Jack Bonner
(John Bonner)

BORN    July 14 1874; Summit Hill, Pennsylvania
HEIGHT  5-9 3/4 (Some sources report 5-9)
WEIGHT  154-170 lbs
MANAGERS Bob Deady

 

Bonner was one of the better fighters at the turn of the century; He fought most of the top middleweights and light-heavyweights at the time, black or white; He also tangled with some heavyweights; Jack fought Tommy Ryan for the Middleweight Championship in 1898

During his career, Bonner defeated such men as Billy Leedom, Billy Hennessey, "Australian" Billy Smith, Joe Butler, Nick Burley, Abe Ullman, Charlie Goff, Dan Creedon, Dick O'Brien, Dick Moore, Harry Peppers, "Wild" Bill Hanrahan, "Scaldy" Bill Quinn, and Charles Haghey

1893
Oct 12 Ray Badgeley                                                KO 16
Nov 17 Fred Warren                                                 KO  4
Dec 23 Fred Warren                                                 KO  4

1894
Apr 22 Jack Fahey                  Tamaqua, Pa                     KO  2
Jul 12 Billy Kelly                 Mahoney Junction, Pa             D 27
          -Some sources report "KO 27"
Aug  8 Billy Kelly                 Pottsville, Pa                  KO  8
Oct 27 Bill Leiser                 Tamaqua, Pa                      L  6
          -Some sources report "W 6"
Nov  6 Billy Martin                Lansford, Pa                    KO  1
          -Some sources report "KO 2"

1895
Feb 23 Ray Badgeley                Lansford, Pa                    WF  5
May 16 Ray Badgeley                Summit Hill, Pa                  D 25
Dec 19 "Scaldy" Bill Quinn         Lakeside, Pa                     D 37

1896
Feb 29 Pepper Griffin              Pottsville, Pa                  TK 11
Mar 12 Pepper Griffin              Shenandoah, Pa                   W 10
May 21 Dan Wilhere                 Philadelphia, Pa                 D  6
Jul  3 Yock Hayden                                                 KO  4
Aug 27 Ray Badgeley                Summit Hill, Pa                 KO 16
          -Perhaps, this is the 10/12/93 bout
Sep  3 Fred Morris                 Philadelphia, Pa                ND  4
          -Some sources report 10/03/96
Oct 10 Fred Morris                 Philadelphia, Pa                ND  4
Oct 17 Mike Dempsey                Philadelphia, Pa                ND  4
Oct 31 Pepper Griffin              Philadelphia, Pa                ND  4
Nov 19 Dick Moore                  Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Nov 26 "Scaldy" Bill Quinn         Philadelphia, Pa                ND  4
Dec 12 "Scaldy" Bill Quinn         Philadelphia, Pa                ND  4
Dec 19 William Smith               Philadelphia, Pa                TK  2
Dec 26 Abraham "Abe" Ullman        Philadelphia, Pa                ND  4

1897
Jan  3 Frank Childs                Chicago, Il                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held; Police intervened
Jan  9 Ed Warner                   Philadelphia, Pa                ND  4
Jan 14 Nick Burley                 Philadelphia, Pa                TK  4
Jan 21 Dick Moore                  Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Jan 30 Ed Warner                   Philadelphia, Pa                KO  1
Feb  6 Billy Leedom                Philadelphia, Pa                TK  3
Feb 13 Henry Miller                Philadelphia, Pa                TK  2
Feb 27 William Clark               Philadelphia, Pa                KO  1
Mar 23 Dick Moore                  Athens, Pa                       D 15
Apr 20 Billy Hennessey             Athens, Pa                      TK  3
          -Some sources report "KO 2" at "Philadelphia, Pa"
May 31 Charles "Kid" McCoy         Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Jun  8 "Australian" Billy Smith    Athens, Pa                      TK  5
          -Some sources report "W 6"
Jul 26 Harry Peppers               Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
          -Some sources report "D 15"
Aug  7 Ed Smith                    Tamaqua, Pa                     TK  2
Aug 31 Harry Peppers               Athens, Pa                      NC 15
          -Some sources report "Philadelphia, Pa"
Oct 11 "Mysterious" Billy Smith    Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Nov  1 Joe Butler                  Philadelphia, Pa                TK  2
          -Butler claimed he had Bonner almost out in the
           first round when the referee stepped in and gave
           him a chance to recover; In the second round, 
           Bonner had knocked Butler down for three seconds
           when the referee stopped the bout
Nov 13 Joe Butler                  Philadelphia, Pa                WF  2
          -Butler claimed that he had knocked Bonner down
           three times when the referee stepped in and gave
           him a chance to recover; The police subsequently
           stopped the bout; Bonner was taken to a hospital
Dec  6 "Sailor" Charles Lynch      Athens, Pa                      KO  4
          -Some sources report "TK 5"

1898
Jan 15 "Australian" Billy Smith    Chicago, Il                     TK  3
Jan 25 "Woburn" Tom McCarthy       Rochester, NY                    D 19
          -Police intervened
Feb  1 Nick Burley                 Wheeling, WV                    TK 13
Feb 25 Abraham "Abe" Ullman        Philadelphia, Pa                TK  3
Mar 11 Tommy West                  Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Apr 16 Ed Gross                    Philadelphia, Pa                KO  4
May  2 Dick O'Brien                Athens, Pa                       D 15
Aug 15 Charlie Goff                Brooklyn, NY                    TK 18
Sep 12 Dan Creedon                 Brooklyn, NY                    TK  2
          -Bonner knocked Creedon down; Creedon twisted 
           his ankle in the fall and could not continue
Sep 19 Tom Lansing                 Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Oct 24 Tommy Ryan                  Brooklyn, NY                     L 20
          -Middleweight Championship of the World;
           Some sources report "L 25"
Nov  8 Tommy Ryan                  Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Dec 13 George Byers                New York, NY                     D 20
          -Some sources report 12/19/98

