Willie Ritchie (born Gerhardt Anthony Steffen, February 13, 1891 – March 24, 1975), was the World lightweight champion from 1912 to 1914.

Gerhardt Anthony Steffen was born in San Francisco, California on February 13, 1891. He began his boxing career in 1907 under the name of "Willie Ritchie" so that his mother would not be aware of his career.

On July 16, 1908, he met future World Bantamweight Champion Jimmy Walsh at the Reliance Athletic Club in Oakland, California, and won a six-round points decision. Ritchie was one of the most accomplished opponents Reagan would meet in his early career.

Ritchie's first title shot was with reigning lightweight champion Ad Wolgast on November 28, 1912, in San Francisco. Ritchie dominated the fight, and after Wolgast landed two blows below the belt in the sixteenth round, the referee called the fight for Ritchie.

He held the title for two years, successfully defending it four times. In 1914, he sailed to London to face the British lightweight champion, Freddie Welsh. Welsh won the 20-round match by decision.

After losing his title, Ritchie continued to fight until retiring in 1927. In 1937, he became chief inspector for the California State Athletic Commission, a position he held until 1961.

Ritchie was a 1962 inductee to The Ring magazine's Boxing Hall of Fame (disbanded in 1987), and a 2004 inductee to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He died in Burlingame, California, in 1975.

Professional boxing record All information in this section is derived from BoxRec, unless otherwise stated.

Official record

All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column. ResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateLocationNotes77Win33–10–16 Dick HoppePTS6Aug 29, 1927 76Win32–10–16 Bobby LaSallePTS6Aug 5, 1927 75Win31–10–16 Tommy ComiskeyKO4 (4)Jun 28, 1927 74Loss30–10–16 Joe SimonichPTS4Aug 20, 1924 73Win30–9–16 Buck HolleyPTS4May 31, 1923 72Loss29–9–16 Benny LeonardTKO8 (8)Apr 28, 1919 71Win29–8–16 Benny LeonardNWS4Feb 21, 1919 70Win29–8–16 Frankie JonesPTS4May 10, 1918 69Loss28–8–16 Marty FarrellPTS4Oct 10, 1917 68Win28–7–16 Battling OrtegaPTS4Sep 10, 1917 67Win27–7–16 Frank BarrieauPTS4Sep 3, 1917 66Draw26–7–16 Frank BarrieauPTS4Aug 22, 1917 65Win26–7–15 Johnny McCarthyPTS4Aug 3, 1917 64Win25–7–15 Sid MitchellKO4 (4)Dec 3, 1916 63Win24–7–15 Sid MitchellPTS4Nov 22, 1916 62Draw23–7–15 Johnny McCarthyPTS10Nov 12, 1916 61Win23–7–14 Johnny McCarthyPTS10Oct 12, 1916 60Win22–7–14 Willie HoppePTS4Aug 11, 1916 