Charley Mitchell (boxer)


Charles Watson Mitchell was an English world heavyweight boxing title contender and lightweight champion.

Professional career

Mitchell was born on 24 November, 1861 in the city of Birmingham, England. Mitchell had exceptional ability at using London Prize Ring Rules to his advantage. During his career, he engaged in over 100 fights with both gloves and bare-knuckles, using the London Prize Ring Rules as well as the Queensberry Rules. He often fought men who outweighed him by 30 to 40 pounds. Mitchell took on all comers in London, often fighting as many as four bouts in one night.
In 1880 he became the boxing instructor for the International Athletic Club at the "White Rose" in London, and opened a boxing school at the "Palais Rubens" in Antwerp, Belgium.
In 1882 Billy Madden, the former tutor and backer of John L. Sullivan, put on an openweight boxing tournament in England, in order to find a challenger for John L. Sullivan. This was a professional tournament, held under amateur rules, consisting of 3 3 minute rounds, with an extra 2 minute round being fought in the case of draws, A number of prominent boxers including Jem Goode and Jack Knifton entered. Despite being both the youngest and lightest of the 21 competitors, Mitchell won the tournament.
Mitchell toured the United States and Canada with Jake Kilrain, and later Frank "Paddy" Slavin, putting on exhibitions, sometimes daily and sometimes on the same day as one of his fights. Mitchell was in Kilrain's corner on 8 July 1889 when he fought John L. Sullivan for the world heavyweight boxing championship.
Mitchell fought John L. Sullivan in 1883, knocking him down in the first round before the police halted the contest in the third round. Their second meeting took place in 1888 on the grounds of a chateau at Chantilly, France in driving rain. It went on for more than two hours, at the end of which both men were unrecognisable and had suffered much loss of blood; neither could lift his arms to punch and the contest was considered a draw.
The local gendarmerie arrived at this point and managed to arrest Mitchell, who spent the next few days in a cell and was later fined by the local magistrate, boxing being illegal in France at that time. Sullivan managed to evade the law, swathed in bandages, and was taken back across the English Channel to spend the next few weeks convalescing in Liverpool. Mitchell acted as Sullivan's corner man for many years after.
In 1894 Mitchell fought in his most noteworthy bout, against James J Corbett for the world heavyweight championship. Corbett won by KO in the 3rd round, winning $20,000.

Death

Mitchell died on 3 April 1918 in Hove at age 56.

