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all that he had desired to make, but the
chance of winning such a splendid purse
had tempted him to enter the ring once
more, not for glory, for he was acknowl-
edged champions of champions, but his
princely extravagance in squandering
money upon his friends had left him in
such a condition financially that the
chance of winning $35,000 by one fight
was one which he could ill afford to dis-
regard. The thought of defeat had
never for a moment entered his head.
What then, could have been the feeling
of utter desolation and hopeless ruin
that came to him when returning con-
sciousness brought to him a realization
of his position? The long and to him
the terrible martyrdom he had suffered
in training had all gone for nothing and
worse than nothing. And yet, what was
Sullivan that he should not repeat the
fate that had overtaken nearly all pre-
vious prize fighters? Scores who had
been famous in the ring had died pau-
pers, and few if any of the lucky ones
had ended their days far above the reach
of want.
BEFORE THE FIGHT
Thousands Flock to See the
Battle of Galdiators
_ The
crowd that flocked in the street
was noticeably larger than on any pre-
vious day of this fighting carnival.
From early morning until dinner time
the trains dropped scores of men, until
fully a thousand new arrivals came into
the city. They were people who could
not leave business for the entire festival,
but had enough sporting disposition to
determine that the great championship
battle between John L.Sullivan and
James J. Corbett could not be missed.
The mob went out to the club house in
every car that started from anywhere
along the line. It was a great mob in
numbers, and by 7:30 the galleries were
as full as they should have been. At
the McAuliffe-Dixon affair there were
more people in the building at the same
hour, but there were more people who
for this go held reserved seats, and did
not come out to the club house until a
time when there was a possibility of a
quick assumption of hostilities. At the
tossing for corners between Johnson
for Sullivan and Delany for Corbett,
Delany called "tails" and won.
He Selected the Lucky Corner
as it is called; the one that Fitzsimmons
had twice and McAuliffe and Dixon oc-
cupied this week. It was 8:40 when the
gloves and at the same time it was of-
ficially announced that Billy Delany and
Professor John Donaldson, of St. Paul,
would do the chief work on Corbett
when in his corner, and that Daly, Dil-
lon and Professor Mike Donovan, of the
New York Athletic club, would be
around to hand up bottles and give ad-
vice. There was a tremendous crowd
in the building at this time, no room
could be found anywhere.
_ Sullivan
came on first at 8:51 p.m.
His handlers, Johnson, McAuliffe, Lan-
non and Casey were with him. Corbett
came in almost immediately afterwards
with his friends as named above as well
as W.A. Brady, his manager. Both
were stripped all the way up and down
except that they wore trunks and shoes
and stockings. Sullivan's trunks were
of bright green and Corbett's of a queer
mixture of white and a shade of slate.
Corbett Seemed Nervous
after he had taken his seat, and swung
his legs from the floor up and back
again like an amateur. Then all hands
collected in the middle of the ring and
shook hands, handlers and all. It was
announced that Sullivan weighed 212
pounds and Corbett 187. Professor
Duffy, the referee, then ordered things
to go on. When the five-ounce gloves
were distributed Sullivan had trouble in
getting his hands into his. Corbett was
ready in an instant. Time was called
at 9:10, and the battle for the heavy
weight championship of the world
commenced.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Detailed Account of the Fight in
Which Sullivan Met His Defeat.
_ Round
1 - This was a ridiculous exhibition
of prize fighting. Sullivan made no less than
seven feints with the left for Corbett but Cor-
bett ran around the ring each time and no
blow was struck.
_ Round
2 - Corbett made no effort to do any-
thing but walk around. The big fellow stood
up there surely and looked at Corbett and
then let go a left on Corbett's shoulder and a
clinch followed. On the break away Corbett
touched him on the breast, another clinch fol-
lowed and Corbett tried to land his left on
Sullivan's face. Jim did get in a slight blow
on the stomach before the round ended and
the crowd was happy.
_ Round
3 - Sullivan missed a left-hander for
the jaw, and then touched him on the stom-
ach; it was a rattler of no harm, however.
The first good blow struck was by Cobett,
who ran in on top of a run by Sullivan. Cor-
bett also reached two lefts on Sullivan's body.
Whenever Sullivan led Corbett ducked, and
John could not touch him. This occured
three times.
