George Gardner
Record: 44 - 12 (32 KO's)
Height: 6'
Weight: 150 - 175 lbs.
Fighting out of: Lowell, MA, USA
Titles:
Middleweight Championship of the World (1901 - 1902) claim
Light Heavyweight Championship of the World (1903) undisputed
I've found several newspaper articles on George Gardner fighting for the World Middleweight Title and the Light Heavyweight Title. Although Tommy Ryan was the Middleweight Champion, it seems Gardner was also regarded as the Middleweight Champion. I guess Ryan was like the WBA and WBO Middleweight champ while Gardner was kind of regarded as the WBC Middleweight Champ or something back then since they didn't have organizations.
1901: Gardner TKO'd Jack Moffat and KO'd Kid Carter, both in fights billed for the World Middleweight Title.
1902: Gardner TKO'd Jack Root in 17 rounds in a fight billed for the World Middleweight and Light Heavyweight Titles.
1903: Gardner KO'd Jack Root in a fight for the undisputed World Light Heavyweight Title.
Mike Paul, a boxing historian, and rated George Gardner as #29 greatest fighters of all time.
Gardner was rated as the #1 fighter in the world for 1 month, along with Jack Root, Tami Maurello, and Marvin Hart, and all of the heavyweight champions.