Joe Choynski
Personal information
Nicknames"The California Terror"
"Little Joe"
"Chrysanthemum" Joe
BornJoseph Bartlett Choynski
November 8, 1868
San Francisco, California, United States
DiedJanuary 25, 1943(1943-01-25) (aged 74)
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Height6 ft 0+1⁄2 in (1.84 m)
WeightHeavyweight
Boxing career
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights86
Wins59
Win by KO39
Losses17
Draws6
No contests4

Joseph Bartlett Choynski (/ˈtΚƒΙ”Ιͺnski/; November 8, 1868 – January 24, 1943) was an American boxer who fought professionally from 1888 to 1904.[1]

Choynski is known for knocking out world heavyweight champions Jack Johnson[2] and Peter Maher in non-title bouts, and drawing against world heavyweight champions James J. Jeffries, Bob Fitzsimmons, Marvin Hart and Tom Sharkey.[3] He also fought notable fights against James J. Corbett, Gus Ruhlin, Barbados Joe Walcott, George Godfrey and Kid McCoy.[3]

Choynski was nicknamed β€œChrysanthemum Joe”, reportedly inspired by his long, flowing hair, an eccentric trait for a boxer of his time.[4]

Boxing career

"Chrysanthemum Joe", the son of a Jewish Polish immigrant who settled in California in 1867, weighed no more than 176 lb (80 kg) throughout his career but regularly fought heavyweights.[2] He was considered a heavy puncher and a dangerous fighter.[2]

Jack Johnson standing behind Joe Choynski. 1909 Chicago Daily News photo

In fact, James J. Jeffries claimed that the hardest blow he ever received in a bout came from Choynski during their 20-round draw. During that bout, Choynski hit Jeffries with a right hand so powerful that the punch drove one of Jeffries' teeth into his lip. The tooth was lodged so deeply that one of Jeffries' cornermen was forced to cut it out with a knife between rounds.

A contemporary of heavyweight champion "Gentleman Jim" (James J. Corbett), the two fought professionally three times.[3] Both were from the San Francisco area, and thus generated a lot of local interest in their rivalry. The highlight of their series of bouts was fought on June 5, 1889, on a barge off the coast of Benicia, California.[3]

The principals agreed that the bout was to be fought wearing two ounce gloves. Corbett had apparently hurt his hand, and Choynski learned of the injury. Accordingly, Choynski "forgot" to bring his gloves to the match, thereby hoping the fight would proceed as a bare-knuckle bout. Corbett, however, declined to fight bare-knuckle, but agreed to allow Choynski to wear leather riding gloves borrowed from a spectator. The riding gloves were seamed, and caused Corbett to suffer many cuts and welts. Nevertheless, Corbett won the legendary bout when he KOed Choynski in the 27th round.

In 1892 he KOd a 39-year-old legend in Boston's George Godfrey.[3]

Choynski was never given an opportunity to fight for the heavyweight title, but enjoyed some stunning successes against famed heavyweights James J. Jeffries and Jack Johnson before they became champions. For example, he held the heavier, larger, and stronger Jeffries to a 20-round draw on November 30, 1892. On February 25, 1901, he faced and KO'ed the young Jack Johnson in three rounds.[5][2] He then began to train Johnson, helping the younger man develop the style that enabled him to become world champion.[2]

Choynski also fought six-round draws with two other men who later claimed the heavyweight championship of the world: Bob Fitzsimmons on June 17, 1894, and Marvin Hart on November 16, 1903.[3]

Personal life

Choynski was born in San Francisco to a Jewish family, the son of Harriet (nΓ©e Ashim) and Isidor Nathan Choynski.[6][7][8] He had 4 siblings, Herbert, Miriam, Maurice, and Edwin.[7]

In 1895, Choynski married Louise Anderson Miller, an actress, in Cincinnati, Ohio.[6]

Halls of Fame

In 1998, Choynski’s ability and ring-record were officially recognised by his induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Choynski, who was Jewish, was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.[9]

Professional boxing record

All information in this section is derived from BoxRec,[3] unless otherwise stated.

