John L. Sullivan vs. Fred Crossley
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
John L Sullivan 196 lbs beat Fred Crossley 200 lbs by KO in round 1 of 4
- Date: 1881-07-11
- Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
This was the first bout of Sullivan's tour of the Northeast, arranged by his manager, Billy Madden. Crossley, of England, stood six feet, one inch tall and eighed around two hundred pounds, but lacked any boxing talent whatsoever. The fight took place on the third floor of a saloon owned by former lightweight boxer Arthur Chambers. Offered twenty-five dollars to face Sullivan, Crossley refused the money, saying he would gladly fight for free.
The fight proved a horrible mismatch, with Sullivan forcing an already bloodied Crossley to flee to his corner and quit in the opening round. Afterward, to quell the anger of the large crowd, Sullivan and Madden sparred a few rounds.