Broughton, one of the best bare-knuckle prizefighters in history, created the modern sport's original set of regulations in 1743, and those rules controlled boxing until 1838, when they were superseded by the more thorough London Prize Ring rules. Broughton's guidelines for a fair fight included that there be no biting, kicking, or striking below the belt. He also wanted boxers to wear gloves to protect their hands. In the late 1800s, as more and more people were attending sporting events that required protection, such as football games and cockfights, ring masters began to issue licenses to boxers. The first official championship bout was fought between John L. Sullivan and Tommy Burns for the world heavyweight title in 1908. In 1927, at the request of Jack Dempsey, who didn't want his champion to be beaten out of his title by a lighter boxer, the World Boxing Association was formed to organize the sport. Today, professional boxing is regulated by the International Boxing Federation (IBF), which controls major tournaments such as the Olympic Games and World Championships. In the United States, boxing has been popular since the early 20th century. Professional boxing as we know it today was developed through many changes over time by various organizations including the National Boxing Association, the National Boxing League, and the World Boxing Association. In 1962, the last year for which statistics are available, nearly two million tickets were sold across the country.