1891-02-17: Tommy Ryan vs. Danny Needham

[Emaster]

A few weeks ago the comment under the fight's entry said that "[Tommy] Ryan claimed [the] Welterweight Championship [of the World?]". Now it says the bout was "for [the] vacant Lightweight Championship of the World". If the former remark is correct and Ryan was widely recognized as welterweight world champion, the tag could just read "vacant World Welterweight Title".

[delisa]

Jake changed it, so I would ask him.

Brooklyn Eagle doesn't say it was for a title at all.

It also reports bout ended in 86th round (5 hours 5 minutes.) IF fight was over 5 hours, 86 rounds would be correct.

Fight was to be to a finish.

[Emaster]

Now the comment on the fight reads "for vacant World Welterweight Title" .

Brooklyn Eagle doesn't say it was for a title at all.

It also reports bout ended in 86th round (5 hours 5 minutes.) IF fight was over 5 hours, 86 rounds would be correct.

The fight happened here in Minnesota and I have heard the new york version before, but there are 3 things that make the 76 rd version the most credible. 1.) Both the Minneapolis and the St. Paul newspapers of the day report that it eneded in the 76th round. 2.) George Barton in his book, "My Lifetime in Sports" states it was also a 76 rounder and he knew Needham personally, 3.) Tommy Ryan later came back to Minnesota years later and the newspapers record him as talking about his 76 rounder with Needham. Also, it definitely was for a world title. I have the newspapers on that from both the days leading up to the fight, as well as the day after where they talk about it. When in doubt, the rule I've always been told is to go with the account from the city in which a fight occurred. I have recently done extensive research on Needham, and I am pretty certain this is accurate. http://www.minnesotaboxing.com/jake_weg ... danny.html