Official record

86 fights 57 wins 14 losses
By knockout 39 10
By decision 15 4
By disqualification 3 0
Draws 6
No contests 4
Newspaper decisions/draws 5

All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as β€œno decision” bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column.

No. Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
86 Win 57–14–6 (9) Jack Williams NWS 6 Nov 21, 1904 Washington S.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
85 Loss 57–14–6 (8) Kid Carter KO 1 (15) Jan 19, 1904 Criterion A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
84 Loss 57–13–6 (8) Marvin Hart NWS 6 Nov 16, 1903 Washington S.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
83 Win 57–13–6 (7) Nick Burley KO 7 (10) Aug 7, 1903 D.A.A.A. Rink, Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada
82 Loss 56–13–6 (7) Nick Burley KO 2 (10) Jun 25, 1903 D.A.A.A. Rink, Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada
81 Loss 56–12–6 (7) Philadelphia Jack O'Brien NWS 6 Mar 30, 1903 Washington S.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
80 Win 56–12–6 (6) Peter Maher KO 2 (6) Jan 26, 1903 Washington S.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
79 Win 55–12–6 (6) Frank Childs PTS 6 Dec 1, 1901 Lyceum A.C., Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
78 Loss 54–12–6 (6) Philadelphia Jack O'Brien PTS 6 Sep 29, 1901 America A.C., Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
77 Win 54–11–6 (6) Al Weinig KO 6 (20) May 2, 1901 Music Hall, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
76 Loss 53–11–6 (6) Kid Carter KO 1 (6) Mar 24, 1901 American A.C., Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Lost American light-heavyweight title
75 Win 53–10–6 (6) Wild Bill Hanrahan KO 5 (20) Mar 7, 1901 Music Hall, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. Claimed vacant American light-heavyweight title
74 Win 52–10–6 (6) Jack Johnson KO 3 (20) Feb 25, 1901 Harmony Hall, Galveston, Texas, U.S.
73 Win 51–10–6 (6) Fred Russell DQ 4 (10) Nov 2, 1900 Colorado A.C., Denver, Colorado, U.S.
72 Win 50–10–6 (6) John Matthews PTS 3 Aug 8, 1900 Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
71 Win 49–10–6 (6) Jimmy Smith KO 2 (?) Aug 8, 1900 Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
70 Loss 48–10–6 (6) Tom Sharkey TKO 3 (6) May 8, 1900 Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
69 Loss 48–9–6 (6) Barbados Joe Walcott TKO 7 (25) Feb 23, 1900 Broadway A.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.
68 Win 48–8–6 (6) Peter Maher PTS 6 Feb 16, 1900 2nd Regiment Armory, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
67 Win 47–8–6 (6) M Woods RTD 2 (?) Feb 11, 1900 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
66 Loss 46–8–6 (6) Charles Kid McCoy RTD 4 (25) Jan 12, 1900 Broadway A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
65 Win 46–7–6 (6) Tom Carey KO 2 (15) Nov 4, 1899 Olympic A.C., Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
64 Win 45–7–6 (6) Steve O'Donnell KO 6 (6) Oct 27, 1899 Star Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
63 Win 44–7–6 (6) Dick Moore KO 3 (20) Oct 23, 1899 St. Louis A.C., Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S.
62 Win 43–7–6 (6) Australian Jim Ryan KO 7 (20) Oct 20, 1899 Broadway A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
61 Draw 42–7–6 (6) Charles Kid McCoy PTS 6 Oct 6, 1899 Star Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
