John H. "Sandy" Ferguson
BORN July 24 1879; Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada DIED February 26 1919; Providence, Rhode Island HEIGHT 6-3 WEIGHT 200-220 lbs
Ferguson was a big, strong fellow who was not smooth and flashy but was durable and capable; He served as a "trial-horse" for many up and coming fighters of the time; He fought anyone who wanted to fight - black or white - and dodged no one; Ferguson was a White Hope of the teens
Among those he defeated during his career were Ben Taylor, Yank Kenny, Dick O'Brien, George Byers, Bob Armstrong, Tom "Jabber" Carey, Joe Walcott, Klondike, Charles Haghey, Jim McCormick, Al Kubiak, Jim Barry and Joe Jeannette1898 Nov 18 Sid West Chelsea, Ma W 3 Dec 8 Sid West Chelsea, Ma W 6 Dec 26 Paul Watson Chelsea, Ma KO 1 1899 Jan 13 J. McLoughlin Chelsea, Ma W 5 Feb 22 Paddy Fenton Chelsea, Ma EX 4 Mar 15 Maxwell Page Chelsea, Ma W 2 Nov 25 Tom Shaw Boston, Ma W 3 Dec 24 Mike Schalow Boston, Ma W 3 1900 Jan 25 Tom Shaw Cambridge, Ma D 6 Feb 1 Jack Buckley East Boston, Ma D 6 -Some sources report "Boston, Ma" Feb 9 Jim Gallagher East Boston, Ma D 6 Feb 22 Billy Jordan Boston, Ma W 6 Mar 14 Charley Rogers Lynn, Ma W 3 Mar 29 Tim Fogarty Boston, Ma W 5 Apr 19 Mike Higgins Boston, Ma D 6 Apr 30 Tom Carpenter Chelsea, Ma D 6 Jun 4 Mike Schalow Chelsea, Ma D 8 Jun 10 Charley O'Rourke LK 4 Nov 26 Tom Shaw Lynn, Ma KO 1 Dec 17 Dick O'Brien Lynn, Ma LF 4 1901 Jan 4 Dick O'Brien Lewiston, Me LF 4 Apr 30 John McDonald Gloucester, Ma KO 1 Dec 21 Ben Taylor Woolwich, Eng L 6 -Some sources report "LF 5" Dec 28 Jack Welsh in England W 1 1902 Jan 4 Charles McKeever London, Eng D 4 Jan 14 Bill Davis in England W 4 Jan 18 J. Davenport in England W 3 Feb 3 J. Maloney in England W 3 Mar 3 Ben Taylor London, Eng W 10 Mar 21 Yank Kenny in England KO 3 May 10 Ben Taylor Woolwich, Eng D 6 -Some sources report 5/12/02; Some sources report "D 10" Jun 25 "Denver" Ed Martin London, Eng LT 5 1903 Jan 22 George Byers Brighton, Ma ND 8 -Some sources report "D 3" at "Boston, Ma" Mar 25 Dick O'Brien Brighton, Ma KO 4 -Some sources report "Boston, Ma" Apr 7 George Byers Brighton, Ma W 12 -Some sources report "Boston, Ma" Apr 16 Jack Johnson Boston, Ma L 10 Apr 27 Dick O'Brien Gloucester, Ma KO 6 -Some sources report 4/28/03 May 26 Gus Ruhlin Boston, Ma D 15 Jul 31 Jack Johnson Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 Aug 20 Bob Armstrong Boston, Ma KO 1 -Some sources report 8/24/03 Sep 3 Tom "Jabber" Carey Boston, Ma W 12 Nov 10 Joe Walcott Boston, Ma W 15 Dec 11 Jack Johnson Colma, Ca L 20 -Some sources report "San Francisco, Ca" Dec 26 Klondike (John Haynes) Chicago, Il W 6 -Some sources report "KO 6" on 12/28/03 1904 Jan 18 Jim Galvin Boston, Ma KO 2 -Some sources report 1/17/04 Feb 6 Jack Johnson Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 -Some sources report "NC 5" Mar 16 Marvin Hart Hot Springs, Ar L 20 -Some sources report 3/17/04 May 23 Joe Walcott Portland, Me L 10 -Some sources report "D 10" on 5/22/04 Nov 24 Charles Haghey Bangor, Me KO 1 -Many observers thought the bout was a "fake" 1905 Jan 27 Jim McCormick Hot Springs, Ar WF 5 -Some sources report "W 5" Jul 18 Jack Johnson Chelsea, Ma LF 7 -Some sources report "L 7" 1906 May 28 Gus Ruhlin New York, NY ND 4 -Some sources report "ND 6" 1907 Aug 15 Charles Stevenson Philadelphia, Pa ND 3 Aug 15 Morris Harris Philadelphia, Pa ND 3 -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date Dec 12 Morris Harris Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 1908 Apr 30 Morris Harris Philadelphia, Pa ND 6 May 19 Sam Langford Boston, Ma L 12 Sep 15 Joe Jeannette Boston, Ma L 12 1909 Mar 9 Al Kubiak Boston, Ma KO 4 Apr 6 Jim Barry Boston, Ma WF 10 Apr 27 Sam Langford Boston, Ma D 12 May 8 Herbert Hall Paris, Fr KO 1 May 22 Joe Jeannette Paris, Fr L 20 Jun 22 Joe Jeannette Boston, Ma W 12 Aug 27 Joe Jeannette New York, NY LT 8 1910 Apr 1 Dan "Porky" Flynn Boston, Ma L 10 May 31 Jack Burns Los Angeles, Ca ND 10 Jun 17 Jim Barry Los Angeles, Ca ND 10 Oct 16 Jim Barry McDonoughville, La LT 14 -Some sources report "L 14" at "New Orleans, La" 1911 Jan 3 Dan "Porky" Flynn Boston, Ma L 10 Jan 24 Jim Barry Boston, Ma L 12 Apr Andy Morris Portland, Me ND 6 Jul 28 Tony Ross New York, NY LT 5 -Some sources report "L 5" 1912 May 21 Tom Kennedy Boston, Ma L 10 May 28 Tom Kennedy Boston, Ma D 10 -Some sources report 5/28/13 1913 May 19 Jeff Madden Gloucester, Ma L 10 -Some sources report "W 10" 1915 Aug 10 Sam McVea Boston, Ma LT 8 Aug 15 George "Kid" Cotton Boston, Ma EX 3 Sep 14 Battling Levinsky Chelsea, Ma L 12 -Some sources report 9/24/15 at "Boston, Ma"1916 Dec 8 Homer Smith Philadelphia, Pa LK 4 *** The Following Bout Is Reported But Not Confirmed *** 1901 Dec 2 Charles "Kid" McCoy in England LF 4
Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization
