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The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia -- Old Timer

"Paddy" Purtell
(Patrick J. Purtell)

BORN   c. 1871-1872; Saginaw, Michigan (Fought out of Saginaw, Kansas City, Missouri and Leavenworth, Kansas)
DIED June 9 1901; Leadville, Colorado (Some sources report June 12 1901)
WEIGHT 140-153 lbs

Purtell was a scrappy, talented fighter who traveled the United States finding opposition; He was a rugged, tough two-fisted hitter

Among those he defeated were James "Rube" Ferns, "Scaldy" Bill Quinn, Nick Burley, Charles Goff, "Cincinnati" Jim Ryan, Tommy West, Billy Needham and Jim Butler

1890
Sep  5 Frank Cunningham           Silverton, Co                     TK  2

1891
Feb  8 Billy Holeman              Leadville, Co                     KO 24
          -Some sources report 2/06/91

1892
Aug 24 -Purtell challenged any 140-lb man in America to a bout
Dec 11 -Purtell was accused of fighting "fake" contests in Ohio under
          the name of the "Saginaw Kid"

1893
Jan    -Purtell was challenged by George Allen (of Australia) to a bout
Jan 24 Jim Barron                 San Francisco, Ca                 LK  7
          -Some sources report 1/25/93
Aug    Bobby Dobbs                West Superior, Wi                 LK  6

1894
Jan  8 Martin L. Durkin           Leavenworth, Ks                   KO  2
May    Bobby Dobbs                Duluth, Mn                         D  6
Jun    H.D. Evans                                                   KO  1
Nov 10 Billy Mahan                Denver, Co                         D 20
          -Some sources report 11/12/94;
          Some sources report 11/19/94
Dec  8 Billy Mahan                Denver, Co                        LK 21
          -Purtell reportedly broke a bone in his right wrist
          in round 3 and a bone in his left wrist in round 5

1895
Jan 15 "Icelander" Jack Larney    Leavenworth, Ks                    W 10
          -Purtell knocked Larney down in round two and
          could have finished him; He played with him 
          the rest of the fight
Mar 20 John Lawson                Galena, Ks                        KO 22
          -Some sources report "Johnson, the Swede" on 3/21/95;
          Johnson was out of it after round one; He was badly
          punished after the fight; Both men were arrested
May 12 "Icelander" Jack Larney    Leavenworth, Ks                   KO  5
          -Purtell did all the fighting and gave Larney terrible
          punishment; He knocked down Larney five times;
          Weights: 140-175
Dec  2 Dick Moore                 Excelsior Springs, Mo             NC 12
          -Some sources report "D 11"

1896
Jan 12 Dick Moore                 Kansas City, Mo                   LK  4
          -This bout was "private" fight
       Billy Woods                New York, NY                       W  4
Jan 30 Jack Curley                New York, NY                       W  4
Feb 27 Joe Harmon                 New York, NY                       D  6
          -Some sources report "D 10" vs "Joe Hannon"
Feb 29 Tommy West                 New York, NY                       W  6
Mar 12 Nick Burley                New York, NY                      TK  6
          -Some sources report "KO 7"
Mar 21 Jim Butler                 New York, NY                      TK  3
Mar 26 "Scaldy" Bill Quinn        New York, NY                       W 10
       "Cincinnati" Jim Ryan                                         D 10
       "Cincinnati" Jim Ryan                                         D 25
Aug 28 "Cincinnati" Jim Ryan      near Kansas City, Mo              KO  6
          -This was a "Private" fight
Nov  9 James "Rube" Ferns         Galena, Ks                        KO  3

1897
Jan  2 Tommy West                 New York, NY                     SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Feb 15 Tommy White                New York, NY                     SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Feb 20 Charles "Con" Doyle        New York, NY                       D 20
Mar 27 Dick O'Brien               New York, NY                      LT  7
May 15 Tommy West                 New York, NY                      LT  5
          -Some sources report "L 5"
Aug 20 "Lachie" Jack Thompson     Birmingham, Eng                   TK  6
          -Some sources report "London, Eng"

1898
Mar 17 James E. "Doc" Payne       Cleveland, Oh                      L  8
Nov 19 James "Rube" Ferns         Galena, Ks                        LK  5
          -Some sources report 12/02/98

1899
Mar  6 Jim Watts                  Indianapolis, In                   D 10
Mar 13 Tommy Ryan                 Cincinnati, Oh                    LT  4
Mar 16 Jim Scanlan                Memphis, Tn                        D 20
Apr 24 Jim Scanlan                Denver, Co                        LK  3
          -Some sources report "Memphis, Tn";
          Some sources report "LK 2"
Jun 19 Lute Kellogg               Leadville, Co                     KO 12
Aug 20 Ed Steele                  Leadville, Co                     KO  3
          -Some sources report 8/22/99
Sep 25 Charles Goff               Denver, Co                        TK  7
          -Some sources report 9/27/99;
          Some sources report "W 6" on 9/29/99
Oct 17 Billy Needham              Leadville, Co                     KO  5
          -Some sources report "Danny Needham"

1900
Jan 12 Willard Bean               Leadville, Co                      D 20
          -Middleweight Championship of the West;
          Some sources report "D 25" on 1/15/00
Feb 12 Billy Lewis                Denver, Co                         D 10
Jun  8 Nick Burley                Tacoma, Wa                        TK 14
          -Some sources report 6/09/00
Nov 16 Charley Lamb               Silverton, Co                     KO  2

*** The Following Bout Is Reported But Not Confirmed ***

1898
       Shorty Ahearn              Chicago, Il                        W  6

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