Gus Ruhlin
(the "Akron Giant")

BORN    January 8 1872; Canton, Ohio (fought out of Akron, Ohio)
DIED    1912; New York, New York
HEIGHT  6-1 3/4
WEIGHT  180-200 lbs
RACE    White; Irish-American
MANAGER Billy Madden
TRAINER Henry "Pop" Blanken

 

Ruhlin was a talented fighter but erratic - an early day "Jack Sharkey"; When he was good, he was very good but when he was bad, he was awful

He came along at the wrong time - when heavyweights such as Jim Jeffries, Bob Fitzsimmons, and Tom Sharkey were in their prime; At any other period in boxing history, he might have received greater respect


Jeffries-Ruhlin #2 1901 Video Clip (Better Version)

Jeffries-Ruhlin #2 1901 Video Clip (Blurry at first; Keep watching)

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


1894
Aug 14 Con Tobin                  Akron, Oh                        TK  5
          -Some sources report "Barberton, Oh"

1895
       Doss Payne                                                   W  4
          -This man may have been "James 'Doc' Payne"
       Peter Maher                Akron, Oh                         L  3
Jun 17 Yank Kenny                 North Baltimore, Md              LK 16
       Tony Gelder                                                 TK  2

1896
       Jim Wood                   Akron, Oh                         W  4
          -This bout may been held during 1893
       Dominick Kane              Cleveland, Oh                     W  4
       Steve O'Donnell            Akron, Oh                         W 20

1897
May 10 Steve O'Donnell            Akron, Oh                         W 10
Jul 17 Jim Jeffries               San Francisco, Ca                 D 20
          -Some sources report 7/16/97
Dec  1 James "Tut" Ryan           New Orleans, La                   W 10
Dec 17 "Texas" Bill Smith         Hot Springs, Ar                  TK  2
Dec 30 O.J. McGibboney            St. Louis, Mo                    KO  2
1898
Jan 24 Wolf Bendoff               Baltimore, Oh                    KO  2
Feb    Charlie Goff               Cincinnati, Oh                   EX   
Feb  3 Billy Madden               Cincinnati, Oh                   EX   
Feb  3 Jimmy Ryan                 Cincinnati, Oh                   EX   
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Feb 17 Jim Daly                   Akron, Oh                        EX   
May 20 Charles "Kid" McCoy        Syracuse, NY                      L 20
          -Some sources report "New York, NY"
Jun 29 Tom Sharkey                Coney Island, NY                 LK  1
Jul 16 Jim "Jack" McCormick       Brooklyn, NY                     TK  8
Sep 19 Ed Dunkhorst               Coney Island, NY                 TK 22
          -Some sources report "Syracuse, NY"
Oct 14 Joe Goddard                Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Nov  4 Joe Choynski               Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
1899
Mar  7 Joe Goddard                New York, NY                     TK  5
          -Some sources report "WF 5"
May  2 Peter Maher                New York, NY                      D 20
Jun 23 Joe Kennedy                San Francisco, Ca                 L 20
Jul 27 George Lawlor              Denver, Co                       KO  9
Sep 18 Jack Stelzner              Denver, Co                       TK  7
          -Stelzner was down twice in both the sixth and seventh rounds;
          The referee stopped the bout; Some sources report "W 7"
Oct 24 Jim Jeffords               Brooklyn, NY                     TK  5
Dec  2 Jim "Jack" McCormick       Chicago, Il                       W  6
Dec 19 Tom "Stockings" Conroy     Brooklyn, NY                     TK  7

1900
Jan 23 Fred Kapps                 Troy, NY                         KO  1
Jan 31 Jack Finnegan              Utica, NY                        TK  4
Feb 22 Jim Corbett                New York, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Mar 30 Yank Kenny                 Hartford, Ct                      W  6
Apr    Jim Corbett                                                 EX   
          -Ruhlin sparred with Corbett during Mar-Apr 1900
           in preparation for Corbett's bout with Jim Jeffries
Jun 26 Tom Sharkey                Coney Island, NY                 KO 15
Aug 10 Bob Fitzsimmons            New York, NY                     LK  6
Aug 29 Charlie Goff               New York, NY                     EX  3
Dec 17 Peter Maher                Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6

1901
Jan 14 "Denver" Ed Martin         Cincinnati, Oh                   EX  3
Feb 15 Jim Jeffries               Cincinnati, Oh                  SCH   
          -Heavyweight Championship of the World;
           This bout was scheduled but not held;
           Governor Nash of Ohio prevented the bout
May    "Denver" Ed Martin         Grand Rapids, Mi                 EX   
Jul  2 Bob Fitzsimmons            New York, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but postponed
Jul  9 Bob Fitzsimmons            New York, NY             (15:00) EX   
          -This was a wrestling match; 
           Ruhlin won; Falls: 2-0
Sep 16 "Denver" Ed Martin         San Francisco, Ca                EX   
Oct  5 Ben Tremble                Los Angeles, Ca                  EX  4
Oct  5 Jim Tremble                Los Angeles, Ca                  EX  4
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Oct 12 Tim Hegarty                San Francisco, Ca                EX  3
Oct 29 "Denver" Ed Martin         San Francisco, Ca                EX   
Nov  2 "Denver" Ed Martin         Redwood City, Ca                 EX   
Nov  2 Charlie Goff               Redwood City, Ca                 EX   
Nov  2 Joe McAuliffe              Redwood City, Ca                 EX   
          -The previous 3 bouts were held the same date
Nov  5 Charlie Goff               San Francisco, Ca                EX   
Nov  5 "Denver" Ed Martin         San Francisco, Ca                EX   
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Nov 15 Jim Jeffries               San Francisco, Ca                LT  6
          -Heavyweight Championship of the World;
Nov 25 Jim Burns                  Salt Lake City, Ut               EX  6

1902
Mar 21 Peter Maher                Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  2
Jun 25 Tom Sharkey                London, Eng                      TK 11

1903
Mar  9 "Mexican" Pete Everett     Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  2
May  4 Gustav Sanders             New York, NY                      W   
          -This was a wrestling match; Falls: 2-1
May 26 John "Sandy" Ferguson      Boston, Ma                        D 15
Sep  7 Edward "Kid" Carter        Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Sep 28 Edward "Kid" Carter        Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Nov 19 Con Riley                  Findlay, Oh                     SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Dec 17 Charlie Green              Akron, Oh                        KO  4

1904
Mar 12 Jim Jeffords               Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Mar 21 Marvin Hart                Philadelphia, Pa                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held; 
           Hart failed to appear
Apr  6 Jim Jeffords               Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Apr 20 Marvin Hart                Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
May 20 Marvin Hart                Baltimore, Md                     D 12

1905
Aug 11 Jim "Jack" McCormick       Colma, Ca                        KO 18

1906
Apr 11 Pat O'Rourke               New York, NY                     KO  1
May 28 John "Sandy" Ferguson      New York, NY                     ND  4
          -Some sources report "ND 6"

1910
Jul    Colin Bell                 in Australia                     LK  3
             
Compiled By Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization