Hugo Kelly
(Ugo Micheli)

BORN   February 10 1883; Florence, Italy (Fought out of Chicago, Illinois)
HEIGHT 5-8 (Some sources state 5-9)
WEIGHT 155-158 lbs
RACE White; Italian-American
MANAGER Ferretti

Kelly was a tough, muscular scrapper who carried a stiff punch; He was regarded as the Middleweight Champion of the World by many during the teens

Among those he defeated during his career were "Chicago" Jack Daly, Owen Ziegler, "Rube" Ferns, Mike Schreck, Jack "Twin" Sullivan, Joe Grim, Charles McKeever, Tom Foley, Tony Caponi, Sailor Burke, Fred Cooley, Dave Barry, Joe Thomas, and Frank Klaus

After retiring from the ring, Kelly became a wealthy man from the motion picture business in Illinois


Kelly-Ryan 1907 Video Clip (Kelly is the taller man - from the left)

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

1899
Sep 19 Jack Falvey                 Chicago, Il                     W   6
Oct  6 Lew Mansfield               Chicago, Il                     L   6
Oct 20 Jack Parrott                Chicago, Il                    KO   1
Nov 24 Jack Sullivan               Chicago, Il                     D   6

1900
Jan  5 Jack Brennan                Chicago, Il                    KO   1
Feb  2 Chappy Jones                Chicago, Il                     D   6

1901
Aug 25 Charley Miller              Bluff Lake, Il                 KO   2
Sep  7 Charley "Rough House" Burns Chicago, Il                     D   6
Oct 12 Charley "Rough House" Burns Chicago, Il                     D   6
Oct 26 Charley Miller              Chicago, Il                    KO   5
Nov 15 Hughey McMahon              Milwaukee, Wi                  KO   5
Dec  4 Buck Montgomery             Chicago, Il                    LK   2
Dec 12 Buck Montgomery             Chicago, Il                     W   6

1902
Jan 27 "Chicago" Jack Daly         Chicago, Il                     D   6
Feb  6 Buck Montgomery             Chicago, Il                     W   6
Feb 17 Mike Schreck                Chicago, Il                     D   6
Feb 26 "Chicago" Jack Daly         Chicago, Il                     W   6
Mar  3 Mike Schreck                Chicago, Il                     L   6
Apr 22 Owen Ziegler                Chicago, Il                     W   6
May 26 Mike Schreck                Chicago, Il                     L   6
Jun 30 Harry Peppers               Chicago, Il                     D   6
Oct  3 Jack Roe                    Chicago, Il                    KO   3
Oct  6 Johnny Hogan                Chicago, Il                     D   6
Nov 10 Tom Wallace                 Chicago, Il                     W   6
Nov 27 James "Rube" Ferns          Kansas City, Mo                 W  10

1903
Jan  3 Hughey McMahon              Chicago, Il                    KO   3
Jan 29 Mike Schreck                St. Louis, Mo                   W  15
Apr  1 Harry Welsh                 Indianapolis, In               KO   9
Apr 16 Mike Schreck                St. Louis, Mo                   D  20
Aug  4 Charley Miller              Indianapolis, In               KO   4
Sep 17 Joe Curtain                 Grand Rapids, Mi               KO   3
Oct 29 Mike Donovan                Milwaukee, Wi                   W   6
          -Some sources report 10/30/03
Nov 20 Charles McKeever            Milwaukee, Wi                   L   6
Dec  3 Joe Grim                    Chicago, Il                     W   6
Dec 29 "Philadelphia" Jack O'Brien Kansas City, Mo                 D  10
          -O'Brien claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version)

1904
Feb 23 Jack "Twin" Sullivan        Chicago, Il                     W   6
Mar 18 "Philadelphia" Jack O'Brien Chicago, Il                     L   6
          -Reports vary - "W 6" - "D 6"
Mar 31 Charles McKeever            Indianapolis, In                W  10
Apr  7 Jack "Twin" Sullivan        Kansas City, Mo                 L  20
          -Sullivan claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version)
Apr 12 Tom Foley                   Kansas City, Mo                KO   3
May 11 Jack "Twin" Sullivan        Indianapolis, In                D  10
Sep  8 Tom Wallace                 Chicago, Il                    KO   6
Sep 13 "Philadelphia" Jack O'Brien Philadelphia, Pa               ND   6
          -Some sources report 9/14/04
Oct 26 Mike Schreck                Indianapolis, In                D  10

