John L. Sullivan

2007-09-12T15:36:32Z

Machiavelli999:

[[file:Sullivan.JohnL.jpg|left|John L. Sullivan]]
<boxer>010547</boxer>
'''Trainers''': [[William Muldoon]], [[Prof. Jim Kelly]] 
'''Manager''': [[Billy Madden]]

 
== Biography ==
(From the main [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_L._Sullivan Wikipedia]) [NOTE: Contains some factual errors] 

'''John Lawrence Sullivan''' (October 15, 1858 – February 2, 1918) is widely recognized as boxing's first modern world heavyweight champion.

Born at Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts, Sullivan was nicknamed ''The Boston Strongboy''. On June 26, 1880, with just a handful of fights to his credit, Sullivan challenged anyone in America to fight him for $500. In 1883-1884 he toured with a circus, offering $500 to anyone who could last one round with him.

Depending on which authorities are consulted, Sullivan became world heavyweight champion in 1888 when he defeated [[Charley Mitchell]] in France, or the following year when he knocked out [[Jake Kilrain]] in round 75 of a scheduled 80 round bout. That fight is considered to be a turning point in boxing history because it was the last world title bout fought under the ''London Rules'' and also, the last bare-knuckle heavyweight title bout.

Undefeated at that point, Sullivan did not defend his title for the next three years, fighting exhibitions instead. He finally agreed to defend his title in 1892 -- this time in a gloved battle, losing to [[Gentleman Jim Corbett]] in 21 rounds.

Sullivan retired, but appeared in several exhibitions over the next 12 years, including a three rounder against [[Tom Sharkey]]. He became a stage actor, speaker and bar owner. In his later years Sullivan became a teetotaler and often supported the temperance movement.

Sullivan died of cancer at Abingdon, Mass., on May 29, 1916, and is buried in the Old Calvary Cemetery, in Boston.

He was inducted into the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1990, as a member of the hall's original class.
== Bareknuckle & Exhibition Record ==

[[BoxRec.com|BoxRec]] does not include bouts under the rules of the London Prize Ring in its database. Below are Sullivan's bareknuckle/LPR fights:

The Jake Kilrain debacle was Sullivan's greatest accomplishment in the bareknuckle world. John stopped the outmatched wrestler in the 75th round: In the opening frame, Kilrain ended the round early by throwing "The Boston Strong Boy" to the ground (according to to the London Prize Fighting Rules-which they were battling off of-wrestling and throwing was allowed and the first fighter to go to the ground regardless of a punch or throw would end the round short). Though Kilrain dre "first blood" in the seventh from Sullivan's, class was beginning to show and Sullivan's experience and cobalt-breaking power were becoming a little to much for the game challenger.Kilrain resorted to running from his feared opponent though when Sullivan approached near to Jake, it usually resulted in a knockdown. Sullivan was becoming very frustrated by his opponents survival tactics and even asked the referee to force Kilrain to "stand and fight". It didn't come off. After the seventy-fifth round ended, the ringside physician signified that Sullivan retained his Bareknuckle Heavyweight Championship when the physician stated to Kilrain's corner that "Kilrain will die if you keep sending out there". It would be the last time that a bareknuckle title was on the line but boy was it a finale to bareknukle championship boxing. Sullivan, already a Marquis of Queensbury Heavyweight beltholder (Marquis of Queensbury are very similar to the rules we fight under today) had closed the book on bareknuckle boxing and in his very next bout, he closed the book on his career when he was knocked out by James J. Corbett.

Sullivan had hundreds of exhibitions and barnstorming matches. According to various sources, including the [[Ring Record Book]], Sullivan went on a barnstorming tour and fought 50 men, knocking out 49. Only [[Tug Wilson]] lasted the distance. Sullivan reportedly had at least two more tours, knocking out 50 men on one, and 29 in the next.
Known exhibition bout: 1896-08-31 Tom Sharkey New York City, NY, USA EX 3

== Miscellaneous ==

According to the ''Everett Morning Tribune'' (Everett, WA, USA) newspaper wire report of Feb. 10, 1907, Sullivan had married Miss Nellie Revelle of Chicago two weeks previously. She was the drama critic for ''The Show World'', and a vaudeville actress. Later wire reports said that his wife at the time, Katherine Harkins Sullivan, died of cancer at Abingdon, Mass., on May 29, 1916.