_ Round
4 - Sullivan made two runs at Cor-
bett, but Jim ran away, and no blow was
struck. Sullivan continued to run in on him,
but Jim's feet were too good for the big fel-
low, and he slipped away like a good sprinter.
Sullivan laughed at the business, and Corbett
let go his left lightly on John's face. John
laughed the more, and returned his left on
Corbett's left as Jim turned away. It looked
like a foot race except the light blows
that got in the champions face.
_ Round
5 - In this round Sullivan caught Cor-
bett a fairly hard blow on the chin, but Corbett
clinched and nobody was hurt, Sullivan
missed with his left and followed that with a
trifle on the shoulder with the left. Sullivan
made a rush, and Corbett went at him. What
followed is hard to describe. Corbett smashed
him with right and left on the stomach and
face, and had the big fellows nose bleeding in
no time. Corbett hammered him as a Dixon
could smack a Skelly, and the great cham-
pion was so surprised that some persons said
he was groggy. The cleverness shown by Cor-
bett was so admirable that the house got up
and yelled.
_ Round
6 - Corbett jumped around like a cat
and worried the big gellow, getting in two
light blows on the stomach. Sullivan missed
one left-hander on the face but otherwise
nothing was done in the round.
_ Round
7 - Two slaps on the body, one from
each, opened this round and after a bit of
fighting Corbett let his left go on John's
stomach. John did not seem to mind it but
Corbett went at him and gave him two good
smacks on the face with his left and two more
soon after. Sullivan's nose was bleeding again
freely. Corbett ran in and rushed Sullivan to
the ropes, letting go a right and left on the big
fellow's body. Sullivan could make no re-
turn. He was tired when he went to his cor-
ner though he had done nothing in the round
but take punishment.
_ Round
8 - Sullivan came out worried looking.
He made a left lunge at Corbett but Corbett
ducked cleverly. In a rally Sullivan landed
his right on the ribs, but Corbett got in two on
the body, one on the face again, two light
ones on the face and two on the body. Sulli-
van seemed to be played out or waiting for a
chance to land a knock-out blow.
_ Round
9 - Corbett again led but without
effect. Sullivan led left but Corbett ducked.
Then Sullivan gave him a back-hander on the
face with little harm and gave him another
left on the shoulder. Sullivan did not show
any want of wind although Corbett hit him
five times one after the other, three on the
body and two on the face. Corbett was way
ahead on points but his blows did not seem to
weaken the big fellow who appeared only
tired.
_ Round
10 - Corbett stood up to his man like
a major, and the men eyed each other like
panthers. Sullivan let go his left for the jaw,
but only touched lightly. Sullivan missed
with the left. Both landed lefts on the face,
but weakly. The same again. Sullivan's left
found Corbetts face lightly. Sullivan missed
with a left, and Corbett jumped back. Corbett
landed a left on face. Sullivan got his left in
on the face lightly.
_ Round
11 - It now began to look like a long
fight. Sullivan could not get in a straight
blow on the clever Californian, and Corbett
could not hurt John L. when he did land. A
couple of light passes and a great deal of run-
ning around by Corbett. Corbett hit Sullivan
in the face with the left twice and with the
left and right in a clinch. Sullivan's nose
again began bleeding, Corbett walking around.
Corbett got in two good cracks on Sullivan,
one on the face and one on the stomach.
_ Round
12 - Sullivan was still steady and it
looked as though they might fight a hundred
rounds. Corbett got in his left three times in
the stomach within three seconds, getting
away each time and running around.
_ Round
13 - Sullivan had a weary look when
he came from his corner and then let go his
left. He could not get it there as Corbett ran
away. Sullivan did all the moving up and
Corbett was jumping backward. Nothing was
done in this round except one light blow of
Corbett's on Sulivan's cheek.
_ Round
14 - Sullivan led left on Corbett's
neck and Corbett landed left on the neck and
both countered on the face. Corbett landed
two lefts on the face and in another attempt
both missed. No blows struck in this round
would have broken a pane of glass.
_ Round
15 - Sullivan went in to do Corbett
this round and rushed Jim three times. The
Californian's long reach held John at bay and
the big fellow could not break in under the
guard. On the contrary Corbett's left found
Sullivan's face twice. In two more rushes by
Sullivan Corbett held him off and plunked
him on the ribs and stomach with the left.