59Draw21–7–14 Willie HoppePTS4Jun 30, 1916 58Win21–7–13 Ralph GrumanNWS6Jun 6, 1916 57Loss21–7–13 Ted Kid LewisNWS10Dec 28, 1915 56Win21–7–13 Eddie McAndrewsNWS6Dec 20, 1915 55Win21–7–13 Eddie McAndrewsNWS6Nov 22, 1915 54Loss21–7–13 Johnny DundeeNWS10Oct 26, 1915 53Draw21–7–13 Matty BaldwinPTS12May 18, 1915 52Win21–7–12 Johnny GriffithsNWS6Apr 9, 1915 51Win21–7–12 Freddie WelshNWS10Mar 11, 1915 50Draw21–7–12 Johnny DundeePTS4Oct 23, 1914 49Loss21–7–11 Freddie WelshPTS20Jul 7, 1914 48Loss21–6–11 Charley WhiteNWS10May 26, 1914 47Win21–6–11 Harlem Tommy MurphyPTS20Apr 17, 1914 46Win20–6–11 Ad WolgastNWS10Mar 12, 1914 45Win20–6–11 Leach CrossNWS10Nov 10, 1913 44Win20–6–11 Mexican Joe RiversKO11 (20)Jul 4, 1913 43Win19–6–11 Ad WolgastDQ16 (20)Nov 28, 1912 42Draw18–6–11 Joe MandotNWS10Jun 24, 1912 41Win18–6–11 Ad WolgastNWS4May 11, 1912 40Draw18–6–11 Phil BrockPTS10Feb 22, 1912 39Loss18–6–10 Charley TurnerNWS6Feb 10, 1912 38Win18–6–10 Young ErneNWS6Feb 7, 1912 37Win18–6–10 Harry TrendallNWS6Jan 27, 1912 36Win18–6–10 Yankee SchwartzKO2 (10)Jan 22, 1912 35Win17–6–10 Milburn SaylorNWS6Jan 13, 1912 34Draw17–6–10 Paul KöhlerPTS12Jan 1, 1912 33Loss17–6–9 Freddie WelshPTS20Nov 30, 1911 32Win17–5–9 Jerry MurphyPTS4Nov 17, 1911 31Win16–5–9 Jack BrittonPTS4Oct 6, 1911 30Draw15–5–9 Johnny McCarthyPTS10Sep 20, 1911 29Win15–5–8 Tommy McFarlandKO4 (20)Sep 16, 1911 28Loss14–5–8 Matty BaldwinPTS20Aug 31, 1911 27Draw14–4–8 Johnny McCarthyPTS4Aug 11, 1911 26Win14–4–7 Charley ReillyPTS4May 5, 1911 25Draw13–4–7 Johnny McCarthyPTS4Mar 10, 1911 24Draw13–4–6 Charley ReillyPTS4Feb 17, 1911 23Win13–4–5 Guy LeePTS4Dec 9, 1910 22Win12–4–5 Abe LabelPTS4Dec 2, 1910 21Win11–4–5 Abe LabelPTS4Nov 18, 1910 20Draw10–4–5 Jimmy FittonPTS4Jun 17, 1910 19Win10–4–4 Anton LaGravePTS6Dec 21, 1909 18Win9–4–4 Kid FrenchKO8 (?)Nov 25, 1909 17Loss8–4–4 Oakland Frankie BurnsPTS6Sep 14, 1909 16Win8–3–4 Jim FordPTS4Jul 21, 1909 15Loss7–3–4 Charley ReillyPTS6May 21, 1909 14Win7–2–4 Tony JosephKO3 (?)Apr 22, 1909 136–2–4 Eddie MenneyNC6 (6)Dec 29, 1908 12Win6–2–4 Willie O'NeillPTS6Nov 24, 1908 11Draw5–2–4 Tommy McCarthyPTS4Sep 25, 1908 10Draw5–2–3 Tommy McCarthyPTS6Aug 28, 1908 9Win5–2–2 Jimmy ReaganPTS6Jul 16, 1908 8Win4–2–2 Alex McDonaldPTS6Feb 27, 1908 7Win3–2–2 Harry DellPTS4Feb 5, 1908 6Draw2–2–2 Oakland Eddie MurphyPTS4Dec 19, 1907 5Loss2–2–1 Jack DavisPTS4Jul 5, 1907 4Draw2–1–1 Kid AustinPTS4Mar 31, 1907 3Win2–1 Deacon JonesKO3 (?)Apr 1, 1907 2Win1–1 Monk EnochTKO2 (4)Mar 8, 1907 1Loss0–1 Eddie SteeleKO1 (?)Jul 19, 1906

