He was a real boxing pioneer. Knowing there was no future in bare knuckled boxing, which was both slow paced and brutal, he fought gloved exibition bouts to popularize Queensbury Rules fighting. He would fight the last bare knuckled match, against Jake Killrain, in 1889. He would become the first HW champion of the modern era. He may have drawn the color line in the prestigous HW division by saying he would never fight a negro. He would be a racist by modern standards, but is it fair to judge a man born in 1858 by modern standards? He was a wildly popular sportsman and the first to earn a million dollars. Hard drinking, loud and profance he was a colorful figure, adding to his popularity. But his wild lifestyle caught up with him. He was visibly out of shape for his 1892 title defense against Jim Corbett. Sullivan was knocked out in a monumental upset. It would be his last fight. John L Sullivan was man wo lived well and lived for the minute never thinking about tommorow and that caught up with him. He declared bankruptcy in 1902. In 1918, his health destroyed by years of excessive alcohol consumption, Sullivan died. This video scratches the surface of his legendary life. [ame="www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpu8H1AH6ek"]In This Corner - John L Sullivan - YouTube[/ame]
