The sun., 1883-10-03
The Business of Prize Fighting.

There are q great number Of men in this
country and in England who make their iv-
ing by pugilism. They box with hard
gloves or soft gloves or without gloves;
but in whatever manner they do 1t.
they box mainly to support themselves.
Some of them make great deal of
money. The champion. Mr. SULLIVAN of
Boston, must have made from sparring eX-
hibitOns alone from thirty Thousand to fifty
thousand dollars. Mr.. TUG WILSON return
cd to England after preventing Mr.. SULLI-
VAN from knocking him out, with eight or
ten thousand dollars, which he invested in
the business Of selling shoes, and now he
is n successful merchant on a moderate
scale. But such fortune in the prize
ring comes to few 1t is acquired only
by those who rise to the very front
rank, at present very difficult to get into.
seeing that Mr.. SULLIVAN is still in good
health. Indeed. unless the champion should
be considered rs hors concours, it may be
said that the whole Of the front rank is
Mr. SULLIVAN. He might be regarded tech
nically as the great monopolist Of the prize
ring, though in private life he is represented
as so generous that he will give away almost
anything, not excepting himself.
But it is very certain that no such extraor-
dinary interest would be taken in spar
ring exhibitions, unless behind the mere
skilful show that is exhibited on the stage
there was the earnest and terrible reality Of
the prize ring. Thousands will now 90 to
see SULLIVAN spar-and a trim spar
rer he is-who never would think Of
doing such a thing il they did not
know that he is q real fighter, always
ready to fight again. They like to SEQ us
much boxing as is permitted, but the at
traction that draws crowds to the entertain
ment is immensely strengthened II tho
boxers are fresh from some desperate strug-
GLE or are getting ready for one. Some
years ago Mr. MACE and Mr.. CoBURN
made match to fight, and trained
and actually went to Canada There they
set up a ring, and got into it and fooled about
for an hour, until a constable arrested them
Thus they were enabled to come back to the
United States with renewed regulations as
fighters. They travelled on this and made
money, and everybody else in the same line
made money on account OF the generally re-
established interest in the prize ring and its
surroundings.
Yesterday Mr.. MITCHELL and Mr.. SHERIFF,
famed as the Prussian, did their part toward
keeping their profession in a state Of activity,
and thus benehting all their brother boxers,
by going little way up the East River and
having a fight according to the regulations
laid down by the Marquis Of QUEENsBERRY
Mr.. SULLIVAN is now on a tour, taking Mr.
SLADE along, in order to have some one
to stand up before him. Mr.. RYAN is OF
on the same business, with q gentle
man named KANE. Both these combina-
tions will no doubt profit handsomely by the
additional stimulus given to their occupation
through yesterdays contest near New York
Probably Mr.. SULLIVAN will soon come home
and fight, and then Mr.. MITCHELL can have
his holiday and take to the road. ANY one
can travel and spar, and apparently any one
can fight, without any Interference from the
police, provided he wears fighting gloves.