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The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia -- Old Timer

Billy Vernon
(William Vernon; William Vollmer)

BORN   January 10 1870; New York, New York (Fought out of Haverstraw, New York)
DIED April 22 1897; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Presbyterian Hospital; From injuries received in the Pierce bout)
HEIGHT 5-8 (Some sources report 5-7)
WEIGHT 135-140 lbs
MANAGER Mike Haley

Vernon was clever and quick; He was a scrappy fighter who carried a nice wallop

During his career, Vernon defeated such men as Hite Peckham, Harry Pigeon, Dan Murphy and Jake Pitz

1888
Nov 27 Fred Plummer               Haverstraw, NY                   KO  5
Dec  6 Fred Plummer               Haverstraw, NY                   TK  2
          -Some sources report "W 2"

1889
Feb 23 an unnamed opponent        Cambridge, Ma                    KO   
Mar 13 Mike Lavelle               Haverstraw, NY                   KO  3
          -Some sources report "W 3"
May  7 Mike Cody                  Haverstraw, NY                   KO  1
Aug 12 Tommy Doris                Yonkers, NY                       D  8
          -Some sources report "W 8"

1890
Jul  3 John Monahan               Highland Falls, NY               TK  5
          -Some sources report "W 5"
Jul 14 Billy Seely                Newburgh, NY                     KO  1
          -Some sources report "KO 2"
Sep 22 Billy Burke                Baltimore, Md                    KO  2
Oct 16 Lewis Miller               Cambridge, Ma                    KO  2

1891
Mar  4 James Gibbons              Paterson, NJ                      W  3
          -Some sources report "KO 3" in 1890
Aug  5 George Stevens             Philadelphia, Pa                  W  3
          -Some sources report "W 5"
Dec  6 Jim Garrett                Philadelphia, Pa                 TK  5
          -Some sources report "W 5"
Dec 17 Owen Ziegler               New York, NY                      L   

1892
Feb  6 Billy Burke                New York, NY                     KO  2
          -Some sources report "Charles Burke"
Apr  9 Charles Burke              New York, NY                     KO  1
May  7 Billy Wallace              New York, NY                      W  6
          -Some sources report "W 3";
           Some sources report "Brooklyn, NY"
May 14 Jack Lynch                 Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1
May 28 Tom Roach                  Philadelphia, Pa                  W  3
Jun 22 John A. Sullivan           New York, NY                      W 10
          -Some sources report "W 6"
Oct 22 Mike Hughes                New York, NY                      W  6
Nov 19 Joe Harmon                 New York, NY                      D  6
          -Some sources report 11/29/92
Dec 24 Hite Peckham               New York, NY                     KO  1

1893
Jan 23 Jake Pitz                  Brooklyn, NY                      W  8
          -Some sources report 1/22/93;
           Some sources report "W 3" ?
Jan 28 Owen Ziegler               Philadelphia, Pa                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but cancelled
Jan 28 Jack McAuliffe             New York, NY                     EX  3
Feb 16 Johnny Martin              Newark, NJ                       KO  1
          -Some sources report "Albany, NY"
Mar  1 Paddy Keenan               New York, NY                     TK  2
          -Two sources report "Denver, Co"; 
           Reports vary - "TK 3" -"W 3"
Mar    -Vernon engaged Con Riordan as trainer vs Billy Lavigne
Mar 13 Billy Lavigne              Buffalo, NY                     SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but postponed
Apr  5 Billy Lavigne              Buffalo, NY                     SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but cancelled
Jun  5 Billy Dacey                Newark, NJ                      SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but cancelled
Jun 22 Billy Ernst                Coney Island, NY                 LK  8
          -Reports vary - "LK 9" - "KO 7"
Jul 29 Austin Gibbons             Philadelphia, Pa                  D  4
Sep 22 Stanton Abbott             Brooklyn, NY                     EX  3
          -Some sources report "D 4"
Oct 17 Jack Aiken                 Brooklyn, NY                     KO  3
          -Some sources report "KO 2"
Dec 30 Joe Harmon                 New York, NY                      W  6

