"Philadelphia" Tommy Ryan
(Thomas Finney)
(Thomas Phinney)

BORN   December 29 1876; St, Johns, New Brunswick, Canada
DIED June 28 1941; Peoria, Illinois (fell from a streetcar)
HEIGHT 5-10 1/2
WEIGHT 135-145 lbs

Ryan was a competitive lightweight and welterweight during the 1890s and early 1900s; He engaged in three furious non-title battles with Champions - two with William "Matty" Matthews and one with Martin Duffy

During his career, Ryan defeated such men as Young Griffo, Mike Farragher, Billy Payne and Frank Bartley; He also fought "Draws" with Jack McAuliffe, Jim Judge, Eddie Kennedy, Morgan Williams, Joe Cotton, Martin Judge and Billy Rhodes

1896
Jan 31 Jim Judge                  Philadelphia, Pa                  L  6
Mar  7 George Dannig              Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  4
May  7 John O'Donnell             Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1
Jul 13 Billy Payne                Philadelphia, Pa                  L  6

1897
Jan 20 George Brown               New York, NY                     KO  1
Jan 22 Fred Jennings              New York, NY                     KO  2
Jan 22 Ed Otto                    New York, NY                     KO  1
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Feb 12 Jack Cochran               Wilmington, De                    L  4
May 29 Joe McNamara               Brooklyn, NY                     KO  3
          -Some sources report "James McNamara"
Jun 21 Young Griffo               Brooklyn, NY                     TK  3
          -Griffo quit
Jul 19 William "Kid" McPartland   Staten Island, NY                LK  1
Aug  2 Jack Robinson              Brooklyn, NY                     TK  1
Aug 16 Tommy Butler               Brooklyn, NY                      D 10
Sep 20 Tommy Butler               Brooklyn, NY                      D 20
Sep 30 Jack McAuliffe             Scranton, Pa                      D 10
          -This was an "Agreed Draw" prior to the fight;
           Some sources report "L 10"
           The referee changed his decision twice
Nov  4 Harry Peterson             Brooklyn, NY                      D 10
Nov  6 Jack Bennett               Athens, Pa                        L 10
Dec  9 Jim Judge                  Scranton, Pa                      L 20
          -Some sources report "D 20"

1898
Feb  2 Jim Judge                  Scranton, Pa                      D 20
          -This was an "Agreed Draw"
Jun 13 Frank Bartley              Scranton, Pa                      D 20
Jun 24 Isadore "Izzy" Strauss     Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Aug 16 Mike Farragher             Willoughby, Pa                   KO  9
Aug 27 Harry Peterson             Brooklyn, NY                      D 10
Sep 19 Billy Payne                Brooklyn, NY                     KO 12
          -Some sources report "W 12" at "Syracuse, NY"
Oct 21 William "Matty" Matthews   New York, NY                     LT 13
Dec  2 Tommy West                 Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6

1899
Mar 27 William "Matty" Matthews   Youngstown, Oh                    L 20
Apr 21 Walter Nolan               Chicago, Il                       D  6
          -Some sources report "L 6"
May  1 John Jenkins               Grand Rapids, Mi                 KO  2
May  5 Tom McCune                 Chicago, Il                       L  6
May 30 Frank Bartley              Elmira, NY                        W 20

1900
Jan 18 Kid Williams               Hot Springs, Ar                  KO  1
Feb 10 John Jenkins               Hot Springs, Ar                  KO  2
          -Some sources report 2/11/00 at "Springfield, Oh"
Feb 19 Walter Nolan               Denver, Co                        D 10
Jun 20 Mike Donovan               Grand Rapids, Mi                  L 20
Aug 16 Charles Bates              Ashtabula, Oh                    KO  6
Oct 15 Mike Donovan               Youngstown, Oh                    L 20
Dec 25 Eddie Kennedy              Millvale, Pa                      D 10

1901
Jun 21 Morgan Williams            Denver, Co                        D 10
Aug 23 Joe Cotton                 Denver, Co                        D 10

1902
May  2 Buck Montgomery            Milwaukee, Wi                     D  6
May  8 Otto Sieloff               Chicago, Il                      LK  4
Jun 23 George Black               St. Louis, Mo                    KO  7
Nov 17 Harry Walsh                Chicago, Il                       W  6
Dec 18 Martin Judge               Peoria, Il                        D  8

1903
Jan 15 Martin Duffy               St. Louis, Mo                     L 15
Apr 26 Billy Rhodes               St. Louis, Mo                     D 15
Sep 15 Martin Duffy               Kansas City, Mo                  LK  8
Nov  6 Billy Rhodes               Omaha, Ne                        NC  4
          -The men were faking

1904
Mar 25 Billy Rhodes               Council Bluffs, Ia                D  6

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

1895
       Tom McGuire                                                 KO  3
       Sam Doyle                                                   KO  2
       Harry Davis                                                 KO  2
       Joe Dougherty                                               KO  1
       Pat Cohen                                                   KO  2
       Tom McGuire                                                  W  4
       Joe Dougherty                                                D  4
       Owen Ziegler                                                ND  4

1896
       Frank Garrard                                               KO  2
       Jack Hanlon                                                  W  4
       Fred Sweigert                                                W  4
       Billy Payne                                                  W  6
       Martin Judge                                                 D  6
       "Wilmington" Jack Daly                                       D  4

1900
       Joe Cotton                                                   W   
       Al Bell                                                      W   

1901
       Buck Montgomery                                              D  6

*** Much Data Was Provided By William Schutte ***

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