Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-02
John l.. Was a Fighter


Puciism in the United States b.pins
with John l.. sullivan. sullivan was -
tighter, pure and simple. He is credited
with having discovered the right-hand
punch to the jaw, which Is still the most
popular and expeditions blow for ending
"A fight.
AZ tue age Of twenty-five John l.
made a nine months tour of the I.uitod
states. during which lie demonstrated
the efficiency Of this punch by knocking
OUT ilttN men within four rounds. Some
OF ms victims were ready to drop be-
lore they entered the ring. The very
name OF John l.. sullivan became n
charm which turned hard laws 10 glass
II" had growl that made the roar of
Gagged lion seem like the soft note of
Il bel Canto tenor.
Sullivan's fighting techniomc vos
Sublmely simple. He stood before nj.
man ana aShod out with the ripbt
him. "'ioI'
SULLIVAN could hardly be called ,
E'"'| ne was five feet ten and a half
inches tai. His best weight was we,I
under 200 pounds. The John |, SmIi.
van who dc!icd anything on two Ia,,,
l" stand before him was not mrrb la
ger than Porky Flynn, another Eos
Born in 1858
nc was born in Boston Orioh,r -
le5S' His nationality was Irish A,,,o,,I
can ana it proved "a splendid comhir,
tiol' Tor SullivanS heart was 40 e,o,,,
as ms body was rugged On Echru.r,,
9 lHS-' he fought Paddy Ryan at Mis-.
S'"Sippi Clty with bare knuckles for -
wager OF $4,000 II side and tho hcav,,'
weight championship. and Sullivan won
VI iiiie rounds. In that bout with bor.
~ ne developed wonderful punching
"plIi'E win his hands encased i'm five,
""''c tloNeS his hackers believed that
therc was not Il man in tho world yvho
rould stay four rounds with Sullivan
re was virtually the originator Of tbe
knock-out blow, a short right svIno mn
the Juguar vein.
In September. 1883, Sullivan stortod
On tour Of the country, first offering
90" 10 any man who was on his feet at
.'e emu or the fourth round III. nor
W l'cu tne Feat night after night in this
S''S "t Clark's Boxing Club, which ,yos
locat'd at Eighth and Vine streets ~.
nloMcu ms opponents down in short
oIuer, Few lasted beyond the second
Sou'u, Men VINO were eager to win tha
80" became scarce. The offer was grad.
'N"'Su hlltl IL reached Sluuu
from city 10 city Sullivan Travelled. ond
IN that year knocked out moro ,La,,
hity men Not one succeeded I'm ,"irf
ming the purse. - "''
Tug Wilson Sticks
prlor to this tour Sullivan mct Tuc
MilSoh' a burly English heavyweight I'm
Hi"ulsoh square Garden. Thoy hoved
iur % ana 80 per cent Of the recoints
NlSon to receive the greater percentago
IL he remained foGr rounds. The bont
utmost caused riot. Wilson dived I'm
at thc bell in each round, catching SuI.
I'an around the waist and holding on
until torn away by the referee. lie re-
peated the trick In each round. ond
should have been disqualified. But he
was there at the finish, and several davs
aiterward sailed back to England with
slnoOO tucked away In his scans. lie
had outwitted the referee. Sullivan and
All connected with the show.
After boxing with gloves from 1880 10
1888, John l.. was induced 70 20 ahroad
where he fought Charley Mitchell viii
bare knuckles on the turf nj Chon,iIi,,
France, March 10. 1883. Sullivan snS
iered broken arm during the hn''t
nut he managed to get a draw I'm 49,
thirty-ninth round. 80 'ho
lie then returned to America ana ,,.