60 NC 42–7–5 (6) Ed Dunkhorst NC ? (20) Sep 30, 1899 Colorado A.A., Denver, Colorado, U.S. Bout Scheduled as finale of Colorado Sporting Festival. No result found
59 Win 42–7–5 (5) Jim Hall KO 3 (20) Sep 25, 1899 Nonpareil A.C., Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. Retained world light-heavyweight title
58 Win 41–7–5 (5) Australian Jim Ryan PTS 20 Aug 29, 1899 Auditorium for fistic carnival, Dubuque, Iowa, U.S. Won inaugural world light-heavyweight title
57 Win 40–7–5 (5) Mexican Pete Everett DQ 7 (25) Aug 4, 1899 Colorado A.A., Denver, Colorado, U.S.
56 Win 39–7–5 (5) Jack McCormick PTS 6 Jul 21, 1899 Dearborn A.C., Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
55 ND 38–7–5 (5) Willard Bean ND 10 Apr 17, 1899 New Grand Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
54 Loss 38–7–5 (4) Charles Kid McCoy PTS 20 Mar 24, 1899 Mechanic's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S.
53 Win 38–6–5 (4) Ed Dunkhorst PTS 6 Dec 19, 1898 Fort Dearborn A.C., Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
52 Loss 37–6–5 (4) Gus Ruhlin PTS 6 Nov 4, 1898 Arena A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
51 Win 37–5–5 (4) Joe Goddard NWS 6 Sep 12, 1898 Arena A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
50 Draw 37–5–5 (3) Tom Sharkey PTS 8 (20) Mar 11, 1898 Woodward's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S. Choynski fell out of the ring and the fight was declared a draw
49 Draw 37–5–4 (3) James J. Jeffries PTS 20 Nov 30, 1897 National A.C., San Francisco, California, U.S.
48 Win 37–5–3 (3) Herman Bernau TKO 4 (6) Oct 11, 1897 Grand Opera House, Galveston, Texas, U.S.
47 Win 36–5–3 (3) Denver Ed Smith DQ 4 (20) May 10, 1897 Broadway A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
46 Win 35–5–3 (3) Frank Dwyer PTS 4 Jan 2, 1897 Allegheny Theater, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
45 Loss 34–5–3 (3) Peter Maher KO 6 (20) Nov 16, 1896 Broadway A.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.
44 Win 34–4–3 (3) Joe McAuliffe KO 4 (10) Aug 28, 1896 Woodward's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S.
43 Loss 33–4–3 (3) Tom Sharkey PTS 8 Apr 16, 1896 People's Palace Theater, San Francisco, California, U.S.
42 Win 33–3–3 (3) Jim Hall KO 13 (20) Jan 20, 1896 Empire A.C., Maspeth, Queens, New York City, New York, U.S.
41 Win 32–3–3 (3) Frank Childs KO 3 (3) Nov 15, 1895 Sam T. Jack's Opera House, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
40 Win 31–3–3 (3) Dick Wilson KO 2 (?) Aug 20, 1895 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
39 Win 30–3–3 (3) Jack Cattanach KO 2 (10) Jun 3, 1895 Front Street Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
38 Draw 29–3–3 (3) Dan Creedon PTS 6 Mar 21, 1895 Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Pre-arranged draw if no KO
37 Win 29–3–2 (3) Mike Madden PTS 4 Mar 11, 1895 Auditorium, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
36 Win 28–3–2 (3) Jim Douglass PTS 3 Feb 25, 1895 Triangle AC, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
35 Draw 27–3–2 (3) Bob Armstrong PTS 6 Sep 19, 1894 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
34 Win 27–3–1 (3) Mike Boden KO 3 (4) Sep 17, 1894 Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
33 Win 26–3–1 (3) Harry Miller RTD 3 (6) Sep 15, 1894 People's Theater, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
32 Draw 25–3–1 (3) Bob Fitzsimmons PTS 5 (8) Jun 18, 1894 Boston Theater, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Choynski was down and bloodied when the police stepped in
