, 1892-09-08
LOSES HIS LAURELS.
Sullivan is Knocked Out in
Twenty-One Rounds.

COrbett is Nearly $4,000 Better
Off-Intense Excitement Attend
Ing the Fight-He is Now the
worlds Championship Contest.
New ORLEANS, September S.-The laurel
has shifted. John L. Sullivan has had
some new sensations, and so has James
Corbett. One has been knocked off the pc
destal of the pugilistic championship and
the other has climbed into his place. The
California heavyweight Corbett has
knocked out Champion John L. Sullivan,
and won besides some $4,000, and now it
appears to spectators as though Corbett
won easily. The impression made by the
rapid spectacle is that Sullivan was at no
time in the path of success, and his physi-
cal evidences of this were apparent to the
finish.
Corbett the winner, at the moment of
his victory, was keen, quick, alert in every
limb, unmarked by bruise or blood His
face was aglow with steady interest; his
face wore half smile and he was ready to
attack his foe with force had the foe been
able to rise. These were the conditions of
NlCbOIys Dullfdu Was IbbhllR Wlbu DlOOQ,
smashed, bruised, jellied, and nearly ex-
hausted. These were the evidences of de-
feat, which established that the laurel had
been shifted and that new man had been
borne into the championship.
The excitement that prevailed in this
city has had no parallel since the Italian
assassination eighteen months ago. There
has been no subject of conversation dis
cussed IN any quarter save the event of this
evening, in which every portion of the civ
llized world is more or less interested. 1t
has apparently affected the outside world
as deeply it did those who witnessed the
battle. Both men were known to be in
prime condition, and the greatest fight of
the series was looked forward to by all
with keen anticipation.
The first sign of the contest for the cham
pionship of the world came in the person
of Police Captain Barrett, who went into
the ring at 1856 o'clock. The scales on
which the gloves were weighed were laid in
the center, poised. Ex-Mayor Guillot, who
acted as master of ceremonies, entered the
arena few minutes later and made a
speech warning the spectators not to Yio-
late any rules OF the club.
Sullivan entered the ring first, dressed in
green trunks and black shoes and socks
Corbett followed a moment later looking
pale and finely drawn beside his bulky an
tagonist. He wore an air of confidence,
however, and smiled and nodded to ac-
quaintances around the ring. though he
was said by some people to be a little nerv-
Gus. The gloves were weighed and found
according to law and they we're given to the
fighters. In the party which was held in
the center Of the ring Corbett looked en-
tirely outclassed in point of build, though
his friends relied upon his clever
ness to win the battle. The pivot blow
and backheelng were barred by mutual
consent, and the men agreeing to fight fair.
were sent to their corners to get ready for
the fray. The battle commenced ct 9:10.
70 get to see 1t was no small matter. A
simple ticket of admission cost $15. A So
called reserved seat cost $50, and a box
that held six persons cost $3.50. But there
was no lack of people who had this amount
OF money and were willing to part with it
to see what was to be seen in the greatest
arena of modern times. By 1880 O'Clock
the galleries were as full as they should
have been permitted to be. The reserved
seats were only fairly well fled but the
house began to look like a real good one.
The twentieth round had ended and with
the opening of the twenty-first, a minute
and half now decided the heavyweight
championship of the world. That the con
test WOuld end in that round no man pres
ent believed. Sullivan came from his cor
ner in the same shape that he had shown
for dozen rounds before. He had the
same cross expression on his face, and
seemed to be as strong as at any time dur
ing that period. He continued to do the
"edging in" and Corbett followed his orig
inal tactics of ''edging away" This sort
of trade was not going on very long, not
more than ten seconds, when COrbett
jumped back, rushed forward, hit John on
the nose, and John was dazed. Corbett
went at him further and then the same old
nose was again smashed and more blood
mt nf OF Io1
and Corbett jumped back with the merry
smile OF a schOolboy with big apple Sud
denly he returned to the fray, and before
Sullivan knew what was the meaning of
the Caifornian's happy look, he got
crack on the side of the head that made
him close his eyes. With this COrbett was
on the top of him in no time.
Left hand on one side of the head and
right hand on the other, poor John L. be-
came an unconscious beaten man. He
staggered about on his pins for a second or
so. While displaying this fatal weakness
Corbett went at him again, as a crow
lights on corn where there is no dummy in
the middle of the field. A light tap on the
ear and left on the jaw soon did the busi-
ness and won the championship. The last
blow sent the great John L. Sullivan to the
floor with thump-the second time in all
his long career as a fighter that he had ever
been KNOCKED down. But he was down
this time for good and all.
1t was a clean and clever knockout
blow. Sullivan doubled up his legs as
though in pain, but in another instant he
seemed to collect his senses, and made an
effort to rise. He failed in that and tried
the second time with the same result. He
was knocked out and knocked out COM
pletely. His seconds had to come to him
and assist him to his corner.
Professor Mike DOnovon, of the New
York Athletic club, and W. A. Brady, Cor
belts manager, sprang to the stage and
flung their arms around the young man
who was now the champion of the world
and the winner of $50,Cc0 in purse and
stakes, as well as a reputation that will
turn perhaps ten times that amount into
his exchequer. COrbett returned the cor
dial salutatiOn with hearty embrace,
while the tears welled up into his eyes.
Others jumped up to the clever Californian
and Rugged him. They had probably won
money at two or three to one on him.
While this hugging was going on, Sulli-
vans handlers were pouring water over
him and placing ammonia to his nose, and
with much trouble, they brought him
around. When he did come to, he looked
up at Jack McAuliffe, who was tanning
him with towel, and, after opening his
eyes half way, or as far as he could, he
asked: "Say, am l licked Did that
young fellow do 2''
McAuliffe sorrowfully admitted that that