Charles Kemmick BORN   c. 1870; Minneapolis, Minnesota (Fought out of St. Paul, Minnesota) DIED August 1895 (25  years old; consumption) HEIGHT 5-7 1/2 WEIGHT 133-146 lbs

Kemmick was a quick, hard-hitting fighter who possessed "bulldog" tenacity; Most of his opponents were heavier than he was During his career, Kemmick was Welterweight Champion of the Northwest; He reportedly had a record of 33 fights in which he was unbeaten Kemmick is rated as the #10 All-Time Minnesota Welterweight by the eminent IBRO Boxing Historian, George Blair; Other IBRO Historians, Jake Wegner and Tracy Callis, rate Kemmick higher, as the #2 All-Time Minnesota Welterweight Wegner writes (2009) -- Kemmick was regarded as the best Welterweight in the world in the 1880's. His remarkable speed and power were legendary in his time. Welterweight Champion of the World Tommy Ryan, twice backed out of facing him for title defenses. He had such difficulty getting fights, that he frequently fought Heavyweights and often fought under the alias of Charles Hearld and Charlie Kemmic. His record continues to be the object of much research by historians of the International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO), as he was one of the few boxers in history to retire undefeated, reportedly having an unbeaten record throughout 33 fights, with his health forcing him into an early retirement at the age of 23 due to tuberculosis, which ultimately claimed his life. Kemmick's skills were so far ahead of his time, that newspapers didn't just report on his victories, instead they frequently reported on how he often played with his opponents in efforts to make more money off of side-bets on how long his opponents would last with him. In interviews with the Saint Paul newspapers, he often alluded that he could make more money by allowing a fight to go the distance than he could by KO; an almost self-admittance of carrying his opponents to later rounds in efforts to collect more cash from bets. In his last few years of boxing, while battling tuberculosis and with greatly deteriorated skills, Kemmick still could not be bested in a ring. In 1895, his doctor advised him to leave his Saint Paul home to take a vacation in Denver, Colorado in hopes that the drier air may help his illness, but he died shortly after arriving there.

Undated

       Dick Moore                                                   W  7

       Tom Osborne                                                  W  3

       Paddy Nolan                                                  W  2

       George Lemar                                                 W  1

       Ed Molar                                                     W  1

       Frank Morrissey                                              W  1

       Jim Duval                                                    W  1

       Gus Brown                                                    W  2

       Davy Crockett                                                W  1

       Frank Neilson                                                W  3

       Fred Robinson                                                W  3

       Gus Green                                                    W  1

       Fred Nelson (Neilson ?)                                      W  1

       Paddy Shea                                                   W  2

       Red Hennessey                                                W  3

       Ed Leroy                                                     W  1

       Joe McManus                                                  W  4

1889

Jan 13 -Kemmick was reported by newspapers to have had several

           battles and was unbeaten

Jan 22 Joe Lamera                 Minneapolis, Mn                  KO  3

          -This was a fast and furious fight

Mar  3 Tom Hanley                 Minneapolis, Mn                  KO  3

          -Police Gazette names this man "Ed Hanley" and

           reports a "W 2" verdict; Some sources report 3/02/89 

Mar  3 Tom Failes                 Minneapolis, Mn                   W 10

          -Police Gazette names this man "Dick Failes" and

           reports a "W 6" verdict; 

           The previous 2 bouts were held the same date

Sep 27 Frank Kellar               Ashland, Wi                       D 10

          -Kellar was badly punished

Oct 13 -Kemmick refereed the Danny Needham-Frank Besow bout

           at Ashland, Wi

Oct 15 George Curtis              Ashland, Wi                      KO  2

          -Danny Needham was the referee; Police intervened

           and arrested the fighters and some others; Some
           sources report 1/15/89 vs "John W. Curtis"

1890
Jun  1 Tom Standard               El Paso, Tx                      KO  1
 

1891

Feb 18 -Kemmick seconded Danny Needham vs Tommy Ryan at

           Minneapolis, Mn

Jul 21 Jimmy Murphy               St. Paul, Mn                      D 12
Aug    Billy Mahan                San Francisco, Ca               SCH   

          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known

1892

Feb 26 Hite Peckham               San Francisco, Ca                NC  3
          -There were several suspicious knockdowns;
           The referee declared a "No Contest";
           Some sources report "KO 3"

Apr 25 James Scully               Minneapolis, Mn                  KO  3
          -Some sources report "KO 2" on 4/24/91
May  6 Con Doyle                  Minneapolis, Mn                 SCH   

          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known

Jun  6 Jack Wilkes                Minneapolis, Mn                   D 10
 

1893

Jun 18 -The Philadelphia (Pa) Item reported that Kemmick,

           one of the best 142-lb men a few years ago, now

           looks like a wreck, battling with consumption

Sep  9 Jim Sullivan               Coney Island, NY                  D 10

1895

Aug 24 -The Philadelphia (Pa) Item reported that Kemmick

           (of St. Paul) died of consumption; He was 25 years

           of age

*** Some Data Was Provided By Jake Wegner ***

*** Photo Was Provided By Bill Schutte ***

---

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

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