*Another [[:Image:Sullivan.John.L.jpg|photo]]
*[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1002 Find a Grave]

See also: [[John L. Sullivan and His America]]

[[Category:Bare-knuckle Boxers|Sullivan, John L.]]
[[Category:World Heavyweight Champions|Sullivan, John L.]]
[[Category:American World Champions|Sullivan, John L.]]
[[Category:IBHOF Members|Sullivan, John L.]]
[[Category:World Boxing Hall of Fame Members|Sullivan, John L.]]
[[Category:Irish American Boxers|Sullivan, John L.]]

Young Barney Aaron

2007-09-12T15:34:43Z

Machiavelli999:

[[file:Barneyaaron.jpg|Young Barney Aaron in his later days as a referee, probably between 1890 and 1900.|thumb|160px]]
'''Young Barney Aaron''' (born in 1836 in London, England; died June 4, 1907, in Long Island, New York) was a boxer.

He was the son of Hall of Famer Barney Aaron. He emigrated to the United States in 1855, and began boxing in 1856.

He was U.S. lightweight champion.

==Boxing career==
Like his father before him, Aaron was a hard-hitting bare-knuckled fighter, but he fought in a new era under different rules than his famous father. The elder Aaron battled under "Broughton's Rules"; Young Barney fought under the Pugilistic Society's "[[London Prize Ring Rules]]," which had been developed in 1838. Modified in 1853, only three years before young Barney began his professional career, the Rules stated the ring should be 24 square feet, surrounded by two ropes. Any knockdown marked the end of the round, and the downed fighter had 8 seconds to "come to scratch" unaided, or the fight was over -- under Broughton's Rules, a fighter had 30 seconds to return to the center of the ring, and had the help of his handlers. Therefore, bouts were recorded according to the number of rounds and length of time; 3-minute rounds were not developed until the late-19th Century.

On July 9 1856, on Rikers Island, Aaron fought a mulatto named Robinson beginning at daybreak. The bout lasted for 80 rounds, 2 hours and 20 minutes, and resulted in Aaron being declared the winner.[http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:lu1x_dlr2e0J:www.correctionhistory.org/html/chronicl/cw_units/html/rikersbook005.html+%22barney+aaron%22+young&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=26&gl=us]

On September 2] 1857, he defeated American lightweight champion Johnny Moneghan in Providence, RI over 80 rounds. The fight lasted 3 hours and 20 minutes. With the victory he became the first Jewish fighter to win a ring championship in America.

After losing the title the following year to Patrick “Scotty” Brannagan in 1858 on a foul, he entered a seven-year period of inactivity because no fighter would face him.

He returned to the ring in 1866, and lost a 47-round bid to regain the title against Sam Collyer. After an excruciating 2 hours and 5 minutes, both men were taken off on stretchers. However, he defeated Collyer in the rematch on June 13 1867, in a 68-round battle that lasted one hour and 55 minutes to regain the championship.

He won newspaper headlines in July 1874 for foiling two pickpockets trying to steal from the Rev. Henry Thorpe, whom they jostled as the elderly clergyman was "riding downtown on a Fourth Avenue street car." Aaron applied some of his celebrated "scientific boxing" technique, knocking both thieves down into the street, after first having retrieved the reverend's gold watch, which he returned.[http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:lu1x_dlr2e0J:www.correctionhistory.org/html/chronicl/cw_units/html/rikersbook005.html+%22barney+aaron%22+young&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=26&gl=us]

His most famous bout was a 17-round win over [[Arthur Chambers]] in 1878.

In retirement, Young Barney remained in boxing by operating a gym in New York. He also served as a referee and officiated the 1883 [[John L. Sullivan]] vs. Herbert Slade bout.

==Hall of Fame==

He was inducted into the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 2007.[http://www.ibhof.com/aaronyoung.html]

==Links==
*[http://www.ibhof.com/aaronyoung.html IBHOF bio]
*[http://www.jewsinsports.org/profile.asp?sport=boxing&ID=21 Jews in Sports bio]

[[Category:Bare-knuckle Boxers|Aaron, Young Barney]]
[[Category:IBHOF Members|Aaron, Young Barney]]

BoxRec - User contributions [en]

John L. Sullivan

Young Barney Aaron