and would likely have been knocked out had the fight continued
The bout was declared a draw. Pre-fight agreement that the fight could only be won via KO
31 Win 25–3 (3) Tommy West PTS 3 Feb 6, 1893 Portland, Oregon, U.S.
30 Win 24–3 (3) Mike Boden KO 4 (?) Dec 29, 1892 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
29 Win 23–3 (3) Bob Ferguson PTS 4 Dec 29, 1892 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
28 Win 22–3 (3) Jack Fallon KO 4 (?) Nov 26, 1892 Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
27 Win 21–3 (3) Denny Kelliher PTS 2 Nov 24, 1892 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
26 Win 20–3 (3) Charles C. Smith KO 4 (?) Nov 21, 1892 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
25 Win 19–3 (3) George Godfrey KO 15 (?) Oct 31, 1892 Coney Island A.C., Coney Island, New York, U.S.
24 Win 18–3 (3) Jack Hart PTS 3 May 29, 1892 London, England, U.K.
23 Win 17–3 (3) William Patmore KO 1 (?) May 27, 1892 London, England, U.K.
22 Win 16–3 (3) Mike Horrigan KO 1 (?) May 24, 1892 London, England, U.K.
21 Win 15–3 (3) Denver Ed Smith PTS 4 Apr 30, 1892 Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
20 Win 14–3 (3) Philadelphia Tommy Ryan KO 2 (?) Apr 22, 1892 Niblo's Theatre, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. Not to be confused with Tommy Ryan
19 Win 13–3 (3) Charles Bull McCarthy KO 2 (?) Apr 21, 1892 Clermont Rink, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.
18 Win 12–3 (3) Jerry Slattery KO 2 (?) Apr 19, 1892 Niblo's Theatre, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.
17 Win 11–3 (3) Joe Godfrey KO 1 (?) Apr 9, 1892 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
16 Loss 10–3 (3) Jim Hall NWS 4 Apr 2, 1892 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
15 Win 10–3 (2) Billy Woods KO 34 (?) Dec 17, 1891 Pacific A.C., San Francisco, California, U.S.
14 Loss 9–3 (2) Joe Goddard KO 4 (20) Jul 20, 1891 Melbourne Athletic Club, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia For Australian heavyweight title
13 Win 9–2 (2) Owen Sullivan KO 2 (8) Jun 20, 1891 Melbourne Athletic Club, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
12 Win 8–2 (2) Mick Dooley KO 2 May 25, 1891 Melbourne Athletic Club, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia A finish fight
11 Loss 7–2 (2) Joe Goddard RTD 4 (20) Feb 10, 1891 Sydney Amateur Gymnastic Club, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia For Australian heavyweight title
10 Win 7–1 (2) Jim Fogarty RTD 10 Nov 24, 1890 Australian AC, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia A finish fight
9 Win 6–1 (2) Jack Davies KO 9 (?) May 26, 1890 Occidental A.C., San Francisco, California, U.S.
8 Win 5–1 (2) Billy Wilson KO 2 (?) Mar 26, 1890 Golden Gate A.C., San Francisco, California, U.S.
7 Win 4–1 (2) Frank McLarney KO 2 (?) Jan 25, 1890 Portland, Oregon, U.S.
6 ND 3–1 (2) Billy McCarthy ND 4 Aug 27, 1889 California A.C., San Francisco, California, U.S.
5 Loss 3–1 (1) James J. Corbett KO 27 (?) Jun 5, 1889 Benicia Harbor, California, U.S.
4 NC 3–0 (1) James J. Corbett NC 4 (?) May 30, 1889 San Francisco, California, U.S. Bout stopped by the police
3 Win 3–0 Frank Glover KO 14 Feb 26, 1889 San Francisco, California, U.S. A finish fight
2 Win 2–0 H McDonald PTS 3 Dec 26, 1888 San Francisco, California, U.S.
1 Win 1–0 George Bush KO 2 (?) Nov 14, 1888 San Francisco, California, U.S.

