1885 in sports
| Years in sports | 
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1885 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
England
- FA Cup final – Blackburn Rovers 2–0 Queen's Park (Glasgow) at The Oval
 - 20 July — the Football Association legitimises professionalism
 - Millwall FC founded by workers on the Isle of Dogs as Millwall Rovers.
 - Southampton FC founded as Southampton St Mary's by members of St Mary's Church YMCA.
 
Hungary
Scotland
- Scottish Cup final – Renton 3–1 Vale of Leven at Hampden Park (replay following 0–0 draw)[1]
 
- Victorian Football Association premiers - South Melbourne
 - SANFL premiers - South Adelaide
 - WAFL premiers - Rovers
 
- Montreal are champions of the QRFU.
 - Ottawa College wins the ORFU.
 - The QRFU All-Stars are Canadian champions.
 
- National League v. American Association – Chicago NL ties St Louis A's, 3 games to 3 with one tie.
 
Events
- The Cuban Giants, composed mainly of African-American players from Philadelphia, is the first black professional baseball team on a reasonably permanent basis. It will sometimes join a league and use a regular home park but more often tour independently.
 
Events
- 29 August — John L. Sullivan's six round defeat of Dominick McCaffrey in Chester Park, Cincinnati, inaugurates the modern World heavyweight boxing championship under Queensberry Rules.[2] The bout is described as being "to decide the Marquess of Queensberry glove contest for the championship of the world". Sullivan will hold the title until 1892.[3]
 - World Middleweight Champion Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey defeats 12 challengers during the year, most of them by knockouts.[4]
 - Future World Heavyweight Champion James J. Corbett is the most successful amateur boxer on America's Pacific Coast and takes part in an exhibition bout with Dempsey.[5]
 
Lineal world champions[6]
- World Heavyweight Championship – John L. Sullivan
 - World Middleweight Championship – Jack Nonpareil Dempsey
 
Events
- Nottinghamshire wins the county championship title for a third successive season
 
England
- Champion County[7] – Nottinghamshire
 - Most runs – Walter Read 1,880 @ 44.76 (HS 163)
 - Most wickets – George Lohmann 142 @ 14.36 (BB 8–18)
 
Australia
- Most runs – Billy Barnes 520 @ 43.33 (HS 134)
 - Most wickets – Bobby Peel 35 @ 19.22 (BB 7–27)
 
Events
- Inaugural British Amateur Championship held at Royal Liverpool Golf Club
 
Major tournaments
Other tournaments
- British Amateur – Allen MacFie
 
England
- Grand National – Roquefort
 - 1,000 Guineas Stakes – Farewell
 - 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Paradox
 - The Derby – Melton[8]
 - The Oaks – Lonely
 - St. Leger Stakes – Melton
 
Australia
- Melbourne Cup – Sheet Anchor
 
Canada
- Queen's Plate – Willie W.
 
Ireland
- Irish Grand National – Billet Doux
 - Irish Derby Stakes – St. Kevin
 
USA
- Kentucky Derby – Joe Cotton
 - Preakness Stakes – Tecumseh
 - Belmont Stakes – Tyrant
 
Events
- 31 January — the Montreal Hockey Club defeats the McGill University 1–0 to win the 1885 Montreal Winter Carnival Ice Hockey Tournament
 
The Boat Race
- 28 March — Oxford wins the 42nd Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race
 
Home Nations Championship
- The 3rd series of the Home Nations Championship is not completed
 
Other events
- Establishment of London Welsh RFC and Connacht Rugby
 
Norway
England
- Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – William Renshaw (GB) defeats Herbert Lawford (GB) 7–5 6–2 4–6 7–5
 - Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Maud Watson (GB) defeats Blanche Bingley (GB) 6–1 7–5
 
USA
- American Men's Singles Championship – Richard D. Sears (USA) defeats Godfrey M. Brinley (USA) 6–3 4–6 6–0 6–3
 - The 9th pre-open era Men's Tennis tour gets underway 54 tournaments are staged this year the tour runs from 2 April to 12 October 1885.
 
America's Cup
- The New York Yacht Club retains the America's Cup as Puritan defeats British challenger Genesta, of the Royal Yacht Squadron, 2 races to 0
 
References
- ^ "Scottish Cup Past Winners | Scottish Cup | Scottish FA". www.scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
 - ^ Cyber Boxing Zone – Lineal Heavyweight Champions. Retrieved on 6 June 2009. Archived 2009-06-08.
 - ^ Cyber Boxing Zone – John L Sullivan. Retrieved on 13 November 2009.
 - ^ Cyber Boxing Zone – Jack Nonpareil Dempsey. Retrieved on 13 November 2009.
 - ^ Cyber Boxing Zone – James J Corbett. Retrieved on 13 November 2009.
 - ^ "Cyber Boxing Zone". Archived from the original on 2009-06-14. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
 - ^ A semi-official seasonal title proclaimed by media consensus prior to December 1889 when the official County Championship is constituted.
 - ^ "Epsom Derby | History, Winners, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 29 December 2021.