Depressing Stuff...

[taansend]

I'm sorry, but the fact that no one gives a fuck about John L Sullivan has left me a little blue .

Without him, there probably wouldn't be a boxing. Not like it is, anyway.

Everyone who claims to be a boxing fan should read John L's biography or at least his Wikipedia page...

He may, or may not have been a great fighter but he IS a great of our sport. The First Great Heavyweight Champion.

Sullivan
Johnson
Dempsey
Louis
Marciano
Ali
Tyson

Thats probably it on the list. These are NOT the best fighters but the ones that the non-boxing fans all knew about. Tyson was only a really good fighter until 1991 but people still talk about him. Ali is Ali, nuff said. Marciano is the Heavyweight Champ of many white folk in the USA. Louis is still many peoples No. 1. Dempsey was an usher to a newer era and possibly the most exciting Champ. Johnson was Ali times 100. And Sullivan started the whole thing. HE WAS HUGE! People walked for days to watch him spar!!!

If anyone thinks others heavyweights belong on this list feel free to add but please keep this an adult thread. No dissing the greats.

Sorry to whine. But without foundations you don't have a house...

[donnydarkoIRL]

I know of Sullivan don't worry taansend.
But u gotta include James J. Corbett in that list too.
Inventor of the left hook!

[El Kabong]

John L. Sullivan was the friggin epitome of a heavyweight champion of the world....walking into a bar and saying "I'll whip any man in the room" that's the kind of balls you want your heavyweight champion to have. He'd fight anyone (almost, as blacks were not on his list of people to fight but it was the era he was in) anytime, anywhere.

Jack Johnson was similar to Sullivan in his bravado, only he had fun with his mocking of other fighters.

Here's a review of the Kilrain fight from www.wikipedia.com
The Kilrain fight is considered to be a turning point in boxing history because it was the last world title bout fought under the London Prize Ring rules and therefore the last bare-knuckle heavyweight title bout.

For the first time, newspapers carried extensive pre-fight coverage, reporting on the fighters' training and speculating on where the bout would take place. The center of activity was New Orleans, but the governor of Louisiana had forbidden the fight in that state. Sullivan had trained for months in Belfast, New York under trainer William Muldoon, whose biggest problem had been keeping Sullivan from liquor.

Rochester reporter Arch Merrill commented that occasionally Sullivan would "escape" from his guard, and the cry was heard in the village, "John L. is loose again. Send for Muldoon!" Muldoon would snatch the champ away from the bar and take him back to their training camp.

On July 7, 1889 an estimated 3000 spectators boarded special trains for the secret location, which turned out to be Richburg, a town just south of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The fight began at 10:30 the following morning, and it looked as if Sullivan was going to lose, especially after he vomited during the 44th round. But the champion got his second wind after that, and Kilrain's manager finally threw in the towel after the 75th round.


THEY DRANK WHISKEY BETWEEN ROUNDS AND IT WAS DAMN NEAR 100 DEGREES WHEN THEY FOUGHT!!!!75 ROUNDS!!!!

[donnydarkoIRL]

Gotta love the 20's too. Dempsey was a nasty fucker, had to love it!

[taansend]

I know of Sullivan don't worry taansend.
But u gotta include James J. Corbett in that list too.
Inventor of the left hook!

Corbett was great but (IMO) he's in the next level with Liston, Tunney, Holmes, Lewis, Foreman and a few others.

But thanks for the reply.

[taansend]

John L. Sullivan was the friggin epitome of a heavyweight champion of the world....walking into a bar and saying "I'll whip any man in the room" that's the kind of balls you want your heavyweight champion to have. He'd fight anyone (almost, as blacks were not on his list of people to fight but it was the era he was in) anytime, anywhere.

Jack Johnson was similar to Sullivan in his bravado, only he had fun with his mocking of other fighters.

Here's a review of the Kilrain fight from www.wikipedia.com
The Kilrain fight is considered to be a turning point in boxing history because it was the last world title bout fought under the London Prize Ring rules and therefore the last bare-knuckle heavyweight title bout.

For the first time, newspapers carried extensive pre-fight coverage, reporting on the fighters' training and speculating on where the bout would take place. The center of activity was New Orleans, but the governor of Louisiana had forbidden the fight in that state. Sullivan had trained for months in Belfast, New York under trainer William Muldoon, whose biggest problem had been keeping Sullivan from liquor.

Rochester reporter Arch Merrill commented that occasionally Sullivan would "escape" from his guard, and the cry was heard in the village, "John L. is loose again. Send for Muldoon!" Muldoon would snatch the champ away from the bar and take him back to their training camp.

On July 7, 1889 an estimated 3000 spectators boarded special trains for the secret location, which turned out to be Richburg, a town just south of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The fight began at 10:30 the following morning, and it looked as if Sullivan was going to lose, especially after he vomited during the 44th round. But the champion got his second wind after that, and Kilrain's manager finally threw in the towel after the 75th round.


THEY DRANK WHISKEY BETWEEN ROUNDS AND IT WAS DAMN NEAR 100 DEGREES WHEN THEY FOUGHT!!!!75 ROUNDS!!!!

Brilliant stuff