1899
Feb  2 Dick O'Brien                Hartford, Ct                    TK 19
          -Some sources report 2/02/98
Feb 28 Tommy West                  New York, NY                    LF  8
          -The referee stopped the bout; Bonner rubbed a substance on his gloves
Mar 25 Jack McCormick              Philadelphia, Pa                 D  6
Apr  8 Charles Stevenson           Philadelphia, Pa                KO  6
Apr 15 Charles Strong              Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
May 13 Dick Moore                  Pottsville, Pa                  KO  3
May 19 Frank Childs                Chicago, Il                      D  6
Aug 28 Yank Kenny                  Coney Island, NY                 W 25
Nov 13 Jack Finnegan               Wheeling, WV                     D 20
Dec 30 Harry Peppers               Philadelphia, Pa                KO  2
          -Some sources report 1/05/00;
           Some sources report "KO 1"

1900
Mar  2 Frank Childs                Chicago, Il                      L  6
Mar 17 Frank Childs                Chicago, Il                      D  6
Apr  6 Tommy West                  New York, NY                    LT 16
          -Some sources report "L 16"
Apr 27 Charles McKeever            Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
May  5 "Scaldy" Bill Quinn         Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
May 11 Joe Walcott                 Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Jun  1 Charles "Kid" McCoy         New York, NY                    LT 13
Jul 13 "Wild" Bill Hanrahan        New York, NY                    LT 21
Sep 26 Isadore "Izzy" Strauss      Philadelphia, Pa                EX  3
Oct  1 "Philadelphia" Jack O'Brien Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Nov 26 Tommy West                  Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Nov 30 Jack Butler                 Philadelphia, Pa                KO  1
Dec 10 Rufus Graham                Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Dec 12 Jim McCormick               Leadville, Co                   LK  5

1901
Feb 15 "Wild" Bill Hanrahan        Youngstown, Oh                   W 20
Mar 24 Edward "Kid" Carter         Louisville, Ky                   D 20
          -Some sources report 3/25/01
Apr 15 Lon Beckwith                Shamokin, Pa                    TK  5
May  6 Edward "Kid" Carter         Louisville, Ky                   L 20
Jun 17 "Scaldy" Bill Quinn         Freeland, Pa                     D 15
Jul 26 Joe Walcott                 Bridgeport, Ct                   L 15
Aug 12 "Scaldy" Bill Quinn         Mauch Chunk, Pa                 KO 10
Sep 16 Dick Moore                  Trenton, NJ                     KO  2
Oct 14 Al Weinig                   St. John, NB, Can                D  5
          -Some sources report "NC 7"

1902
Jan 20 Jack McCormick              Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Jan 27 "Young" Peter Jackson       Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Mar 25 Edward "Kid" Carter         Louisville, Ky                   D 20
Apr 16 Charles Haghey              Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
May 23 "Philadelphia" Jack O'Brien Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Jun 16 "Philadelphia" Jack O'Brien Paterson, NJ                     D  6
          -This was a "pre-arranged draw"
Jun 23 George Cole                 Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Oct 16 Jim Watts                   Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
          -Some sources report 10/15/02

1903
Jan  1 Tommy West                  Leighton, Pa                   SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held; The crowd was too small
Mar  3 Morgan Williams             Victor, Co                       D 20
          -Reports vary - 02/27/1903 - 03/03/1903 - 03/05/03
Apr  2 Marvin Hart                 Louisville, Ky                  LF  4
Jun 24 "Philadelphia" Jack O'Brien Mauch Chunk, Pa                 ND 10

1904
Apr 12 Jim Jeffords                Mahanoy City, Pa                ND 10

1905
Mar  4 Jack Williams               Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Apr 22 Jim Jeffords                Allentown, Pa                   ND 10
Sep 21 Jack Butler                 Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6

1907
Oct 10 Billy Mack                  Wilkes-Barre, Pa                ND  6
          -Some sources report "TK 6"
Dec  9 Mickey McDonough            Wilkes-Barre, Pa                KO  4
          -Police intervened; Some sources report "LT 5"

1908
Jan 17 Jack Blackburn              Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Mar  2 "Philadelphia" Jack O'Brien Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6
Apr 16 Jim Stewart                 New York, NY                    LK  5
Sep 21 Jim Stewart                 Philadelphia, Pa                ND  6

1909
Jan 25 Bill Larry                  Tamaqua, Pa                     KO  2
Dec 10 Jack Rowan                  Tamaqua, Pa                     ND  6

1910
Mar  3 Tom Overby                  Wilkes-Barre, Pa                LK  2
          -Some sources report "Nanticoke, Pa"

1911
Feb 22 Gint Hollywood              Mauch Chunk, Pa                 KO  6

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

1892
       Owen Ziegler                Philadelphia, Pa                LK  1

1895
Dec 25 Jimmy O'Donnell                                              L  6
          -Did O'Donnell fight this "Jack Bonner" ?

1898
Jan  4 Frank Childs                Chicago, Il                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known

1900
Jan  3 Harry Peppers               Philadelphia, Pa                KO  2 

1903
Feb 27 Sammy Meyers                Cumberland, ?                   LK  1

1905
Sep 14 Griff Jones                 Manayunk, Pa                    LK  2
*** Most Data Was Provided By Luckett Davis And William Schutte ***
 
Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization