John Laflin

Name: John Laflin
Hometown: USA
Pro Boxer: Record

Sullivan Bouts

Laflin was a late nineteenth century boxer best known for his two exhibitions against the legendary heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan. Alternately known as "Professor Laflin" or "the Society Adonis," he was considerably older and larger than Sullivan and already an established pugilist of note when Sullivan was just entering the professional boxing scene.

The first Sullivan-Laflin bout happened on March 1, 1882 at Madison Square Garden and was billed as a benefit for flood victims in the West. It was a three round bout dominated by the younger man.

The second Sullivan-Laflin bout happened on November 10, 1884, by which time Sullivan was the world's champion. Again, it was put on at Madison Square Garden as a benefit to flood victims. Sullivan dealt Laflin a brutal beating in this affair, which ended when Laflin's head struck a wooden ring post in the third of four scheduled rounds.

Source: Isenberg, Michael T. John L. Sullivan and His America