Sullivan was savage looking before the end
of the round but Corbett did not mind a bit.
He went on dancing away from blows as be-
fore.
_ Round
16 - A mutual rush occurred at the
opening of this round, but both missed their
blows. Corbett followed up with a jab in the
stomach and two on the nose with the left.
Sullivan appeared to be getting desperate.
He went at Corbett cautiously, but hard. Cor-
bett was not there. John L. seemed more wor-
ried than ever, especially when he received
another tap on the nose from Corbett's left.
_ Round
17 - Sullivan succeeded in getting a
little left on Corbett's face. With this excep-
tion there was only fibbing during the round.
_ Round
18 - Corbett's cleverness in tapping
Sullivan and getting away was greatly ad-
mired up to this time, and when he jabbed the
big fellow four times on the face in succession
the spectators raised a howl. Sullivan here
got in a left on Corbett's breast, but it did not
hurt. Then Corbett touched John L. up for
two right-handers on the body amid more
howls.
_ Round
19 - On coming together Sullivan hit
Corbett on the neck pretty hard and Corbett
countered with the left on the stomach. Cor-
bett landed his left on Sullivan's stomach and
face and his right on the big fellow's stomach.
_ Round
20 - John's left struck Jim's breast as
they came together in the center of the ring
but only two seconds occurred afterward be-
fore Corbett sailed into him. With a left and
right Corbett caught Sullivan on both sides of
the head close to the ropes and this same dose
the Californian repeated within another sec-
ond. Corbett followed this up with several
more blows of the same kind and Sullivan
could not protect himself. He was plainly
groggy and weak. Corbett was very fresh and
confident at the sound of the gong at which
time he was smashing Sullivan at great rate
left and right on both sides of the head.
_ Round
21 - Sullivan came from his corner in
the same shape he had shown for a dozen
rounds before. He had the same cross ex-
pression on his face and seemed to be as strong
as at any time during the fight. He contin-
ued to do the edging in and Corbett followed
his original tactics of edging away. This
sort of thing was not going on very long, not
more than ten seconds, when Corbett
jumped back and rushed forward, hit
John on the nose and John was dazed.
Corbett went at him further, and the same
old nose was again smashed and more blood
came out. John looked astounded, and Cor-
bett jumped back with a merry smile of a
schoolboy with a big apple. Suddenly he re-
turned to the fray, and before Sullivan knew
what was the meaning of the Californian's
happy look he got a crack on the side of the
head that made him close his eyes. With this
Corbett was on top of him in no time. Left
hand on one side of the head and right hand
on the other, poor John L. Sullivan became an
unconscious and beaten man. He staggered
about on his pins a second or so, and
while displaying this fatal weakness Corbett
went down on him again. A right on the ear
and a left on the jaw settled the business and
the championship.
His Second Knock Down.
_ The
last blow sent the great John L.
to the floor with a thump, the second
time in all his long career as a fighter
that he had ever been knocked down. It
was a clean and clever knock-out blow.
Sullivan doubled up his legs as though
in pain, but in another instant seemed
to collect his senses, and made an effort
to rise. He failed in that, and tried the
second time with the same result. His
seconds had to come to him and assist
him to his corner. It was not for over
two minutes that John L. recovered
himself. Meantime Corbett had retired
to his corner, on the order of the ref-
eree, while the man who has so long
been known as the champion of cham-
pions was counted out and carried to his
chair. When the ten seconds were at
an end, Professor Mike Donovan, of the
New York Athletic club, and W.A.
Brady, Corbett's manager, sprang to the
stage and flung their arms around the
young man who was now the
Champion Pugilist of the World
and the winner of $35,000 in purse and
stake as well as the reputation that will
turn perhaps tens times that amount into
his exchequer. While this hugging was
going on Sullivan's handlers were pour-
ing water over him and placing ammonia
to his nose and with much trouble
brought him around. When he did
come to he looked up at Jack McAuliffe,
who was fanning him with the towel,
and after opening his eyes half way, or
as far as he could, said, in his more than
ordinary bootleg voice: "Say am I
licked? Did that young fellow do it?"
McAuliffe sorrowfully admitted that
that was the case. John did not say
any more until Corbett came over and
shook hands with him. John got up,
took Corbett's hand and then spoke to
the crowd: "Gentlemen, I am only
glad that the championship has been
won by an American."
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