Jack Root
(Janos Ruthaly)

BORN   May 26 1876; Fryhelge, Bohemia, Czechoslovakian Republic
DIED June 10 1963; Los Angeles, California
HEIGHT 5-10
WEIGHT 155-172 lbs
MANAGER Lou Houseman

Root was a good boxer and a good hitter; Lou Houseman, Root's manager and promoter, created the Light Heavyweight division in 1903 and Jack won the first bout for the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World

During World War I, Jack served as a lieutenant in the United States Army and also was the boxing instructor at the Arcadian Balloon School.

Afterwards, he became the President and boxing manager for the famous Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles; He resigned that position in February, 1926 to work in the theatrical business

Nat Fleischer ranked Root as the #5 All-Time Light Heavyweight; Charley Rose ranked him as the #9 All-Time Light Heavyweight; Root was elected to the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1961


Root-Gardner 1903 Fight Video Clip

(Press the  button at the top of the screen to return)


1897
Nov 12 Charles Upton              Chicago, Il                     KO  4
Dec 24 Pat Brastand               Chicago, Il                     KO  3

1898
Jan  8 Charles Withey             Chicago, Il                     KO  2
          -Some sources report "Young Charlie White"
Jan 15 George Hipp                Chicago, Il                     KO  1
Jan 29 Mike Carrall               Chicago, Il                     TK  1
Feb  7 Billy Philleth             Chicago, Il                     KO  1
Feb 12 Charles Withey             Chicago, Il                     KO  3
Feb 22 George Ryan                Milwaukee, Wi                   NC  1
          -Police intervened
Feb 26 Mike Carroll               Chicago, Il                      W  6
Mar    Jack Hammond               Chicago, Il                     KO  2
          -Some sources report 3/12/98
Mar 26 Jack Moffatt               Chicago, Il                      W  6
          -Some sources report 2/26/98
May 14 Jack Moffatt               Chicago, Il                      W  6
May 31 Tom Casey                  Chicago, Il                     KO  1
Jul 22 Tom Lansing                New York, NY                    TK  6
          -Some sources report "W 6"
Aug  5 Jim Watts                  New York, NY                    TK  2
Aug 19 Jack Murphy                Philadelphia, Pa                KO  2
Oct 29 Pete Manning               Chicago, Il                      W  4
Nov 15 Tom Lansing                Chicago, Il                     KO  5
          -Lansing died 1/21/99
Dec 30 "Australian" Jim Ryan      Chicago, Il                      W  6

1899
Jan 21 Harry Peppers              Chicago, Il                      W  6
Feb 16 Billy Stift                Davenport, Ia                   WF  7
Apr 29 Dick Moore                 Chicago, Il                     KO  2
May 15 "Australian" Jim Ryan      Louisville, Ky                   D 20
          -Some sources report "W 20"
Jun  7 Tom Burke                  Chicago, Il                     KO  7
Jun 21 Jack Gorman                Chicago, Il                     KO  2
Jul  7 Fred Grant                 Chicago, Il                     KO  3
Aug 12 John Banks                 Chicago, Il                     KO  1
Aug 21 Tom Casey                  Chicago, Il                     KO  1
Sep 23 Billy Stift                Chicago, Il                      W  6
Oct  3 Frank Craig                Chicago, Il                      W  6
Oct 15 Frank Craig                Chicago, Il                      W  6
Oct 18 Frank Steiner              Racine, Wi                      KO  3
Nov 15 Alec Greggains             San Francisco, Ca               KO  7
          -Some sources report "KO 6"

1900
Jan  9 Tommy West                 Chicago, Il                      W  6
Feb  5 Jack Hammond               Milwaukee, Wi                   KO  2
Feb 20 Ed Denfass                 Chicago, Il                     KO  4
Jul 10 Dick O'Brien               Chicago, Il                      W  6
Jul 24 Tommy Ryan                 Chicago, Il                      D  6
Oct  4 Dan Creedon                Kansas City, Mo                 KO  1
Oct 16 Dick O'Brien               Chicago, Il                     KO  3
Nov 16 Joe Ashley                 Manistee, Mi                    KO  2

1901
Jan 18 George Byers               San Francisco, Ca               KO  9
Jun 28 Edward "Kid" Carter        San Francisco, Ca               WF 15
Oct 30 "Australian" Jim Ryan      Louisville, Ky                  KO  2

1902
Jan 31 George Gardner             San Francisco, Ca               WF  7
Apr 26 Billy Stift                Chicago, Il                     KO  2
Aug 18 George Gardner             Salt Lake City, Ut              LT 17
Oct 27 Edward "Kid" Carter        Chicago, Il                      W  6
Nov 10 Marvin Hart                Chicago, Il                      W  6

1903
Apr 22 Charles "Kid" McCoy        Detroit, Mi                      W 10
          -Light Heavyweight Championship of the World
Jul  4 George Gardner             Fort Erie, Ont, Can             LT 12
          -Light Heavyweight Championship of the World;
            Some sources report "L 12"
Nov 26 "Fireman" Jim Flynn        Pueblo, Co                       W  8
          -Some sources report "KO 8"

1904
Feb  5 John Wille                 Chicago, Il                      D  6
Feb 26 George Gardner             Chicago, Il                      D  6
May  2 George Gardner             Chicago, Il                      W  6
Nov 23 Tommy Ryan                 Philadelphia, Pa                NC  4
Dec  5 John Wille                 Chicago, Il                      D  6
          -Some sources report "WF 5";
           Some sources report "Blue Island, Il"

1905
Jul  3 Marvin Hart                Reno, Nv                        LK 12
          -Heavyweight Championship of the World

1906
Feb 26 Fred Russell               Kalamazoo, Mi                    W 10
 
Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization