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BONUS: About "that" fight

On July 8, 1889, in a hot Mississippi field, John L. Sullivan fought Jake Kilrain in what will be the last legal bare-knuckle championship fight of the era. The bout was fought under the old London Prize Ring Rules, which meant a fight to the finish—that is, there was no limit to the number of rounds that could be fought. Under these rules, fights ended when one man could no longer fight; rounds weren't timed so they could be much longer or shorter than the modern-day three minutes; rest periods between rounds were 30 seconds, not 60 seconds like today.


Promoted by Richard K. Fox of the Police Gazette, the winner was slated to win $10,000.00 and the coveted 12.5 pound "diamond-studded" Police Gazette Championship Belt (Site #1). Under such Rules, Sullivan and Kilrain fought for an unimaginable 75 rounds, lasting two hours and 16 minutes.


These men fought in stifling heat, with the temperature above 104 degrees before about 2,000 spectators who largely traveled all night by train to get to Mississippi by the early-morning hours. Remember, boxing was still illegal nearly everywhere in the United States in 1889, so the fight location had to be kept secret until the last possible moment. All anyone knew is it would happen within 200 miles of New Orleans.


Sullivan won the Police Gazette Belt and $10,000.00. But after the fight both Sullivan and Kilrain were lugged back to Mississippi and charged with "flagrant disobedience." Combine this charge with Sullivan's penchant for gluttony and it is likely this cash didn't last him long. However, the legacy of Wm. Muldoon and John L. is alive and well in Belfast, NY.







An aged John L. Sullivan sitting with a ball player.



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