The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-01-04
Sullivan Says Fight With Kill
rain Was Toughest of His
Career

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Career
John L. Sullivan, Americas erst-
while heavyweight champion, and the
hero of many q bare knuckle fight.
declares that of all his battles the
hardest was that with Jake Kilrain
at Richburg, Miss, on July 8. 1889.
Sullivan, in speaking Of the incident
says:
1--WE fought seventy-five rounds,
and finally won. Each Of us bet
$4,000 on our chances, and of course
We fought with all the physical power
; we possessed to pull down that
money.
ut was hard, grueling fight. one
filed with spectacular work, and no
matter how hard hit Jake l could
: not put him out, and know l hit
/, him as hard as ever hit a man who
took the count. You will remember
this fight took place just after my
return from successful tour Of Aus
tralia, and we had q lot of trouble
in securing site for the battle. I
believe trained harder for this fight
than any l ever had, for knew Kill
rain was tough fellow, and also
knew that he could stand a lot of
punishment, but also knew that he
could not hit hard enough to knock
me out.
Aggressor at the Start
when they called time waded in
to him with absolute fearlessness,
<n1n ekn 7 t3,o$ T
was the aggressor. Every time had
him in bad way he would slip to
the ground and save himself from a
knockout. Several times I thought I
had landed effectively, but Jake al
ways would get up and come back
for more. We battled along. in this
sort of manner for forty-three rounds
and then began to feel sick at my
stomach. In the forty-fourth session
I remember my friends remarking
that my stomach would give out be-
fore I could finish Kilrain.
"'You're sick John, let's call it a
draw Jake suggested, and right there
he lost whatever chance he had of
beating me. Instead of wading into
me and taking advantage Of my weak
ened condition he simply stood back
with his hands on his hips and al
lowed me to recuperate some. His
remark made me mad and hit him
flat on his back.
Foul Claimed Not Allowed
"He got up again and we went at
It Just. as hard as ever. l dropped
him with q vicious right swing in the
forty-fifth round, and in that session
I was accused of stepping on him as
he lay PROSTATE on the ground, but
II did l don't remember. 1t was
stated after the fight that Kilrain
claimed a foul, which was not al
lowed. II it had been think would
have been done great injustice.
II soon felt lot better and strong
er and I realized that Jake was get
ting weaker and weaker. After the
fiftieth round I would hit Kilrain hard
enough to knock him down but he
would get up and come back for more.
In all my career I never met such a
game fighter.
I'm his weakened condition he was
unable to land telling blow. I was
firing myself, but was lot stronger
than he was. He gradually weakened
to the point where all had to do
was push him and he would fall
down, but my blows began to lack
steam, and I could not hit him hard
enough to put him out dispite his
weakened condition. After the sew
entieth round 1t was apparent that
he could not last much longer. In
the seventy fifth round he went down
from a feeble punch. His second
threw up the sponge, and was de-
~ kh4 xry{nn0p
Kilrain a Game Fighter
"I was beaten up myself but not
nearly SO bad as Jake. could not
help feeling sorry for him. and when
ever any persons ask me what the
hardest fight Of my career was do
not hesitate to say that Jake Kilrain
gave me the toughest battle l ever
had. He was one of the gamest fight
ers I ever met.
II was so disguised with the diff
.ficulties attending the selection of a
site for battle with bare fists and
the persistency with which bare
knuckle fighters were bounded by the
police that I decided to fight all my
later battles with gloves, and l be-
. lieve my action completed the natu-
ralization of boxing. 1t is matter
of patriotic pride with me, as the
sport then lost it's element Of bru-
tally and became pastime worthy
of the cleanest of gentlemen.
another fighter who gave me a
stiff bout was Charlie Mitchell, the
English champion, who challenged
en- when was on a English tour 1
accepted his challenge and match
was arranged for side bet of $4,000
each. Chantilly, France, was selected
rs the site and March 10, 1888 as the
date. I believe Mitchell was about
twenty pounds lighter than was,
Int he was gallant fighter, and after