THE FOLKS WHO LIVED HERE
LOCAL BOY MAKES GOODTOMMY RYAN,
LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION BOXER,
A. K. A. JOSEPH YOUNGS
Through the generosity of Mr. Mushtare, we have several clippings of the boxing career of Tommy Ryan, born in Redwood as Joseph Youngs.
[Syracuse, NY] I was standing talking to Yank one afternoon when a slim looking chap entered and introduced himself as Tommy Ryan. It was in 1895. Up to that time, all of Ryan's fighting had been done on the [west] coast. He was born in Redwood, N.Y. of a French father and an English mother. His right name was Joseph Youngs. But while a mere boy, he was sent to the Rochester reform school. Soon afterward he escaped with the help of Jim Dunbar, who was caught before he could make his getaway. Ryan put all the distance possible in the shortest amount of time between himself and the reform institution.
He finally halted in a logging camp out of Duluth. There a fellow who couldn't fight didn't last long. Ryan could fight. He fought everybody in his own camp until he was acknowledged champion and then he broadened his activities until he had beaten the champion of every camp in that section. Finally his boss got in touch with Parson Davies of California who took Ryan to the coast and launched him on his professional career.
He couldn't use his own name for fear he would be caught by the reform school authorities. So he took the name of Tommy Ryan, who was then mayor of Syracuse and a brewer of fine ale.
Almost fought then
Ryan was looking for Joe Dunfee when he walked into Yank Sullivan's saloon. Dunfee had a place of his own known as "The Wheel". Directed there, Ryan asked Joe for a match. Dunfee, then one of the outstanding middleweights, laughed at him. Ryan flew off the handle and they almost came to blows. Ryan located here [Syracuse] and one of his closest friends, also his sparring partner, was Sylvester Coogan, whose son, Sylvester, Jr., is now [1929] a member of the Syracuse police department. On the road, Coogan was too slow to suit Ryan, so Tommy bought him a bicycle, a "Barnes White Flyer," so he could keep up with him.
Ryan and Dunfee were finally matched at Fort Erie and Ryan put himself in the front ranks by stopping Joe in the sixth round. Kid Carter was Ryan's next foe and this bout was also at Fort Erie. Carter was the favorite. He was looked upon as the logical contender for the championship. The afternoon of the bout he went to Ryan and offered to bet him his end of the bout he would best Tommy if Tommy would stand up and fight. Tommy waved him aside, saying he'd be foolish to agree to that when his best asset was his footwork.
But when the bout started Ryan, instead of dancing, stood up toe to toe. He out slugged and outfought Carter and knocked him cold in the sixth round. That fight put Ryan at the top of the heap. He won over all comers from then on. But as happens to most fighters, there came a dull period. It was during that time that he received the famous [illegible] from Kid McCoy. McCoy said he would have a match in New York if Ryan would agree to let him stay 10 rounds. Ryan agreed, believing McCoy's tale of poverty, etc.
Ryan could have put him away in the sixth round but held off because he had agreed to let him stay ten. He never suspected McCoy's trickery. By the tenth round Ryan's legs were gone and he took one of the most thorough beatings ever administered to any ringman.
The aftermath of that was a return match that attracted more nation-wide attention than any sport event. The bout was held in the Alhambra and thousands were turned away, with those lucky enough to get hold of a ticket paying as high as $25 for it. The fans came from all over the country.
$40,000 bet on McCoy
The betting was 2 to 1 on McCoy. Jim McGuire, Frank Matty and others plunged on the Kid and Diamond George Corcoran, a character of those days who had diamonds inserted in his two front teeth, covered everything in sight to the extent of $40,000. George Siler was the referee.
In the first five rounds, McCoy gained a small lead on points. In the fifth Ryan landed four heavy blows to the jaw. McCoy raised his guard and Ryan battered his mid-section. Here Chief Bill O'Brien stopped the fight and Siler called it a draw, explaining Ryan had done as much in that round as McCoy had in the preceding four.
Tommy Ryan remained here long after he stopped fighting. He trained Jeffries and is the only champion in ring history who developed another champion. Ryan ran a fight club for years and showed all the leaders of the time. Being a good judge of fighters he made good matches and prospered.
If you have additional information, comments, or suggestions, please contact:
Nan Dixon
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