Professor Chuck Marbry
“HE WHO FAILS TO LEARN FROM HISTORY IS A FOOL!”
Liberty, N.C– “My name is John L. Sullivan, and I can lick any son of a bitch in the house!” By the year 1892, John L. had been making that claim and backing it up as heavyweight champion of the Bare Knuckle Boxing world for little over a decade. Although it had been three years since he had beaten Jake Kilrain in a 75 round (yes 75 rounds) bout to be recognized as “official’ world champion (Bare Knuckle Boxing, or London Prize Ring Rules Boxing was illegal in most states at the time), John L. had kept somewhat busy fighting anyone willing to accept his above challenge in the various watering holes, pubs, and saloons he frequented.
NOBODY COULD MATCH HIS PUNCH!
Sullivan knew that no one could go toe to toe with him and trade fists, so he made a good living going around the country and taking on all comers. And there were plenty of comers, for John L. put up $1,000.00 to anyone who could last four rounds with him. Even though $1,000.00 was a medium sized fortune in the late 1800’s, only a few brave and thick jawed souls were able to survive the first round with John L., but none lasted through round four! The great John L. Sullivan had flattened 59 men in a row since becoming the world heavyweight champion, yet since the Jake Kilrain fight, he had not defended the title and the fans were growing restless. Although it had been three years since his last “official” bout, to the sporting public, John L. was still “The Boston Strong Boy,” the original “Baddest Man on The Planet.”
BOXING IS DIFFERENT IN USA SANS AMERICAN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP
It has often been said that the world heavyweight champion (when he’s an American) is the real Mr. America, body-building titles be damned, and I think that has some merit. Now the time had come for John L. to defend his title. (It’s hard for me not to automatically write “The great John L., as my Irish great grandfather, Charles Marbry always referred to him that way…almost taking off his hat in reverence) In the three years since John L. Sullivan had last had an “official” title fight, the fight game had changed in America, plus John L. aged probably more than three years in that time because of his slamming down Bourbon.
GLOVED ERA OF BOXING BEGINS & FIGHTERS START GETTING KILLED!
With the adoption of gloves and The Marquis of Queensbury Rules (from which modern boxing get it’s rules), and the move away from the Bare-Knuckle-Boxing and The London Prize Ring Rules (which allowed holds and wrestling throws and unlimited rounds), prizefighting had now become legal in Louisiana, and several other states were in process of legalizing boxing as well. Under these new rules and conditions, the now 33 year old champion was to make the first “officially” sanctioned heavyweight title fight ever in America. A new era had begun, few realized it, and fewer even imagined that it would be John L Sullivan’s last title fight.
NOBODY THOUGHT BOOZE AND GLOVES COULD BEAT SULLIVAN
In New Orleans on September 7, 1892, John L. Sullivan would square up against “Gentleman Jim” Corbett, who was nice, polite, a technician, not a powerhouse slugger. Corbett also was not as outgoing and colorful as John L., so he was a 4 to 1 underdog, and many thought that was being generous. However, the years of hard living and Bourbon finally caught up with John L. all at one time. Whereas three years earlier John L. went 75 rounds to KO Jake Kilrain, against Corbett, by the 21st round, John L. could barely move before being dropped for the count by Corbett. However, as is often the case when you have a popular, “larger that life” character as champion, it is next to impossible for the successor to follow in the footsteps of a legend (think Larry Holmes after Muhammad Ali), and so it was for Corbett, and thus entered the gloved era of boxing proper in the United States. And indeed it was a new era.
IF IT AIN’T BROKE…..BUT IF IT IS!.
The Professor is a firm believer in the adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But I also am a firm believer in “If it ain’t working, do something!” So we come to the state of boxing in the USA today. We have UFC President Dana White very smartly promoting circles around boxing’s (non) promotions, we have MMA of all stripes eating boxing’s proverbial lunch in both popularity and ratings, perhaps it’s time for boxing as a sport to take a good hard look in the mirror and realize perhaps something is broken!
BOXING HAS HAD IT’S SHARE OF “YAWNERS” OF LATE
After the Vitali Klitschko-Tomasz Adamek heavyweight title fight (OK, it wasn’t a barn burner, at least Adamek was a man about it), and with Floyd Mayweather-Victor Ortiz having a dramatic ending, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez-Alfonso Gomez, Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson and The Super Six Finale between Andre Ward and Carl Froch on the horizon, and demigod Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manual Marquez III in November, not once in 147 Sportscenters, Around the Horns and all the other “mainline sports shows,” not one that I watched was boxing covered. Hell even POLO got a mention!
HELP THE “STUMPED” PROFESSOR OUT PLEASE?
Perhaps it’s time for a new era? Maybe Boxing needs to move forward by taking a step back? What say you, boxing fan? I really would love to hear your thoughts. I love the sport too much to just watch it die…
Professor Chuck Marbry