Ryan was less active in boxing in 1883 when he knocked out Montana champion Jack Waite in a three-round exhibition on October 21. The results of several fights he scheduled that year failed to appear in the press. He continued to meet few opponents in 1884–1885, though on January 19, 1885, Ryan fought a no contest bout with Sullivan at New York's Madison Square Garden. Some sources report Ryan lost, but in any event, police intervened in the first round and stopped the fight.
