The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-07-08
sULLIvAN's HISTORY.
Sketch of the Career of the Great American
Pugilist as Furnished by Himself

Sketch of the Career of the Great American
PugiIist AS Furnished by Himself
John l.. gives the following interesting
account of his rise to prominence as
champion in the fistic art:
my first formal match was with old Joe
GOss, nine years ago this spring. Before
that had bad number set-tos with men
of lesser reputation. and had bested them
all without any trouble. Commencing
with Goss, have met all comers, and have
never been defeated, and do not expect to
be, unless l should keep in the ring until
am as old as Goss was at that time. joe
was not too old to make good fight. He
was man of fine physique, good boxer,
and full of grit and endurance; but, in an
entirely friendly way, / went for him as
hard as was able TO, and it took only three
minutes to do him up."
Soon after the fight with Goss, Sullivan
had go with George Rookie, in New York,
following winter he went to Cincinnati and
fought John Donaldson for a purse OF $500.
This took ten rounds and total OF twenty
minutes. A few weeks later he knocked
out Steve Taylor in short order. at Harry
Hills. in New York. BY that time he had
begun to attract attention, and regular
fight was arranged between him and John
Flood for pnrse of 81 900, with kid gloves.
Sullivan trained carefully for the, fight.
Cured on a barge in the Hudson river. near
Yonkers, in May. 1881, and was finished in
eight rounds. with total of sixteen
minutes of actual fighting. After the
fight With Flood sullivan van went went. on
offer of $50 was made to the man who could
stand before him for four rounds with reg
ulatiOn gloves. A number accepted the
offer. but he stopped them all inside of three
rounds. Finally, a battle was arranged
with the champion of America. Paddy Ryan.
The stakes were 5000, and how the fight
resulted every body knows. 1t took place
in 1882, at Mississippi City, Miss. Sullivan
took only nine rounds, and ten minutes of
actual fighting. to wrest the champion
ship from him. After his fight with Ryan
Sullivan agreed to stop any man in the
world in four rounds with gloves, or forfeit
offer. was Jimmy Elliott: They met at
Washington Park New York City, July
4, 1882. and before the third round was
over Elliott was knocked senseless; Then
come from Leicester. England, to face the
champion. They met at Madison square
Garden on July IL. Wilson stayed with
him the four rounds by running away, fall
ng sps ss5ng g.1S opt Sf
of them. On March 10. 1883. a testimonial
benefit was rendered Sullivan at Mechanics
Building, In Boston. at which 1900 people
were present. and which netted him $4,000.
III tuc lOiiOW iHS MAY Hc iuct SudIIc
ell in four-round glove contest, at Madi:-
son-square Garden, New York. He had
Mitchell whipped, when Captain Williams
stopped the tight at the beginning of the
third round. On Aug. he met Herbert
SIade, at the same place, and had no trouble
in putting him to sleep in three rounds.
In September, 1883. Sullivan started out
on a tour of the country, making a standing
offer of $1,000 to the man who could stand
bef ore him for four three-minute rounds
with soft gloves. On this tour he met some
fifty different men, and bested them all.
On Nov. 10. 1884, he and John +. Latin had
q 60 in Madison-square Garden, for the en-
tire gate receipts. Sullivan knocked Laf-
lin out of time in three rounds. The next
week, at the same place. he met Ali Green
field. of Birmingham, Eng, another of
Fox's importations. He had him whipped
when the police stopped them in the second
round. and the referee awarded Sullivan
the fight. In January, 1885, he again
met Greenfield in Boston, and whipped
him in four rounds. week later,
Paddy Ryan and Sullivan again faced
each other in Madison-square Garden. They
had only been boxing thirty seconds when
the police took it upon themselves TO take
part in the affair. and compelled them to
stop, and the match was therefore called a
draw. In June, 1885, the champion met
Jack Burke in Chicago. and. though he
was not we'll at the time, he knocked him
ont in the fifth round. Then Dominick
McCaffrey challenged him to a public six
round battle with gloves They met at
Chester Park, Cincinnati. McCatfrey saved
CONTINUED on Second Pagel