BoxRec

Does anyone here know if Charley Mitchell knocked John L. Sullivan down with Savate style leg kicks in their first match? Obviously, the rules were slightly different back then. I have read that John L. Sullivan faced a Savate practicioner and got knocked down with leg kicks once before stopping his opponent. I was told that Sullivan initially hurt him by picking him up and slamming him on the wooden floor repeatedly as he caught his opponent off balance from throwing a kick. He supposedly TKOed the Savate practicioner with punches and sent him through the ropes before the police intervened.
Does anyone here know if this is true or where I can find out? Also, if it is true, was Charley Mitchell the Savate practicioner?

I don't know much about the savate angle, but Sullivan did stop Charley Mitchell in 3 rounds the first time they met and the police did intervene.

Actually, what you described is a scene from "The Great John L.", the movie that came out in 1945. Noone has been able to validate that scene, it appears to be a Hollywood creation.

But Jim Corbett was scheduled to fight an exhibition against savate practioner Charlomat in Paris in the late 1800's. The fight never came off however.