Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-18
SULLIVAN AND
KILRAIN TO SPAR
OLD-TIME FOES WILL APPEAR
IN VAUDEVILLE
FORMER CHAMPIONS NAME HAS
UNDIMMED LUsTER
M agic of His Presence Is Inspiration
to Aspiring Pugs-Great Bare
knuckle Fighter Has De-
cided to Be Good

Los Angeles fight fans are eagerly
awaiting the appearance in this city
of John L. Sullivan, former champion
of the. ring, whose luster, despite de-
feat, remains undimmed; whose en-
battled memory is woven into all pugil-
istic history; whose sturdy frame is
the epitome of the days of bare
knuckle contests. Hale and hearty
after a career of struggles with pow
erful opponents, King Barleycorn and
disease, John l.. Sullivan today and
always will maintain a unique place
in ring annals. His very name yet is
a charm to the fight fan. His presence
is an inspiration to every aspiring
glove devotee. Fans of Los Angeles
will be glad to welcome him at the
Empire theater next week with his
partner, Jake Kilrain. The latter name
brings back to the white-haired fistic
enthusiasts visions of a long, bloody
battle which need not be detailed, and
the appearance of the old time foes
is of sentimental interest.
1t has been some time since John
L. Sullivan visited this city. The an
nouncement made several days ago
that the one time champion will appear
here has brought up many recollections
of the veterans career, and his host of
friends here will undoubtedly await
with eagerness a sight of the battle
SCARED hero of the arena when it
consisted of, in many cases. the green
sward, roped off only by the inner
fringes of the surrounding crowd.
The accepted authority of sporting
history is emphatic in the statement
that John L. Sullivan was never
champion of the world. In this that
authority is wrong. Sullivan was the
undisputed champion under the Lon
don prize ring rules, and his defeat of
every aspirant for championship hon
orS makes the claim that he was never
champion absurd in many respects.
Technically he might never have
been the worlds champion, but when
man has met and defeated up to the
time Jim Corbett ended his career
every contestant for pugilistic honors
it seems unfair to call him anything
but a worlds champion, because he
did not meet a negro.
Sullivan fought when bare fists were
the common implements of offense and
defense. That is why he now calls
prize fighting a luxury. In the early
days of Sullivan's career there were
no jersey-clad seconds ready to shove
a chair into the ring the instant time
for a round was called. There were no
men with special brands of drinking
water oranges, lemons, ammonia bot
ties, waving towels and sponges
soaked with ice water and welded eff
fectually by experienced men sup
posedly wise to every detail of the re-
Operative game.
In Sullivan's days at the end of
round the principal would rest him
self sitting on the back of his Sec
ond, kneeling on his hands and knees,
and making no very comfortable seat
for a man tired from a hammering in
which padded mitts played no part
Sullivan has had a hard life. He
has been at the point of death more
than once. He has squandered a for
tune several times, but no matter
what the man does he has coterie of
true friends who would lose a hand TO
do him a good turn.
Sullivan is the most popular fighter
who ever appeared in the ring. That
he is greeted by thousands everywhere
and maintains his old friends and
makes new in every place he appears
is a record never equaled in the his
tory of the ring. He has hundreds of
friends here. When he appears here
he will be greeted by hundreds who
would go to see him no matter what
his reason for appearing in public.
Sullivan will always be Sullivan, ana
his oddities, his record, smirched as 1t
may be by past dissipation, will be
wiped clean when he indicates, as he
has in the past, that he can and will
''be good" He has not drank a drop
of liquor for more than two years.