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The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia -- Old Timer

Billy Mahan
(Billy Mayhan)

BORN 1862; San Francisco, California (Some sources report 1868)
WEIGHT 135-145 lbs

 

Mahan was a scrappy, capable fighter who battled many top men of his day and fought for the Lightweight Championship of the Pacific Coast; During his career, he defeated George Mulholland, Billy Shannon, Paddy Purtell, Jack Campbell, Jimmy Griffin, Charles Carr and John A. Sullivan

1882
       Jack McKenna               San Francisco, Ca                  TK  7
          -Some sources report "W 7"

1883
Oct 12 Owen McNulty               San Francisco, Ca                  LK 22

1884
       Jack Heeney                San Francisco, Ca                  TK  2
          -Some sources report "W 2"
       Jack Kelly                 San Francisco, Ca                   W  3
          -Some sources report "W 4";
          Some sources report "KO 3"
       Gus Muller                 San Francisco, Ca                   W 12
          -Some sources report "KO 12"
       Tom Moran                  San Francisco, Ca                   W  4
       George Bennett             San Francisco, Ca                  TK  2
          -Some sources report "W 2"
       George Bobado                                                  W  4
          -Some sources report "W 2";
          Some sources report "TK 2"

1885
       Pat Cassidy                                                    W  8
       Jack Campbell              San Francisco, Ca                  TK  7
          -Some sources report "W 7"

1886
Jul    Charles Carr               West Berkeley, Ca                   W  3
          -Some sources report "KO 3"
Aug  8 Pete O'Brien               Alameda, Ca                        TK 24
          -Bare Knuckles were used for this bout
Sep  1 Jack Campbell              San Francisco, Ca                  EX   
Nov  1 Tom Cleary                 San Francisco, Ca                  LT  7
          -Some sources report "L 7"
Nov 22 Henry Steward              San Francisco, Ca                   W  4

Undated
       Tom Patterson              San Francisco, Ca                   W  4

1887
Jan 21 Tom Avery                  San Francisco, Ca                  KO 26
          -Some sources report "W 9";
           Some sources report "TK 9"
       George Smith               San Francisco, Ca                   W  6
          -Some sources report "KO 6"

1888
May 21 Montana Kid                San Francisco, Ca                  EX  3
       "Young" Jack Dempsey       San Francisco, Ca                   W 10
          -Some sources report "W 9"
Aug 20 Tom Meadows                San Francisco, Ca                  LT  7
          -Some sources report "L 7";
           Some sources report "LK 8";
           Some sources report 8/21/88;
           Some sources report 8/22/88
Sep    Gus Gannon                 San Francisco, Ca                  KO 18
Oct 19 Jim Lahey                  San Francisco, Ca                  TK 33
          -Some sources report "W 33"

1889
Jan  9 George Mulholland          San Francisco, Ca                   D 87
          -Lightweight Championship of the Pacific Coast;
           Gloves were used for this bout
Mar 18 John A. Sullivan           San Francisco, Ca                   D 64
Apr 23 Paddy Gorman               Alameda, Ca                       SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
       John A. Sullivan           San Francisco, Ca                  KO 49
Jun 19 Ed Cuffe                   Los Angeles, Ca                    EX   
Jun 28 John A. Sullivan           San Francisco, Ca                   L  4
Jul 31 George Mulholland          Los Angeles, Ca                    TK 38

1890
Feb 27 Jimmy Griffin              San Francisco, Ca                  KO 27
          -Some sources report "Johnny Griffin";
           Some sources report 2/17/90
Mar    Jack Delancey              San Francisco, Ca                   L   
Apr 28 Billy Shannon              San Francisco, Ca                  KO 15
          -Some sources report 4/29/90
Jun 20 Austin Gibbons             in California                     SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Oct 14 Danny Needham              Seattle, Wa                        LK 43
          -Reports vary - 9/14/90 - 10/15/90;
           Some sources report "LK 40"; Some report "LT 44";
           Some sources report 1889

1891
Jul 29 Danny Needham              San Francisco, Ca                  LT 29
          -Reports vary - "LK 20" - "LK 22" - "LK 30"
Aug    Charles Kemmick            San Francisco, Ca                 SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known

1892
Feb  8 Billy Gallagher            San Francisco, Ca                  LK  5
          -Some sources report 2/08/93;
           Some sources report "Neill Gallagher" 
Nov 23 Jim Burge                  San Francisco, Ca                  LK 26
          -Some sources report "ND 26"

1893
Feb  5 Bobby Dobbs                Sacramento, Ca                      L 10
          -Some sources report 2/20/93;
           Some sources report "LK 10"
Aug 30 Dudley Evans               Portland, Or                       KO  4

1893-1894
       Gus Gudger                 Boise City, Id                     ND  6
       George Harkness            Boise City, Id                     ND  9
       Paddy Fryer                Delamar, Id                        ND  6
       Frank Richard              Salt Lake City, Ut                 ND 10

1894
Feb  3 John Fenton                Boise City, Id                     NC  3
Nov 10 Paddy Purtell              Denver, Co                          D 20
          -Some sources report 11/12/94;
          Some sources report 11/19/94
Nov    "Utah" Bob Thompson        Denver, Co                          D 30
          -Some sources report "D 50"
Dec  8 Paddy Purtell              Denver, Co                         KO 21
          -Purtell reportedly broke a bone in his right wrist
           in round 3 and a bone in his left wrist in round 5

1895
Feb    Jim Williams               Denver, Co                         LK  3

1894-1896
       Jimmy Lewis                Cripple Creek, Co                  ND 22
       Jack Crowley               Cripple Creek, Co                  LK 21
       "Mexican" Pete Everett     Cripple Creek, Co                   L 15
          -Some sources report "LK 15"

1896
       James "Rube" Ferns                                            LK  6

1896-1898
       Bob Douglass               St. Louis, Mo                       W  4
       Bert Woods                 Chicago, Il                         W  6

1897
Oct  3 Brownlow Sexton            near St. Louis, Mo                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
          Authorities prevented it

1898
Aug  8 Jack Moffatt               Chicago, Il                        LK  3
          -Some sources report 8/01/98;
          Some sources report "L 6"

1899
Mar    Jim Sellers                Dubuque, Ia                        KO  9

1900
Mar 17 Tom Cleary                 Chicago, Il                        LK  2
Mar 30 Dick O'Connell             Chicago, Il                        LF  4
        -Some sources report "Buffalo, NY"

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

1884
       Jack Sullivan                                                 TK 21
          -Some sources report "W 21"

1897
       James "Rube" Ferns                                            LK  6

*** Photo And Some Data Was Provided By Alan Knox ***

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