John L. Sullivan was one of America’s first sports idols. He was a flag-waving patriot who reflected the spirit of a vibrant, young nation. Confident, strong, aggressive, and outspoken, Sullivan was a natural showman.

Shirtless, adorned in knee-breeches and stockings, wearing fighting boots (shoes with spikes), the great John L. fought using either bare-knuckles, skin-tight gloves, or padded gloves. He battled under both – the London Prize Ring Rules and the Marquis of Queensberry Rules. McCallum (1974 p 3) calls him “the true link between the bare-knuckle and glove eras”.  

At the call of “time”, Sullivan with black mustache, high cheekbones and sunken cheeks charged out – glaring, scowling, snorting, and swinging – trying to land the “Boston Special”, his powerful right hand punch. He was surprisingly fast for a 195-pounder. He used a straight up stance, employed feints, and threw the “One-Two”. In addition, he threw powerful left and right swings.

John could also take a good punch. In his prime, he quickly disposed of power hitters and, because of his endurance, was able to catch and defeat his greatest problem as a fighter – the “hit-and-run” tactician. But, over the years, his drinking and riotous living habits did him in. He even drank and smoked cigars during training.

His knockout ability has been challenged in recent years but he most certainly belongs in a special class of power punchers like “Sailor” Tom Sharkey of the 1890s, Rocky Marciano of the 1950s, and Mike Tyson of today.

Charlie Harvey, old time manager, described Sullivan as a “rushing, tearing-in, two-fisted fighter with a power punch” and called him “… big, fast, and courageous” (see Fleischer 1972 p 207).  

Diamond (1954 p 10) writes about Sullivan – “He was quick on his feet – as quick as any modern heavyweight. And what a punch he had! A knockout in each hand! He was not a scientific boxer but a slugger, depending mainly on a vicious right swing to the jaw”.

Durant and Rice (1946) state “He was superbly fast with his hands and he moved always forward, growling as he advanced”.

Grombach (1977 p 43) describes Sullivan in this way “According to the writers of his time, he was a great burly, slugging fighter with bull-like tactics, mighty fists, and little science. He was good-natured, generous, conceited, blustering, and extremely popular”.

Durant and Bettman (1952 p 79) state that “…he was more than merely strong. He was amazingly fast for a big man and had a knock-em-dead punch in either hand. Ring science was not for John L. He never bothered much with defense. He brushed aside blows and kept moving forward, always punching. His was a hurricane attack”.

McCallum (1974 pp 10 11) describes him “ He was far from being muscle-bound. He was a “natural” puncher. His punches were perfectly timed, seldom wild, and fast. In the ring, he was extraordinarily fast. His hands were large. His shoulders enormous, his chest was remarkably deep …”.

Lardner (1972 p 43) writes that Sullivan was a bully, a boozer, and a braggart and later adds that he looked like a conqueror with his florid face, black brow, black hair, mustache, and aggressive fighter’s jaw. Burrill (1974 p 181) says he was “notorious for drinking and tavern brawls”. Tom Langley (1973 p 31) says that “Sullivan implicitly believed in his invincibility and wasted no time in passing on this information to the world”.

Billy Roche, famous referee, rated Sullivan as the greatest of all heavyweights and said that John L. had the best “One-Two”punch that he (Roche) ever saw (see McCallum 1974 p 4).

Gilbert Odd, Boxing Historian, once wrote that John L. in most of his early years only had to hit a man one time. If he did not knock the man out of the fight, he knocked the fight out of the man.

Jim Jeffries called Sullivan the greatest fighter in ring history (see Fullerton 1929 p VIII). Cooper (1978 p 103) calls “… John L., the Champion of Champions to everybody who saw him fight …”.

Grombach (1977 p 46) writes: “…if the strength, speed, hitting power, fighting instinct, and ring ferocity of Sullivan had been developed in the school of modern boxing, and were he around today, he would be a dangerous challenger to any champion”.