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The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia -- Lineal Champion

"Matty" Matthews
(William R. Matthews)

BORN   July 13 1873; New York, New York (Some sources report Brooklyn, New York)
DIED December 6 1948; Brooklyn, New York
HEIGHT.. 5-7 1/2
WEIGHT 138-147 lbs

Matthews was a clever boxer who met most of the top men in his weight class during his career and had an impressive record against this talented opposition; He won the Welterweight Championship of the World during his career

Matty defeated such men as "Mysterious" Billy Smith, Eddie Connolly, James "Rube" Ferns, Bobby Dobbs, Austin Gibbons, Mike Leonard, Owen Ziegler, Stanton Abbott, Mike Farragher, "Philadelphia" Tommy Ryan, Frank Garrard, Nick Collins, Tommy Broderick, Paddy Fenton, George "Mystery" Kerwin, Charley "Rough House" Burns, Otto Sieloff, Isadore Strauss, Dan McConnell, Billy Payne, Patsy Sweeney and William "Kid" McPartland 

1894
Dec 29 Joe Burke                  New York, NY                        D  6

1895
May    Johnny Bemis               New York, NY                       KO 12
          -Some sources report 1891
Nov 16 Jack Gibbons               New York, NY                       KO  4
Dec  5 Tom Frazier                New York, NY                       TK  7
          -Some sources report "KO 12"

1896
Jan 12 Billy Lee                  New York, NY                       KO  3
          -Some sources report 3/12/96
Feb 11 Nick Collins               New York, NY                       TK  7
          -Some early sources report 5/08/96
Mar 17 Johnny Laughlin            Buffalo, NY                         D 15
May  2 Harry Peterson             New York, NY                        D  8
Jul 27 Mike Leonard               New York, NY                        D  8
Oct  5 Jack Hanley                Buffalo, NY                         W  8
Oct 29 Stanton Abbott             Buffalo, NY                        KO  7
          -Some sources report "KO 6"
Nov  7 Sam Tonkins                New York, NY                        W 10

1897
Jan 25 Jack Everhardt             New York, NY                        D 15
          -Some sources report "D 25"
Feb  6 John Sullivan              New York, NY                       TK  4
Apr 10 Mike Farragher             New York, NY                       TK  2
May  5 "Wilmington" Jack Daly     Syracuse, NY                        L 20
Aug  4 Frank Garrard              Jamestown, NY                       D 20
          -Some sources report "Chautaugua Lake, NY"
Sep 27 Frank Garrard              Buffalo, NY                         W 20
Dec 13 Charles McKeever           Athens, Pa                          D 15
Dec 21 Mike Leonard               Rochester, NY                       W 20
Dec 27 Owen Ziegler               Philadelphia, Pa                   ND  6

1898
Jan 22 Charles Johnson            Philadelphia, Pa                   ND  4
          -Some sources report 6/22/98
Jan 31 Dan McConnell              Trenton, NJ                        LF  7
Mar 31 Austin Gibbons             Paterson, NJ                        W 10
Apr 12 Charles McKeever           Cleveland, Oh                       L 20
Apr 20 Tommy Broderick            Yonkers, NY                         W 20
May  9 Owen Ziegler               Paterson, NJ                        W 20
May 26 Tommy Broderick            Yonkers, NY                        KO  4
Jun 18 William "Kid" McPartland   Brooklyn, NY                        D 20
Aug 25 "Mysterious" Billy Smith   New York, NY                        L 25
          -Welterweight Championship of the World
Oct 21 "Philadelphia" Tom Ryan    New York, NY                       TK 13
Dec 10 Owen Ziegler               Toronto, Ont, Canada                D 15
Dec 24 George "Mystery" Kerwin    Toronto, Ont, Canada                W 20

1899
Jan  2 Owen Ziegler               Brooklyn, NY                        D 20
Jan 19 Paddy Fenton               Yonkers, NY                         W 20
Mar 27 "Philadelphia" Tom Ryan    Youngstown, Oh                      W 20
May  8 Frank Bentley              Denver, Co                          D 20
May 12 Owen Ziegler               Chicago, Il                         D  6
Jun 21 Charles "Rough House" Burns Youngstown, Oh                    KO  6
Jun 27 Jack Bennett               Wheeling, WV                        D 20
Jul 10 Otto Sieloff               Brooklyn, NY                       TK  9
Jul 31 Eddie Connolly             Brooklyn, NY                        W 25
Aug 14 George "Mystery" Kerwin    Brooklyn, NY                       TK 16
          -Some sources report "W 16"
Sep 14 Bobby Dobbs                Brooklyn, NY                       WF 25
Oct 27 Eddie Connolly             New York, NY                        D 25
          -Some sources report "Brooklyn, NY"
Nov 17 William "Kid" McPartland   Chicago, Il                         D  6
Nov 20 Charles "Rough House" Burns Cincinnati, Oh                     W 15
Dec  2 Hugh McWinters             Brooklyn, NY                        W 20
Dec 16 Edward "Kid" Carter        Brooklyn, NY                        W 20

