The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-02-05
NOD[EST ROMAN or
PUG|L|SM IS DEAD
John [. Sullivan, Popular Idol For
Years, Loses Last Bout 81
With Grim Reaper

4 s 4 - y y.
ARLINGTON, February 81 Assosi.
atcd Press --John L. Sullivan, most
famous OF all prizs fighters and former
champion heavyweight, died here today
sof heart trouble. -
Dominated Sporting Circles
John Laurence Sullivan was one Of
1 the most piGtnresqGe charaeters In the
history Of prize Fighting For more than
I ten years, from the time he defeated
/ Paddy Ryan In 1882. in q bare knuckle
aght under the London Prize Ring
IRnles, until he was defeated by James
n. Cofbett, in 1892, his personality and
methods Of fighting completely d0minats
ed sporting circles In the United States.
In the annals Of pugilism in this com
TRY two notable distinctions were his;
he was the last champion Of the United
States to eight under the London Prize
Ring Rules. II was largely through his
achievements that the Championship
Little was made prize of great none
ltary value. In the early DAYS of his
career, 81 200 side was looked on as
la great sum. He received only sos for
the fight that made him national
right to challenge Paddy Ryan for the
lchampionship ~
4 Ills friends ragged all the way from
the ordinary fight fan to many men
Of social and financial distinction In the
United States, and IL is said he was ON
tehumming terms with the late King
Edward VII OF Envland.
He began his fighting career soon
after he was seven,een, wnen az the
* Boston Strong Boy he took part in
amateur boxing contests in several
cities in Massachusetts, il sullivan .
customary procedure in his early youth
could be called boxing. Tactics, strate.
Cyl plans of campaign were all swept
away when John l.. hammered his ruth,
less, undertaking way to the front. His
style was atavistie, q return to the
simple, primitive principle Of batterina
an opponent into insensibility. His sue.
eess, coupled with his free manners, 4
leertain social triumph and his subse
qnent position as semfppblie charac
ter proclaimed him sort Of dignity n
the sporting world. vs.
! The First /" Knockout,' "sr +,
After his nine.round fight with Paddy
Ryan, on the strip of greenNyard On
the Gulf of Mexico. the word knock
OUT was manufactured by Billy Mad
den, Sullivan trainer to describe thu
effect Of his blows when properly de
lliyered. EA.b'E SRb'r ... .NEa u
His hardest fight was with Jake Xii
| Train. II was fought near New Ofleahi
and lasted for seventy five rounds. Tina
was the last championship contest il
| the United States to be fought witt
bare knuekles, under the old rules. I.
That fight practically decided tn
! Iuselessness of trying TO beat Sullivan
| lby combating him in his own sledg
\ hammer style. Al thirty-nine roun,
! tight with Charley Mitchell, wary AM
\ skillfuI boxer seemed to show iightinI
I managers that the great John. u. nigh
! be vulnerable to man who could bo
| wen and stay with him long enough /
| wear him down The opportunity :
! try this method on the champion fel
! TO James ]. oorbett, The purse wa
the largest ever put up in D ring battl
! Iup to that time, The purse was $25, 90
| land the stakes 100000 The fight tina
| was to end John LIS championship wa
3 fought before the Olympic club of Ne,
Orleans, When the fight was over ther
was q new champion Of the world. SUI
Ivan, was thirty,four at the time Of hi
defeat. H&E.,, ~,M
He was born in Boston, October II
\ 1858 and passed the later years OF hi
life on a farm which he owned nea
West Arlington, Mass He was twic
married. His FIRST wife was Ami
Bates. Of CenteryiIle, R. l., whom h
II married in 1882, but with whom h
= lived only,a few months and from whoI
he obtained divorce on the ground O
desertion after twentysi years. A
lffty-one years of age the former chan
. lpion took as his second wife Kate HsrE
Z inns, Of Roxbury, who was his swee
: heart years before when he was m
: Boston Strong Boy"