Unofficial record

Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw column. ResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateLocationNotes77Win45–14–17 Dick HoppePTS6Aug 29, 1927 76Win44–14–17 Bobby LaSallePTS6Aug 5, 1927 75Win43–14–17 Tommy ComiskeyKO4 (4)Jun 28, 1927 74Loss42–14–17 Joe SimonichPTS4Aug 20, 1924 73Win42–13–17 Buck HolleyPTS4May 31, 1923 72Loss41–13–17 Benny LeonardTKO8 (8)Apr 28, 1919 71Win41–12–17 Benny LeonardNWS4Feb 21, 1919 70Win40–12–17 Frankie JonesPTS4May 10, 1918 69Loss39–12–17 Marty FarrellPTS4Oct 10, 1917 68Win39–11–17 Battling OrtegaPTS4Sep 10, 1917 67Win38–11–17 Frank BarrieauPTS4Sep 3, 1917 66Draw37–11–17 Frank BarrieauPTS4Aug 22, 1917 65Win37–11–16 Johnny McCarthyPTS4Aug 3, 1917 64Win36–11–16 Sid MitchellKO4 (4)Dec 3, 1916 63Win35–11–16 Sid MitchellPTS4Nov 22, 1916 62Draw34–11–16 Johnny McCarthyPTS10Nov 12, 1916 61Win34–11–15 Johnny McCarthyPTS10Oct 12, 1916 60Win33–11–15 Willie HoppePTS4Aug 11, 1916 59Draw32–11–15 Willie HoppePTS4Jun 30, 1916 58Win32–11–14 Ralph GrumanNWS6Jun 6, 1916 57Loss31–11–14 Ted Kid LewisNWS10Dec 28, 1915 56Win31–10–14 Eddie McAndrewsNWS6Dec 20, 1915 55Win30–10–14 Eddie McAndrewsNWS6Nov 22, 1915 54Loss29–10–14 Johnny DundeeNWS10Oct 26, 1915 53Draw29–9–14 Matty BaldwinPTS12May 18, 1915 52Win29–9–13 Johnny GriffithsNWS6Apr 9, 1915 51Win28–9–13 Freddie WelshNWS10Mar 11, 1915 50Draw27–9–13 Johnny DundeePTS4Oct 23, 1914 49Loss27–9–12 Freddie WelshPTS20Jul 7, 1914 48Loss27–8–12 Charley WhiteNWS10May 26, 1914 47Win27–7–12 Harlem Tommy MurphyPTS20Apr 17, 1914 46Win26–7–12 Ad WolgastNWS10Mar 12, 1914 45Win25–7–12 Leach CrossNWS10Nov 10, 1913 44Win24–7–12 Mexican Joe RiversKO11 (20)Jul 4, 1913 43Win23–7–12 Ad WolgastDQ16 (20)Nov 28, 1912 42Draw22–7–12 Joe MandotNWS10Jun 24, 1912 41Win22–7–11 Ad WolgastNWS4May 11, 1912 40Draw21–7–11 Phil BrockPTS10Feb 22, 1912 39Loss21–7–10 Charley TurnerNWS6Feb 10, 1912 38Win21–6–10 Young ErneNWS6Feb 7, 1912 37Win20–6–10 Harry TrendallNWS6Jan 27, 1912 36Win19–6–10 Yankee SchwartzKO2 (10)Jan 22, 1912 35Win18–6–10 Milburn SaylorNWS6Jan 13, 1912 34Draw17–6–10 Paul KöhlerPTS12Jan 1, 1912 33Loss17–6–9 Freddie WelshPTS20Nov 30, 1911 32Win17–5–9 Jerry MurphyPTS4Nov 17, 1911 31Win16–5–9 Jack BrittonPTS4Oct 6, 1911 30Draw15–5–9 Johnny McCarthyPTS10Sep 20, 1911 29Win15–5–8 Tommy McFarlandKO4 (20)Sep 16, 1911 28Loss14–5–8 Matty BaldwinPTS20Aug 31, 1911 27Draw14–4–8 Johnny McCarthyPTS4Aug 11, 1911 26Win14–4–7 Charley ReillyPTS4May 5, 1911 25Draw13–4–7 Johnny McCarthyPTS4Mar 10, 1911 24Draw13–4–6 Charley ReillyPTS4Feb 17, 1911 23Win13–4–5 Guy LeePTS4Dec 9, 1910 22Win12–4–5 Abe LabelPTS4Dec 2, 1910 21Win11–4–5 Abe LabelPTS4Nov 18, 1910 20Draw10–4–5 Jimmy FittonPTS4Jun 17, 1910 19Win10–4–4 Anton LaGravePTS6Dec 21, 1909 18Win9–4–4 Kid FrenchKO8 (?)Nov 25, 1909 17Loss8–4–4 Oakland Frankie BurnsPTS6Sep 14, 1909 16Win8–3–4 Jim FordPTS4Jul 21, 1909 15Loss7–3–4 Charley ReillyPTS6May 21, 1909 14Win7–2–4 Tony JosephKO3 (?)Apr 22, 1909 136–2–4 Eddie MenneyNC6 (6)Dec 29, 1908 12Win6–2–4 Willie O'NeillPTS6Nov 24, 1908 11Draw5–2–4 Tommy McCarthyPTS4Sep 25, 1908 10Draw5–2–3 Tommy McCarthyPTS6Aug 28, 1908 9Win5–2–2 Jimmy ReaganPTS6Jul 16, 1908 8Win4–2–2 Alex McDonaldPTS6Feb 27, 1908 7Win3–2–2 Harry DellPTS4Feb 5, 1908 6Draw2–2–2 Oakland Eddie MurphyPTS4Dec 19, 1907 5Loss2–2–1 Jack DavisPTS4Jul 5, 1907 4Draw2–1–1 Kid AustinPTS4Mar 31, 1907 3Win2–1 Deacon JonesKO3 (?)Apr 1, 1907 2Win1–1 Monk EnochTKO2 (4)Mar 8, 1907 1Loss0–1 Eddie SteeleKO1 (?)Jul 19, 1906

See also Lineal championship

References