1900
Jan  8 Isadore "Izzy" Strauss     Brooklyn, NY                       TK 12
Jan 11 George "Mystery" Kerwin    Waterbury, Ct                     SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but cancelled due to poor attendence
Jan 15 Jack Bennett               Cincinnati, Oh                     KO  7
Jan 29 William "Kid" McPartland   Brooklyn, NY                       KO  1
Feb 16 William "Kid" McPartland   New York, NY                       TK 17
Mar 19 Eddie Connolly             Brooklyn, NY                       TK 14
Mar 26 Owen Ziegler               Niles, Oh                          KO  2
Apr  6 Charles McKeever           Philadelphia, Pa                   ND  6
Apr  9 Billy Payne                Niles, Oh                           W  6
Apr  9 Dan McConnell              Niles, Oh                          KO  3
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date;
           Some sources report "Youngstown, Oh"
Apr 17 "Mysterious" Billy Smith   New York, NY                       KO 19
          -Welterweight Championship of the World;
           Some sources report 4/19/00
May  4 William "Kid" Parker       Denver, Co                          D 10
Jun  5 Eddie Connolly             Brooklyn, NY                        L 25
          -Welterweight Championship of the World
Sep  1 James "Rube" Ferns         Detroit, Mi                         L 15
          -Welterweight Championship of the World
Oct  8 Jack Bennett               Philadelphia, Pa                   ND  6
Oct 16 James "Rube" Ferns         Detroit, Mi                         W 15
          -Welterweight Championship of the World
Oct 30 Charles "Rough House" Burns Chicago, Il                        W  6
Nov 21 Owen Ziegler               Philadelphia, Pa                   ND  6

1901
Apr 29 Tom Couhig                 Louisville, Ky                      W 20
          -Welterweight Championship of the World
May 24 James "Rube" Ferns         Toronto, Ont, Canada               LK 10
          -Welterweight Championship of the World
Sep  2 Patsy Sweeney              Hartford, Ct                        W 20
Sep 28 Eddie Kennedy              Toronto, Ont, Canada               TK 13
Oct 28 Tom Couhig                 Fort Erie, Ont, Canada             WF  5

1902
Mar  6 Tom Couhig                 Hot Springs, Ar                     L 20
Mar 10 Martin Duffy               Chicago, Il                         L  6
Jul 18 Billy Emerson              Eureka Springs, Ar                  W 10
Sep 11 Patsy Sweeney              New Britain, Ct                    LK  5
          -Some sources report "L 5"
Nov 25 Eddie Kennedy              Alleghany, Pa                       W 10
Dec 10 Owen Ziegler               Savannah, Ga                       TK  6
Dec 22 James "Rube" Ferns         Pittsburgh, Pa                      W 10

1903
Feb 23 Tom Couhig                 Pittsurgh, Pa                       W 10
Apr 27 James "Rube" Ferns         Fort Erie, Ont, Canada             LT 19
Aug 25 Martin Duffy               Port Huron, Mi                      L 10
Dec 29 Isadore "Izzy" Strauss     Philadelphia, Pa                   KO  2

1904
Jan  1 Frank Tyson                Norfolk, Va                         W  6
Jan 13 Billy "Honey" Mellody      Boston, Ma                          L 12
Jan 16 Billy Devine               Philadelphia, Pa                   ND  6
Mar 19 Billy Devine               Philadelphia, Pa                   ND  6
Apr 16 Joe Grim                   Philadelphia, Pa                   ND  6
Oct 26 Eddie Kennedy              Carnegie, Pa                        D 10
Dec  2 Willie Fay                 New Orleans, La                     W 10
Dec 15 Foster Walker              Grand Rapids, Mi                    W  6

1905
Jan  3 "Young" Kid Gilsey         New Orleans, La                    TK  4
          -This bout was not held 1/05/05
Mar  1 Willie Fay                 New Orleans, La                     W 10
Apr  8 Billy Burke                Philadelphia, Pa                   ND  6
Apr 14 "Brooklyn" Tommy Sullivan  Lawrence, Ma                       LK  2
Dec 15 Johnny Carroll             Brooklyn, NY                        L  3
          -Some sources report "LK 3";
           Some sources report "LT 3"

1906
Jan  5 Eugene Bezenah             Cincinnati, Oh                      D 15
Mar  7 Charles Hitte              Albany, NY                         LF 12
Mar 16 James "Rube" Ferns         Buffalo, NY                        LT 19

1908
Aug 19 Patsy Sweeney              Brooklyn, NY                       ND  6

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