The Alaska daily empire., 1918-03-20

"Was John I. Sullivan ever the heavyweight champion of the world ?''
 A hundred times-and more-this question has been asked. Some per sons have answered it "Yes" and just as many have replied in the neg ative. But in my opinion, backed by facts, John L. Sullivan was the heavyweight champion of the world under London Prize Ring rules-and he never lost that title.
 The first real champion in pugil- ism was James Wigg, an English man, who resigned back in 1719. From that time on for more than a century, the tracing of the cham pionship is rather difficult. But in 1858 one finds Tom Savers ranked as the heavyweight champion of Eng land and John c. Heenan, The Ben ecia Boy" the outstanding warrior of the American prize ring.
 On April F, 1860, Savers and Hee' non met in England in a battle for a S1.000 side bet and the heavy weight championship of the world. v After a battle of 42 rounds, which occupied two hours and 20 minutes, toughs broke into the ring and stop ped the fight The referee could do nothing but call the fight a draw Almost immediately after that battle Savers retired from the ring and Heenan claimed the heavyweight championship of the world, and his claim was generally recognized
 Late in 1860 Sam Hurst of Eng land whipped Tom Paddock, fellow Britain, and belt, emblematic of the heavyweight championship of Great Britain, was awarded to him On January IS, 1861, Jem Mace de feated Hurst and in turn became the champion. On November 26, 1862 Tom King whipped Mace in 2l rounds and established rights to the heavy weight championship of England. On December 10, 1863, King clinched claim to the title by defeating Hurst in 24 rounds.
 A short while afterward King re tired from the ring. Joe Wormaid laid claim to the title. So did Mace When Wormald retired temporarily from the fighting world, due to an injured hand, Mace was recognized as the champion. In 1886 Mace, in defending the championship, fought a draw with Joe Goss. A year or SC later, Tom Allen, of England, came to the front and after vainly chal lenging Mace, claimed the British heavyweight title. But Mace retain ed the belt. Then Allen came to the United States.
 Meanwhile various battles on Amer ican soil between American fighters established Mike McCoole at the tol of the fighters in the United States In 1869 Allen and McCoole fought in St. Louis for the heavyweight cham pionship of the world" McCoole won in the 9th round on a foul but Al len refused to concede McCoole's claims to the championship of the world
 Shortly afterwards Mace came tc the United States and sought a battle with Allen. He was accommodated The two Britons met in Tanners vile, Ind. May 10, 1870, and Mace won in 10 rounds. At once Mace de clared himself heavyweight champion of the world, although McCoole, by virtue of his earlier victory over Al len had a better claim,
 Mace became inactive as a ring performer along about 1873 then Al len and McCoole decided to fight again to determine "the real heavy weight champion of the world" They met in St Louis, September 23. 187t and Allen, the Englishman, won ir seven rounds The public then rec ognized Allen as king of the heavies On May '. 1876 Allen fought Joe Goss and after one hour and fifty two minutes of furious fighting Cos and the crown was passed along to him On May 30. 1880. Goss fought Paddy Ryan in Collier Sta tion. West Virginia. The men bat tied for 87 roundsTan in the enf Paddy Ryan was the winner.
 And in 1882 John L. Sullivan came along and knocked out Paddy Ryan Doesn't that prove Sullivan's right to the heavyweight championship o the world under London Prize Rine rules?
 From that day in 1882. until ht