Unofficial record

86 fights 59 wins 17 losses
By knockout 39 10
By decision 17 7
By disqualification 3 0
Draws 6
No contests 4

Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw column.

No. Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
86 Win 59–17–6 (4) Jack Williams NWS 6 Nov 21, 1904 Washington S.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
85 Loss 58–17–6 (4) Kid Carter KO 1 (15) Jan 19, 1904 Criterion A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
84 Loss 58–16–6 (4) Marvin Hart NWS 6 Nov 16, 1903 Washington S.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
83 Win 58–15–6 (4) Nick Burley KO 7 (10) Aug 7, 1903 D.A.A.A. Rink, Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada
82 Loss 57–15–6 (4) Nick Burley KO 2 (10) Jun 25, 1903 D.A.A.A. Rink, Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada
81 Loss 57–14–6 (4) Philadelphia Jack O'Brien NWS 6 Mar 30, 1903 Washington S.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
80 Win 57–13–6 (4) Peter Maher KO 2 (6) Jan 26, 1903 Washington S.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
79 Win 56–13–6 (4) Frank Childs PTS 6 Dec 1, 1901 Lyceum A.C., Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
78 Loss 55–13–6 (4) Philadelphia Jack O'Brien PTS 6 Sep 29, 1901 America A.C., Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
77 Win 55–12–6 (4) Al Weinig KO 6 (20) May 2, 1901 Music Hall, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
76 Loss 54–12–6 (4) Kid Carter KO 1 (6) Mar 24, 1901 American A.C., Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Lost American light-heavyweight title
75 Win 54–11–6 (4) Wild Bill Hanrahan KO 5 (20) Mar 7, 1901 Music Hall, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. Claimed vacant American light-heavyweight title
74 Win 53–11–6 (4) Jack Johnson KO 3 (20) Feb 25, 1901 Harmony Hall, Galveston, Texas, U.S.
73 Win 52–11–6 (4) Fred Russell DQ 4 (10) Nov 2, 1900 Colorado A.C., Denver, Colorado, U.S.
72 Win 51–11–6 (4) John Matthews PTS 3 Aug 8, 1900 Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
71 Win 50–11–6 (4) Jimmy Smith KO 2 (?) Aug 8, 1900 Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
70 Loss 49–11–6 (4) Tom Sharkey TKO 3 (6) May 8, 1900 Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
69 Loss 49–10–6 (4) Barbados Joe Walcott TKO 7 (25) Feb 23, 1900 Broadway A.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.
68 Win 49–9–6 (4) Peter Maher PTS 6 Feb 16, 1900 2nd Regiment Armory, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
67 Win 48–9–6 (4) M Woods RTD 2 (?) Feb 11, 1900 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
66 Loss 47–9–6 (4) Charles Kid McCoy RTD 4 (25) Jan 12, 1900 Broadway A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
65 Win 47–8–6 (4) Tom Carey KO 2 (15) Nov 4, 1899 Olympic A.C., Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
64 Win 46–8–6 (4) Steve O'Donnell KO 6 (6) Oct 27, 1899 Star Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
63 Win 45–8–6 (4) Dick Moore KO 3 (20) Oct 23, 1899 St. Louis A.C., Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S.
62 Win 44–8–6 (4) Australian Jim Ryan KO 7 (20) Oct 20, 1899 Broadway A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
61 Draw 43–8–6 (4) Charles Kid McCoy PTS 6 Oct 6, 1899 Star Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
60 NC 43–8–5 (4) Ed Dunkhorst NC ? (20) Sep 30, 1899 Colorado A.A., Denver, Colorado, U.S. Bout Scheduled as finale of Colorado Sporting Festival. No result found
59 Win 43–8–5 (3) Jim Hall KO 3 (20) Sep 25, 1899 Nonpareil A.C., Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. Retained world light-heavyweight title
58 Win 42–8–5 (3) Australian Jim Ryan PTS 20 Aug 29, 1899 Auditorium for fistic carnival, Dubuque, Iowa, U.S. Won inaugural world light-heavyweight title