1905
Apr 10 Tom Wallace                 Indianapolis, In                W   3
Apr 25 "Philadelphia" Jack O'Brien Indianapolis, In                W  10
          -Kelly claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version)
Jun  7 Tommy Burns                 Detroit, Mi                     D  10
          -Kelly claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version)
Jul 28 Tommy Burns                 Los Angeles, Ca                 D  20
          -Burns won comfortably but had agreed,
           prior to the bout, that if both were 
           still standing at the end, it would be 
           declared a "draw"
Nov  3 Young Mahoney               Milwaukee, Wi                   D   8
Nov 14 Tony Caponi                 Harlson, Il                    ND   6 
Dec 11 Young Mahoney               Indianapolis, In                D  10
          -Kelly claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version);
          -Kelly claimed American middleweight championship

1906
Mar  9 Jack "Twin" Sullivan        Los Angeles, Ca                 D  20
          -Kelly claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version);
          -Kelly claimed American middleweight championship
May 14 Dave Barry                  Indianapolis, In                D  10
Jun 25 Young Mahoney               Indianapolis, In               KO   3
          -Kelly claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version);
          -Kelly claimed American middleweight championship
Aug 24 Tony Caponi                 Leavenworth, Ks                KO   6
          -Kelly claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version);
          -Kelly claimed American middleweight championship
Sep 11 Sailor Burke                Chelsea, Ma                     W   5
          -Kelly claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version)
Nov 13 Dave Barry                  Kalamazoo, Mi                   D  10
Nov 27 Fred Cooley                 Peoria, Il                     KO   2
Dec 12 Dave Barry                  Rochester, NY                  KO   6

1907
Mar  4 Tommy Ryan                  Rochester, NY                   D   6
May 10 Jack "Twin" Sullivan        Los Angeles, Ca                 D  20
          -Kelly claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version)
Dec 30 Billy Papke                 Milwaukee, Wi                   D  10
          -Kelly claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version);
          -Kelly claimed American middleweight championship

1908
Mar 16 Billy Papke                 Milwaukee, Wi                   L  10
          -Papke claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version);
          -Papke claimed American middleweight championship
Jul 31 Stanley Ketchel             San Francisco, Ca              LK   3
          -Ketchel claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version);
           Ketchel claimed American middleweight championship
Dec 15 Billy Papke                 Los Angeles, Ca                 D  25

1909
Feb 25 Joe Thomas                  New York, NY                   KO   5
          -Some sources report "KO 6"
May 15 Billy Papke                 Colma, Ca                      LK   1
Jun 25 Frank Klaus                 Pittsburgh, Pa                 ND   6

1910
Apr 11 Tommy Sullivan              New Orleans, La                 W  10
May  6 Eddie McGoorty              Milwaukee, Wi                  ND  10
Nov  4 Tony Caponi                 Winnipeg, Man, Can             ND  12
Dec 20 Frank Klaus                 Boston, Ma                      W  12
          -Kelly claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version)

1911
Mar 21 Bill McKinnon               Boston, Ma                      W  12
          -Kelly claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version)
Apr 26 Jack Roberts                                               EX   2
Apr 26 Ira Lang                                                   EX   2
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Apr 28 "Cyclone" Johnny Thompson   Racine, Wi                     ND  10
          -Kelly claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version)

1912
Feb 21 George "K.O." Brown         Kenosha, Wi                    ND  10
          -Kelly claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version)
Mar 20 Eddie McGoorty              Kenosha, Wi                    ND  10
          -Kelly claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version)
May 28 Jack Dillon                 Indianapolis, In               LK   3
          -Dillon claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World (American version);
           Some sources report Light Heavyweight Championship of the World 

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