Honors

Mitchell was inducted into the Ring Magazine's Boxing Hall of Fame in 1957, and inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
50ND26–3–11 Steve O'DonnellND3May 25, 1896Putney, London, England, UK
49Loss26–3–11 James J. CorbettKO3 Jan 25, 1894Duvall Athletic Club, Jacksonville, Florida, USFor world heavyweight title
48ND26–2–11 Jim HallND3Oct 4, 1893People"s Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, US
47ND26–2–11 Jim HallND3Sep 29, 1893Clermont Avenue Rink, New York City, New York, US
46ND26–2–11 Frank SlavinND3Mar 7, 1892Buffalo A.C., Buffalo, New York, US
45Win26–2–11 Arthur UphamPTS4Mar 2, 1892Olympic Club, New Orleans, Louisiana, USSecond fight in one day
44ND25–2–11 Frank SlavinND4Mar 2, 1892Olympic Club, New Orleans, Louisiana, US
43ND25–2–11 Frank SlavinND3Apr 30, 1891New York City, New York, US
42ND25–2–11 Frank SlavinND3Apr 9, 1891Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK
41Win25–2–11 Jem MacePTS4Feb 7, 1890Gaiety Theatre, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
40Draw24–2–11 John L. SullivanPTS39Feb 10, 1889Chantilly, Oise, FranceFor world bare-knuckle heavyweight boxing title;
London Prize Ring Rules
39Win24–2–10 Reddy GallagherPTS6Aug 28, 1887Frankfort St. Gym, Cleveland, Ohio, US
38Draw23–2–10 Patsy CardiffPTS5Jun 11, 1887Washington Roller Rink, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USThere were two referees, Masterson for Mitchell, and Hank Seeley for Cardiff,
each pronounced his man the victor at the end
37Draw23–2–9 Jack BurkePTS10 May 10, 1886Battery D Armory, Chicago, Illinois, USTwo extra rounds ordered by the referee
36Draw23–2–8 Jack BurkePTS6Jun 29, 1885Battery D Armory, Chicago, Illinois, US
35Draw23–2–7 Mike ClearyPTS4May 22, 1885Pavilion, San Francisco, California, US
34Win23–2–6 John ScholesPTS4Feb 23, 1885Mutual Street Rink, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
33Win22–2–6 Jim BradyKO3 Dec, 1884Buffalo, New York, USExact date unknown
32ND21–2–6 Jack BurkeNC3 Nov 24, 1884Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, US
31Draw21–2–6 Jack BurkePTS4Oct 21, 1884Germania Assembly Rooms, New York City, New York, US
30Loss21–2–5 Dominick McCaffreyPTS4Oct 13, 1884Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, US
29Win21–1–5 Billy EdwardsKO3 May 12, 1884New York City, New York, USPolice stopped the fight
28Draw20–1–5 Jake KilrainPTS4Mar 26, 1884Institute Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, US
27Win20–1–4 Joe DenningPTS4Mar 20, 1884New York City, New York, US
26Win19–1–4 Tug WilsonKO3 Nov 15, 1883Manchester, Lancashire, UK
25Draw18–1–4 William SherriffPTS7 Oct 2, 1883Flushing, Queens, New York City, New York, USReferee first declared Mitchell the winner,
another round was fought and the fight was called a draw
24Draw18–1–3 Herbert Maori SladePTS3Oct, 1883Harry Hills, Long Island, New York, US
23Win18–1–2 Herbert Maori SladeKO?Sep 18, 1883New York City, New York, US
22ND17–1–2 Billy LynnND4Jul 8, 1883Leadville, Colorado, US
2117–1–2 Denis Ike HayesND4Jul 6, 1883Leadville, Colorado, US
20Win17–1–2DavisKO1 Jul, 1883Leadville, Colorado, US
19Win16–1–2GarrettKO1 Jun, 1883Syracuse, New York, US
18Loss15–1–2John L. SullivanTKO3 May 14, 1883Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, US
17Win15–0–2Mike ClearyTKO3 Apr 9, 1883American Institute Rink, New York City, New York, USPolice stopped the fight
16Win14–0–2Jack ClarkeTKO1 Feb 17, 1883Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, England, UK
15Win13–0–2Joe StubbinsPTS3Dec 23, 1882St. George's Hall, London, England, UKThird fight in one day
14Win12–0–2W. HealPTS3Dec 23, 1882St. George's Hall, London, England, UKSecond fight in one day
13Win11–0–2Dick RobertsPTS3Dec 23, 1882St. George's Hall, London, England, UK
12Win10–0–2Bill SpringhallPTS3Dec 22, 1882King's Road Baths, London, England, UK
11Win9–0–2Bill EnglandPTS3Dec 21, 1882King's Road Baths, London, England, UKSecond fight in one day
10Win8–0–2George CoxPTS3Dec 21, 1882King's Road Baths, London, England, UK
9Win7–0–2Roger WallisPTS?May, 1882Exact location unknown, UK
8Win6–0–2Bill HarnettyPTS4Apr 3, 1882King's Road Baths, London, England, UK
7Win5–0–2Pat CondonPTS3Mar 29, 1882King's Road Baths, London, England, UK
6Draw4–0–2Tom TullyPTS6May 16, 1881Exact location unknown, UK
5Win4–0–1W. CaradoffPTS4Feb 1, 1881Antwerpen, Belgium
4Draw3–0–1Young Bill KennedyPTS?Jan, 1879Exact location unknown, UKExact date unknown
3Win3–0Chelsea PrideKO2 Mar, 1877Exact location unknown, UKExact date unknown
2Win2–0HutchinsonPTS?Feb, 1877Exact location unknown, UKExact date unknown
1Win1–0Andy GrayPTS?Jan, 1877Exact location unknown, UKExact date unknown