1894
Jan 29 Billy Ernst                Brooklyn, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
           Police intervened and prevented the bout
           Some sources report "New York, NY";
           Some sources report "Long Island, NY"
Feb 17 Murray                     New York, NY                      W  4
Feb 24 Tommy Ryan                 New York, NY                     EX  3
Mar 17 Billy Ernst                Brooklyn, NY                     ND  4
          -Police intervened;
           Some sources report "New York, NY";
           Reports vary - "NC 4" - "W 4"
Mar 24 -Vernon was scheduled to spar in New York, NY the coming week
Apr 17 Dan Murphy                 New York, NY                      W  4
          -Some sources report "ND 4"
May  6 Hugh Winters               New York, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Jun    Mike Harris                Boston, Ma                      SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Jun 23 Harry Pigeon               Port Jefferson, NY               KO  3
          -Some sources report "TK 4"
Nov 26 Bobby Dobbs                Brooklyn, NY                     LK  4
          -Reports vary - "LK 5" - "LK 11"
Dec 26 Bobby Dobbs                Brooklyn, NY              (1:47) LK  4
          -Perhaps, this is the same as the 11/26/94 bout
Dec    Billy Ernst                Brooklyn, NY                     LK   

1895
Jan  9 -Vernon challenged Owen Ziegler to a bout
Jan 16 Jack Green                 Albany, NY                        D  4
Feb 13 Jack Fallon                Boston, Ma                      SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Feb    Frank Garrard              Cleveland, Oh                   SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Mar 21 Jack Everhardt             Cleveland, Oh                    EX  6
          -The men were scheduled to fight fifteen rounds;
           When Everhardt's manager saw the small crowd,
           he refused; Some sources report "NC 4"
May 30 Tim McDermott              Brooklyn, NY                      W  3
Jun  8 George Green (Young Corbett I) New York, NY                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Jul  2 George Green (Young Corbett I) New York, NY                  D  5
          -Corbett floored Vernon in round five;
           Vernon's corner yelled "foul";
           The referee called the bout a "draw"
Jul 27 Charles "Kid" McCoy        New York, NY                     EX  3
Sep 10 John Butler                Boston, Ma                        W  4
Oct 17 Jerry Miller               Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  4
Nov    Frank Garrard              Cleveland, Oh                   SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known

1896
Jan 22 Jack Watts                 near Mattewan, NY               SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Feb 19 Jack Bennett               Allentown, Pa                     D  6
Mar  4 Billy Ernst                Brooklyn, NY                     LK  8
Mar 22 Charley Johnson            Philadelphia, Pa                  D  4
          -Some sources report "ND 6" on 3/24/96
Mar 31 Jimmy Handler              Boston, Ma                       LT  2
Apr  6 -Vernon seconded James "Doc" Payne vs Dick O'Brien in New York, NY
May 18 Billy Dacey                Brooklyn, NY                     TK  4
          -Some sources report 5/18/95
Jul 14 Billy Ernst                Albany, NY                      SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Oct  5 Tommy Cawley               Syracuse, NY                     WF  6
Oct 15 Joe Dougherty              Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  3
          -Some sources report 10/16/96
Oct 26 "Wilmington" Jack Daly     Syracuse, NY                      D 20
          -This man was "Cornelius T. Moriarty"
Dec 19 "Hoboken" Tommy Kelly      Weehawken, NJ                   SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Dec 29 Billy Ernst                Brooklyn, NY                      D  4

1897
Jan  1 Charley Nagle              Toronto, Ont, Canada            SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Jan  1 Billy Tucker               West Brighton, NY               SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Feb  1 Owen Ziegler               New York, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but cancelled
Mar  1 "Wilmington" Jack Daly     New York, NY                     LK  9
          -This man was "Cornelius T. Moriarty"
           Some sources report "L 12"
Mar 30 Jack Hanley                Toronto, Ont, Canada            SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Apr  5 Tom Keenan                 Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  3
Apr 20 Leslie Pierce              Athens, Pa                       LK 14
          -Vernon collapsed in the ring and could not be revived

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

1880-1883
       Dick Yarwood               Boston, Ma                        W  3

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

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