57 Win 41–8–5 (3) Mexican Pete Everett DQ 7 (25) Aug 4, 1899 Colorado A.A., Denver, Colorado, U.S.
56 Win 40–8–5 (3) Jack McCormick PTS 6 Jul 21, 1899 Dearborn A.C., Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
55 ND 39–8–5 (3) Willard Bean ND 10 Apr 17, 1899 New Grand Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
54 Loss 39–8–5 (2) Charles Kid McCoy PTS 20 Mar 24, 1899 Mechanic's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S.
53 Win 39–7–5 (2) Ed Dunkhorst PTS 6 Dec 19, 1898 Fort Dearborn A.C., Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
52 Loss 38–7–5 (2) Gus Ruhlin PTS 6 Nov 4, 1898 Arena A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
51 Win 38–6–5 (2) Joe Goddard NWS 6 Sep 12, 1898 Arena A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
50 Draw 37–6–5 (2) Tom Sharkey PTS 8 (20) Mar 11, 1898 Woodward's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S. Choynski fell out of the ring and the fight was declared a draw
49 Draw 37–6–4 (2) James J. Jeffries PTS 20 Nov 30, 1897 National A.C., San Francisco, California, U.S.
48 Win 37–6–3 (2) Herman Bernau TKO 4 (6) Oct 11, 1897 Grand Opera House, Galveston, Texas, U.S.
47 Win 36–6–3 (2) Denver Ed Smith DQ 4 (20) May 10, 1897 Broadway A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
46 Win 35–6–3 (2) Frank Dwyer PTS 4 Jan 2, 1897 Allegheny Theater, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
45 Loss 34–6–3 (2) Peter Maher KO 6 (20) Nov 16, 1896 Broadway A.C., Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.
44 Win 34–5–3 (2) Joe McAuliffe KO 4 (10) Aug 28, 1896 Woodward's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S.
43 Loss 33–5–3 (2) Tom Sharkey PTS 8 Apr 16, 1896 People's Palace Theater, San Francisco, California, U.S.
42 Win 33–4–3 (2) Jim Hall KO 13 (20) Jan 20, 1896 Empire A.C., Maspeth, Queens, New York City, New York, U.S.
41 Win 32–4–3 (2) Frank Childs KO 3 (3) Nov 15, 1895 Sam T. Jack's Opera House, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
40 Win 31–4–3 (2) Dick Wilson KO 2 (?) Aug 20, 1895 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
39 Win 30–4–3 (2) Jack Cattanach KO 2 (10) Jun 3, 1895 Front Street Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
38 Draw 29–4–3 (2) Dan Creedon PTS 6 Mar 21, 1895 Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Pre-arranged draw if no KO
37 Win 29–4–2 (2) Mike Madden PTS 4 Mar 11, 1895 Auditorium, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
36 Win 28–4–2 (2) Jim Douglass PTS 3 Feb 25, 1895 Triangle AC, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
35 Draw 27–4–2 (2) Bob Armstrong PTS 6 Sep 19, 1894 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
34 Win 27–4–1 (2) Mike Boden KO 3 (4) Sep 17, 1894 Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
33 Win 26–4–1 (2) Harry Miller RTD 3 (6) Sep 15, 1894 People's Theater, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
32 Draw 25–4–1 (2) Bob Fitzsimmons PTS 5 (8) Jun 18, 1894 Boston Theater, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Choynski was down and bloodied when the police stepped in
and would likely have been knocked out had the fight continued
The bout was declared a draw. Pre-fight agreement that the fight could only be won via KO
31 Win 25–4 (2) Tommy West PTS 3 Feb 6, 1893 Portland, Oregon, U.S.
30 Win 24–4 (2) Mike Boden KO 4 (?) Dec 29, 1892 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
29 Win 23–4 (2) Bob Ferguson PTS 4 Dec 29, 1892 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
28 Win 22–4 (2) Jack Fallon KO 4 (?) Nov 26, 1892 Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
27 Win 21–4 (2) Denny Kelliher PTS 2 Nov 24, 1892 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
26 Win 20–4 (2) Charles C. Smith KO 4 (?) Nov 21, 1892 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
