The Battle of New Orleans: The End of an Era

[HomicideHenry]

He was world reknowned as the greatest boxer in the history of the sport in that time, and is regarded by historians as one of the more popular athletes the world has ever known, the true link between two eras, one seemingly forgotten and the other still alive and strong today.

He been the bare-knuckle champion since 1882, and later gained recognition as the 'world' champion under the Marquis of Queensbury rules in 1885, a distinction he would hold until 1892, a decade's worth of broken bones and spirits he left in his wake.

He once fought some 150 men in exhibitions in less than a year, knocking them all out, as well as defeating champions such as Charlie Mitchell of England and New Zealand's Herbert Slade, as well as his favorite punching bag Paddy Ryan and his greatest 'rival' Jake Kilrain. And that's not to mention the numerous street fights and bar room brawls he had done in the mean time.

This man was no short of the title "The King of Kings, The Champion of Champions", which was written on a flag adorned with the colors of America and Ireland, with his resemblace in the middle, that he took with him everywhere he went.

"I can lick any son of a bitch in the house [the world]" he proclaimed.

By 1892, however, he was more fond of drinking burbon out of beer steins and smoking big black cigars during training sessions, rather than putting on great performances. He vowed he would be "as great an actor as John Wilkes Booth", as he performed many a show on the stage.

John L. Sullivan was becoming "civilised", the beast of the ring was becoming a citizen, an entertainer...a shell of his former self.

In came 'Gentleman' Jim Corbett. A handsome man of high society, who had mastered the art of 'ring science'. To John L. Sullivan, men who fought in such ways were dandy's and weren't men at all, afraid to fight 'real men' and hide behind a jab and fancy foot work.

But Corbett had fought Peter Jackson to a draw, a man Sullivan had refused to fight at all due to his color and had defeated Jake Kilrain rather easily. It seemed only logical that the two men should meet in the ring.

Sullivan didn't take Corbett seriously, but he trained harder than he had in years, though he no longer had William Muldoon as his guru, a partnership that gave John L. his greatest victory against Kilrain, in what was the last bare-knuckle championship fight in history.

From the beginning it was clear Sullivan wasn't going to win...in the third round his nose was broken, and Corbett dictated the pace all throughout. Sullivan had one ace up his sleeve, a puncher's chance, and in the 18th round landed a solid right that shook up Corbett...but it wasnt to be...the slaughter continued.

In what can be compared to the Ali-Holmes affair in 1980, John L. Sullivan, the most beloved superstar in the sport of his time, was stopped in the 21st round (one hour, 20 minutes). An era had ended. The "sport of men" was forever changed, and would go through many changes since then.

Papers all around the country were either lamenting the loss of their champion, or were applauding the defeat, depended really on who loved or disliked "The Boston Strong Boy"...

“Sullivan appeared over-weight and slowed down by age and fast living. His old traditional slugging methods were doomed to defeat when matched with the much younger, faster Corbett.”

“The young, active, and brainy Corbett stepped jauntily around the massive hulk of what had once been a great fighting man.”

-San Francisco Chronicle-

“James J. Corbett lifted boxing out of the barroom slough, the evil influences of its habitués, and started it towards its moral revolution.”

-Police Gazette, "Science Replaces Force"-


http://www.ibhof.com/corbtick.jpg

To the best of my knowledge there is no pictures, unfortunately, of this earth shaking event, that truly changed, if not defined, boxing history.

[HomicideHenry]

True, though the Mace lineage that was won was a weaker one than the one Sullivan won through Paddy Ryan...he did try to get fights with Mace, though it never happened, but Sullivan fought Mitchell three times (?) and by that time I believe Mitchell won distinction as the 'american/british' champion by beating the near 60+ year old Mace in a bout.

So, in essence, Sullivan was the 'world' champion under Marquis rules, and was the bare-knuckle American champion under London rules.

[HomicideHenry]

Sullivan won the title from Paddy Ryan who won it from Joe Goss who won it from Tom Allen...

now mind you Joe Goss had fought Mace some years before in England for both the Middleweight and Heavyweight titles of Britian, and then had a draw with Tom Allen for the MW title of England, and then later won the American HW title from Allen...

Allen was a title claimer, to say the least, who had lost his own "title" to Mike McCoole, then reclaimed it after having a draw with Charley Gallagher, then lost it again this time to Jem Mace...

Now Mace held the "American title", whom he won from Tom Allen, for roughly three years defeating Joe Coburn (both fights were draws, so its logical Coburn claimed the title as well) and ironically from that time on Mace wouldn't have another professional title fight of any sort until 1890 against Charlie Mitchell when he was 60 some years old...it is pretty much theorized that Mace retired as champion, claiming to be the world champion up until Mitchell did beat him, a period of 20 plus years...

After Mace retired, title claimer Tim Allen, again gained 'recognition' as champion by beating his nemesis Mike McCoole, only to lose it three fights later to Joe Goss...who then lost it to Paddy Ryan, who lost it to Sullivan...


Mace's distinction as a "world" champion is weaker than Sullivan's considering Mace won the title pretty much from a title claimer in Tim Allen, who won it from a title claimer in Mike McCoole...

Sullivan defeated Coburn, Goss, Ryan, Mitchell, Jimmy Elliott (another title claimer who beat title claimer Charley Gallagher), Steve Taylor (a 'champion' of sorts), Dominick McCaffery (another title claimer), during his reign as champion, including title claimer Jake Kilrain...pretty much establishing he was the real world champion by defeating three former title holders as well as the man who defeated Mace and title claimers.

[dr_devious]

Some would argue that he was never World Heavyweight Champion, since Jem Mace was still the English/American Heavyweight Champion during most of that time. Jim Corbett was the first true World Heavyweight Champion because he unified the Sullivan lineage with the Mace lineage Charley Mitchell had held.

Jem Mace was inactive, bar the odd exhibition, during Sullivans reign. Also, Sullivan beat Charley Mitchell in 1883 - Mitchell was recognised as the top British fighter at the time, not Mace

[granberry]

Jem Mace was inactive, bar the odd exhibition, during Sullivans reign. Also, Sullivan beat Charley Mitchell in 1883 - Mitchell was recognised as the top British fighter at the time, not Mace

All true.

[HomicideHenry]

Yeah Decagon, but...

Mitchell retained the British 'title' from Mace on February 7th, 1890, as the bout was being promoted as for only the British title.

Besides, the Kilrain-Sullivan match was promoted as the 'World' championship on July 8th, 1889; Mitchell was a 'second' in the fight.

And the year before that, Mitchell and Sullivan fought in Paris for the "world" title which ended in a draw after 39 rounds, a ruling Sullivan truly despised considering he dropped Mitchell over 30 times.

It wouldn't be until 1894 that Mitchell would fight Corbett in the Marquis of Queensbury 'Heavyweight Championship of The World'.

So, in all actuality, Mitchell was a title claimer because he never exactly defeated Sullivan under London Prize Ring Rules, he drew him, and the 'win' over Mace is rather ludacris. Though Mitchell 'beat the man who beat the man', Mace primarily fought exhibitions from 1871 to 1889 and been 'retired', he was 60+ years old when Mitchell fought him.