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John L. Sullivan
John Lawrence Sullivan (October 15, 1858 – February 2, 1918) was an American professional boxer. Nicknamed the "Boston Strong Boy" and known as John L. among his admirers, he is recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing, de facto reigning from 7 February 1882 to 7 September 1892. He is also generally recognized as the last heavyweight champion of bare-knuckle boxing under the London Prize Ring Rules, being a cultural icon of the late 19th century America, arguably the first boxing superstar and one of the world's highest-paid athletes of his era.
Newspapers' coverage of his career, with the latest accounts of his championship fights often appearing in the headlines, and as cover stories, gave birth to sports journalism in the United States and set the pattern internationally for covering boxing events in media, and photodocumenting the prizefights.
Sullivan was born on October 15, 1858, in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, to Irish immigrant parents, Michael Sullivan from Abbeydorney, County Kerry and Catherine Kelly from Athlone, County Westmeath. He attended public schools in his native Boston, attending the Dwight Grammar School and performing well academically.
Sullivan's parents aspired for their son to enter the priesthood as a Catholic priest. To this end Sullivan enrolled at Boston College circa 1875 but after only a few months he turned to playing baseball professionally, earning the substantial sum of $30 to $40 a week for his efforts. As Sullivan recalled in 1883:
"I threw my books aside and gave myself up to it. This is how I got into the base-ball profession, and I left school for good and all. From the base-ball business I drifted into boxing and pugilism."
As a professional fighter Sullivan was nicknamed the "Boston Strong Boy". As a youth he was arrested several times for participating in bouts where the sport was outlawed. He went on exhibition tours offering people money to fight him. Sullivan won more than 450 fights in his career.
Sullivan may have sparred with black boxer James Young at Schieffelin Hall in Tombstone, Arizona, in 1882, though Sullivan later insisted that he never fought a black boxer. If this match did occur, it may have been just a brief sparring session that Sullivan did not regard seriously as a bout.
In 1883–84 Sullivan went on a coast-to-coast tour by train with five other boxers. They were scheduled to hold 195 fights in 136 different cities and towns over 238 days. To help promote the tour, Sullivan announced that he would box anyone at any time during the tour under the Queensberry Rules for $250. He knocked out eleven men during the tour.
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John L. Sullivan
John Lawrence Sullivan (October 15, 1858 – February 2, 1918) was an American professional boxer. Nicknamed the "Boston Strong Boy" and known as John L. among his admirers, he is recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing, de facto reigning from 7 February 1882 to 7 September 1892. He is also generally recognized as the last heavyweight champion of bare-knuckle boxing under the London Prize Ring Rules, being a cultural icon of the late 19th century America, arguably the first boxing superstar and one of the world's highest-paid athletes of his era.
Newspapers' coverage of his career, with the latest accounts of his championship fights often appearing in the headlines, and as cover stories, gave birth to sports journalism in the United States and set the pattern internationally for covering boxing events in media, and photodocumenting the prizefights.
Sullivan was born on October 15, 1858, in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, to Irish immigrant parents, Michael Sullivan from Abbeydorney, County Kerry and Catherine Kelly from Athlone, County Westmeath. He attended public schools in his native Boston, attending the Dwight Grammar School and performing well academically.
Sullivan's parents aspired for their son to enter the priesthood as a Catholic priest. To this end Sullivan enrolled at Boston College circa 1875 but after only a few months he turned to playing baseball professionally, earning the substantial sum of $30 to $40 a week for his efforts. As Sullivan recalled in 1883:
"I threw my books aside and gave myself up to it. This is how I got into the base-ball profession, and I left school for good and all. From the base-ball business I drifted into boxing and pugilism."
As a professional fighter Sullivan was nicknamed the "Boston Strong Boy". As a youth he was arrested several times for participating in bouts where the sport was outlawed. He went on exhibition tours offering people money to fight him. Sullivan won more than 450 fights in his career.
Sullivan may have sparred with black boxer James Young at Schieffelin Hall in Tombstone, Arizona, in 1882, though Sullivan later insisted that he never fought a black boxer. If this match did occur, it may have been just a brief sparring session that Sullivan did not regard seriously as a bout.
In 1883–84 Sullivan went on a coast-to-coast tour by train with five other boxers. They were scheduled to hold 195 fights in 136 different cities and towns over 238 days. To help promote the tour, Sullivan announced that he would box anyone at any time during the tour under the Queensberry Rules for $250. He knocked out eleven men during the tour.