25 Win 19–4 (2) George Godfrey KO 15 (?) Oct 31, 1892 Coney Island A.C., Coney Island, New York, U.S.
24 Win 18–4 (2) Jack Hart PTS 3 May 29, 1892 London, England, U.K.
23 Win 17–4 (2) William Patmore KO 1 (?) May 27, 1892 London, England, U.K.
22 Win 16–4 (2) Mike Horrigan KO 1 (?) May 24, 1892 London, England, U.K.
21 Win 15–4 (2) Denver Ed Smith PTS 4 Apr 30, 1892 Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
20 Win 14–4 (2) Philadelphia Tommy Ryan KO 2 (?) Apr 22, 1892 Niblo's Theatre, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. Not to be confused with Tommy Ryan
19 Win 13–4 (2) Charles Bull McCarthy KO 2 (?) Apr 21, 1892 Clermont Rink, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.
18 Win 12–4 (2) Jerry Slattery KO 2 (?) Apr 19, 1892 Niblo's Theatre, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.
17 Win 11–4 (2) Joe Godfrey KO 1 (?) Apr 9, 1892 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
16 Loss 10–4 (2) Jim Hall NWS 4 Apr 2, 1892 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
15 Win 10–3 (2) Billy Woods KO 34 (?) Dec 17, 1891 Pacific A.C., San Francisco, California, U.S.
14 Loss 9–3 (2) Joe Goddard KO 4 (20) Jul 20, 1891 Melbourne Athletic Club, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia For Australian heavyweight title
13 Win 9–2 (2) Owen Sullivan KO 2 (8) Jun 20, 1891 Melbourne Athletic Club, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
12 Win 8–2 (2) Mick Dooley KO 2 May 25, 1891 Melbourne Athletic Club, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia A finish fight
11 Loss 7–2 (2) Joe Goddard RTD 4 (20) Feb 10, 1891 Sydney Amateur Gymnastic Club, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia For Australian heavyweight title
10 Win 7–1 (2) Jim Fogarty RTD 10 Nov 24, 1890 Australian AC, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia A finish fight
9 Win 6–1 (2) Jack Davies KO 9 (?) May 26, 1890 Occidental A.C., San Francisco, California, U.S.
8 Win 5–1 (2) Billy Wilson KO 2 (?) Mar 26, 1890 Golden Gate A.C., San Francisco, California, U.S.
7 Win 4–1 (2) Frank McLarney KO 2 (?) Jan 25, 1890 Portland, Oregon, U.S.
6 ND 3–1 (2) Billy McCarthy ND 4 Aug 27, 1889 California A.C., San Francisco, California, U.S.
5 Loss 3–1 (1) James J. Corbett KO 27 (?) Jun 5, 1889 Benicia Harbor, California, U.S.
4 NC 3–0 (1) James J. Corbett NC 4 (?) May 30, 1889 San Francisco, California, U.S. Bout stopped by the police
3 Win 3–0 Frank Glover KO 14 Feb 26, 1889 San Francisco, California, U.S. A finish fight
2 Win 2–0 H McDonald PTS 3 Dec 26, 1888 San Francisco, California, U.S.
1 Win 1–0 George Bush KO 2 (?) Nov 14, 1888 San Francisco, California, U.S.

See also

Books

  • The Choynski Chronicles: A Biography of Hall of Fame Boxer Jewish Joe Choynski, by Christopher J Laforce. Win by Ko publishing (2013) ISBN 978-0979982286

References

  1. ^ IBHOF/Joe Choynski Archived 2006-03-17 at the Wayback Machine, IBHOF.com, Retrieved on 1–1–08
  2. ^ a b c d e "Joe Choynski the Murderous Puncher Who Knocked Out Jack Johnson and then Taught Him How to Box". Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "BoxRec: Login".
  4. ^ "Fight City Legends: Joe Choynski - All-Time Great Power Puncher". The Fight City. 2023-11-28. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
  5. ^ "Joe Choynski".
  6. ^ a b "Joseph Bartlett Choynski: Foremost Jewish Boxer of San Francisco & Light-Heavyweight Champion". Jewish Museum of the American West.
  7. ^ a b "Harriet Ashim Choynski: Early Jewish Pioneer Educator of San Francisco". Jewish Museum of the American West.
  8. ^ "Isidor Nathan Choynski: Foremost Pioneer Jewish Journalist of Early San Francisco". Jewish Museum of the American West.
  9. ^ International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame at www.jewishsports.net