His breath steamed in front of him as he sized up his opponent. John L. Sullivan would claim to have fought more than 450 times in his career, some professionally in both exhibits and prize fights, and others the byproduct of barroom scuffles. The stakes for the Sullivan-Kilrain fight would exceed $20,000 with the fighters’ backers putting up $10,000 each. John L. Sullivan was a boxing immortal, the link between bare knuckles and glove fighting, and the first great American sports idol.. From an early age, Sullivan showed great proficiency with his fists. The psychology of John L. Sullivan’s fights. John Lawrence Sullivan (October 15, 1858 – February 2, 1918), also known as the "Boston Strong Boy", was an Irish-American boxer recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing, holding the title from February 7, 1882, to 1892.He is also generally recognized as the last heavyweight champion of bare-knuckle boxing under the London Prize Ring Rules. Make no mistake about it; John L. Sullivan enjoyed fighting. Analysis: John L. Sullivan was a rugged, tough fighter who was large in physical stature for his era. Like many of his stories, the truth isn’t always clear. John L. Sullivan was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts on October 15, 1858. July 5, 2015 July 11, 2015 Bartitsophia Boxing, History “You go get a reputation first”. Between 1885 and 1908 he was living with burlesque queen, Ann Livingston but … At 5’10” and around 200 pounds, Sullivan was shorter than Ali and weighed less, too. As a mather of fact, John L. Sullivan, a knockout specialist, is estimated to have knocked out some 200 men during his career while fighting all types of men – lumberjacks, blacksmiths, local strong boys, and professional fighters. Because of this ruleset, some fights lasted hours and upwards of 75 rounds. In fact, the defining fight of Sullivan’s career was the last heavyweight world title fought with bare knuckles under the London Prize Ring Rules. The champion’s words echoed in the big man’s ears as he hugged a blanket to himself, fending off the chill of the Hudson river. John L. Sullivan was married to chorus girl Annie Bates and had a son, John L. Sullivan, Jr. who died of diptheria at the age of 2. In total, some historians believe Sullivan to have been victorious in well over 200 fights. He was the only child John L. Sullivan had. John inherited his father's temperament and his mother's physique. THE SULLIVAN LEGEND. As a teenager, he would fight in Boston barrooms, issuing a … “Boxing has a pretty rich tradition in Boston that stretches back to John L. Sullivan and to when the Irish started arriving here in record numbers during the Famine in the 1840s. His father was a pugnacious hod carrier, 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 125 pounds. Biography. His mother stood 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 180 pounds. John L. divorced Annie in 1908. 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