                      SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Jan    Jake Kilrain               Troy, NY                        SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Jan 11 Jake Kilrain               Newburgh, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but cancelled; 
          Mitchell was sick
Jan 12 Jake Kilrain               Kingston-on-the-Hudson, NY       EX   
Apr  1 Jem Smith                  London, Eng                     SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but cancelled;
          Smith cut his foot badly during training
Apr  5 Jake Kilrain               Leicester, Eng                   EX   
May    Jake Kilrain               Dublin, Ire                      EX   
Jun 13 Jake Kilrain               New York, NY                     EX   
Jul  6 Mike Donovan               New Orleans, La                  EX  4
Jul  8 -Mitchell seconded Jake Kilrain vs. John L. Sullivan
          at Richburg, Ms for the Heavyweight Championship of
          the World
Nov    Dennis Gallagher           London, Eng                       L   
          -This was a wrestling match; Gallagher weighed 168 lbs
 
1890
Feb  7 Jem Mace                   Glasgow, Scot                     W  4
          -This bout was promoted as the Heavyweight
          Championship of England; Mace was very critical
          of Mitchell and other British heavyweights;
          Mitchell fought him to shut him up; The men
          wore six-ounce gloves and fought two minute
          rounds; Police intervened

Mar    -Jem Mace and Mitchell toured England and 
          drew large crowds giving boxing exhibitions
 
Dec 18 Joe McAuliffe              London, Eng                      EX  2
 
1891
Feb  9 Frank "Paddy" Slavin       Dublin, Ire                      EX  4
Mar  5 Frank "Paddy" Slavin       London, Eng                      EX  4
Apr  9 Frank "Paddy" Slavin       Liverpool, Eng                   EX  3
Apr 24 -Mitchell and Slavin arrived in New York, NY
Apr 30 Jack McAuliffe             New York, NY                     EX   
Apr 30 Frank "Paddy" Slavin       New York, NY                     EX  3
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Jul 22 Frank "Paddy" Slavin                                        EX   
          -Mitchell knocked Slavin around;
          Slavin showed up drunk
 
1892
Jan  4 Frank "Paddy" Slavin       Chicago, Il                      EX   
          -This bout was part of the play, U and I
Jan  6 Frank "Paddy" Slavin       Chicago, Il                      EX   
          -This bout was part of the play, U and I
Jan  9 Frank "Paddy" Slavin       Chicago, Il                      EX   
          -This bout was part of the play, U and I
Jan 11 Frank "Paddy" Slavin       Chicago, Il                      EX   
          -This bout was part of the play, The Struggle of Life;
          The play ran through 1/16/92
Feb 11 Jim Corbett                New York, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but cancelled;
          Negotiations fell through
Mar  2 Arthur Upham               New Orleans, La                  TK  3
          -Reports vary - "EX3" - "W 3" - "W 4" - "W 6"
Mar  2 Frank "Paddy" Slavin       New Orleans, La                  EX  3
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Mar  7 Mike Cleary                Buffalo, NY                      EX  3
Mar  7 Frank "Paddy" Slavin       Buffalo, NY                      EX  3
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Mar    Frank "Paddy" Slavin       Toronto, Ont, Can                EX   
Mar    Frank "Paddy" Slavin       Montreal, Que, Can               EX   
Sep 24 Jack Fallon                Philadelphia, Pa                 EX   
          -This was a wrestling match
 
1893
Sep 29 Jim Hall                   Brooklyn, NY                     EX  3
          -Some sources report "ND 3"
Sep 30 Jack McAuliffe             Philadelphia, Pa                 EX   
Oct  2 Jack McAuliffe             Philadelphia, Pa                 EX   
Oct  4 Jim Hall                   Chicago, Il                      EX  3
          -Some sources report "ND 3"
Oct    Jim Hall                   Pittsburgh, Pa                  SCH   
          -Mitchell and Hall were to spar during
          the week of Oct 16-20 1893; 
          The outcomes are not known
Nov  1 Jack McAuliffe             Boston, Ma                       EX  2
Nov    -Mitchell was scheduled to travel with the 
          Power and Edwards Theatrical Company and spar 
          with Steve O'Donnell and Jim Hall
Dec  7 Billy Woods                Philadelphia, Pa                 EX   
Dec    Jim Hall                   Boston, Ma                      SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Dec    Steve O'Donnell            Boston, Ma                      SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Dec    -Steve O'Donnell became a sparring partner of 
          Mitchell worked with Charlie during Dec 1893-Jan 1894
Dec    Steve O'Donnell            in Florida                       EX   
          -This bout was held during Dec 1893-Jan 1894
Dec    Jack Fogarty               Boston, Ma                       EX   
Dec    Jack Fogarty               Boston, Ma                       EX   
          -The previous 2 bouts were held during Dec 18-23
Dec 31 Harry Darrin               Anastasia Island, Fi             EX   
 
1894
Jan 25 Jim Corbett                Jacksonville, Fl                 LK  3
          -Heavyweight Championship of the World
Feb 24 Jim Corbett                New York, NY                     EX  4
 
1896
May 25 Steve O'Donnell            Putney, Eng                      EX  3
Aug 31 Peter Maher                New York, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
 
1898
       Jack Fallon                Buffalo, NY                      EX  4

*** Some Data Was Provided By Mark Dunn ***

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

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