The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-18

(No<e: This is the first chapter of q series of articles which MT. Corbett is writing on John L. As I Knew Him. It relates many heretofore unpublished incidents in the life of the great warrior. row.)
 John l.. Sullivan went to his grave talk ing with him the only championship he ever held. This statement may seem strange to some, but the fact is indisput- able that John l.. never lost the title he wor- from Paddy Ryan in 1882. Sullivan became the king of heavy weights when he whipped Ryan in the bare knuckled contest of 36 years ago. 1 London prize ring rules governed that battle. From that history making day none of the many warriors who tried conclusions with the mighty Bostonan under London prize ring rules could send him down to defeat. Sullivan never was dethroned as London prize ring champion.
 John l.. met defeat but once in his wonderful career. That was when I won from him in New Orleans in 1892. But that battle was conducted under Mar quis of Queensbury rules. It was the first championship fight ever staged un- der those modern ring regulations and was to determine not the London prize ring and Marquis of Queensbury cham pionship but the Marquis of Queensbury title alone.
 After Sullivan's bare knuckle fight with Jake Kilrain in 1sS9-which John L. won a new era of pugilsm began. All con tests after that were conducted under Marquis of Queensbury rules. There was no real champion under those regula- tions at the time John l.. laid claim to the title. Peter Jackson disputed 1t, but Sullivan, having drawn the color line, refused to fight him. When fought John l.. in 1892 in the first heavyweight championship match ever staged under Queensbury rules, I won and so I be- came first real champion under the Queensbury laws. But my victory did not dethrone John l.. as king under the Lon- don prize ring rules and he remained such until the end of his days.
 The old generation of fight fans un- doubtedly are aware of the distinction between the two types of fighting But the younger ones, although familiar with the Queensbury regulations, know the London prize ring rules only vaguely. So for their benefit this explanation Evital in any story of John LIS career-is
 
 being made:
 The London prize ring rules call for bare knuckle fighting in 16-foot ring; Queensbury demands glove contests in a 24-foot ring and orders that each round consist of three minutes of fighting with one minute of rest between. Under the London rules every knockdown was 8 round and no round was over until one fighter or the other had been sent to the floor. Oftentimes it happened that men battled 10 and 15 minutes without fighter flooring the other.
 On the other hand, when a fighter was in trouble in those days, he would walk to the center of the ring, toe the scratch" and as soon as his foe laid a hand on him would fall to the ground. By his action he ended the round and was permitted 30 seconds of rest in his corner before the next session of fighting began. Groggy but brainy fighters often repeated the flop for 10 to 20 rounds. Nowadays when a fighter is knocked down he must get to his feet unaided within 10 seconds. Under London rules