Professional Boxing Record
| 38 Wins (32 knockouts, 6 decisions), 1 Loss (1 knockout, 0 decisions), 2 Draws, 1 No Contest | |||||||
| Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
| Loss | 38-1-2 |
James J. Corbett | KO | 21 (?) | 07/09/1892 | Olympic Club, New Orleans, United States | For World Heavyweight title. The first 4 rounds were all repeats; Corbett flitting and dancing elusively around the ring, with Sullivan trundling cumbersomely in pursuit. After that, Corbett moved in closer, jabbing, his lefts moving straight as a sharpshooter’s bullet to Sullivan’s face. The rest of the fight was routine. In the 21st round Corbett landed a delicious left "audible throughout the house" that put Sullivan down for good. |
| Draw | 38-0-2 |
Charley Mitchell | PTS | 39 (?) | 10/03/1888 | Baron Rothschild's Training Ground, Chantilly, Oise, France | A finish fight. |
| Win | 38-0-1 |
William Samuells | TKO | 3 (3) | 05/01/1888 | Philharmonic Hall, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom | |
| Draw | 37-0-1 |
Patsy Cardiff | PTS | 6 | 18/01/1887 | Washington Roller Rink, Minneapolis, United States | Sullivan broke his left arm in the 1st round after missing a punch at the elusive Cardiff. Forced to use only his right for the remainder of the fight, he could not catch up with the smaller man and the fight was declared a draw after the end of the scheduled 4 rounds. Attendance: 8,000. |
| Win | 37–0 |
Paddy Ryan | KO | 3 (?) | 13/11/1886 | San Francisco, United States | In the 2nd round, Sullivan landed a perfectly timed counter punch to drop his fading opponent and, when Ryan got up, put him down twice more before the close of the round. Ryan fought a brave fight and came out for the 3rd, but had nothing left. He was devastated by a right hand and floored twice more before the police interrupted. |
| Win | 36–0 |
Frank Herald | TD | 2 (?) | 18/09/1886 | Coliseum Rink, Pittsburgh, United States | Sullivan used his size advantage to drive his opponent to the ropes through much of the 1st round. The 2nd became a wrestling, holding, and fouling match. Police stopped this fight in the 2nd round after Herald was dropped. Referee awarded decision to Sullivan as per agreement that allowed for a decision if there was a police stoppage. |
| Win | 35–0 |
Dominick McCaffrey | PTS | 7 (6) | 29/08/1885 | Chester Drving Park, near Cincinnati, United States | In the 6th round, after the champion tackled the challenger to the floor, referee Billy Tate stopped the fight to save McAffrey from further punishment and declared Sullivan the winner. Both fighters subsequently agreed to fight a 7th, unofficial round without a referee present. Sullivan is named the 1st Heavyweight Champion under the Marquess of Queensberry Rules after this victory. |
| Win | 34–0 |
Jack Burke | PTS | 5 | 13/06/1885 | Driving Park, Chicago, United States | Sullivan vs. Burke. |
| NC | 33–0 |
Paddy Ryan | NC | 1 (?) | 19/01/1885 | New York City | Both fighters appeared badly out of shape and showed little action however. Sullivan had only just started to take control in the 1st round when police stopped the affair on orders from Mayor William Grace. Sullivan was declared winner of the abortive bout and he split his winnings with the near destitute Ryan. |
| Win | 33–0 | Alf Greenfield | PTS | 4 | 12/01/1885 | Institute Hall, Boston, United States | In this fight, Greenfield did his best to avoid all contact with the champion. He nearly ran around the ring in an effort to keep away and, when Sullivan drew dangerously near, Greenfield simply clinched. He lasted the scheduled four round distance, but the small crowd in attendance booed both champion and challenger. Owing to the order of the police captain, Sullivan carried Greenfield. |
| Win | 32–0 | Alf Greenfield | TD | 2 (?) | 18/11/1884 | New York City, United States | The 1st round of the match showed little action, with Greenfield landing the few telling blows. Sullivan came on in the 2nd, attacking ferociously, while Greenfield resorted to holding. Pinned in a corner, Greenfield suffered a cut above his left eye, prompting Clubber Williams, Chief of Police to step in and end the affair. Announcer Billy Williams declared Sullivan the winner. |
| Win | 31–0 | John Laflin | KO | 4 (?) | 10/11/1884 | New York City, United States | Hybrid rules. After being dropped in the 1st round, Laflin was given 30 seconds to recover, in LPR fashion, before continuing. Sullivan had completed his exhibition tour of the U.S. 6 months earlier and had fallen badly out of shape in the interim, but did do some minor training for this appearance. |
| Win | 30–0 | Enos Phillips | KO | 4 (?) | 02/05/1884 | Nashville, United States | Part of world champion Sullivan's grand tour of the U.S.. Sullivan carried the challenger for 3 rounds, moving and lightly sparring. In the 4th, he finally attacked, flooring Phillips 3 times before the local police interfered. |
| Win | 29–0 | William Fleming | KO | 1 (4) | 01/05/1884 | Memphis, Tennessee, United States | Part of world champion Sullivan's grand tour of the U.S.. Fleming was allegedly drunk on fight night. Sullivan knocked him out with his first right hand punch, landed to the jaw. Fleming went completely unconscious and Sullivan later claimed this bout, lasting just two seconds, to be his quickest knockout. |
| Win | 28–0 | Dan Henry | KO | 1 (4) | 29/04/1884 | Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States | Part of world champion Sullivan's grand tour of the U.S.. |
| Win | 27–0 | Al Marx | KO | 1 (4) | 10/04/1884 | Grand Opera House, Galveston, Texas, United States | He suffered 3 knockdowns before the end of the first minute of action, and "threw up the sponge." Part of world champion Sullivan's grand tour of the U.S.. |
| Win | 26–0 | George M Robinson | DQ | 4 (4) | 06/03/1884 | Mechanic's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, United States | Robinson went down 51-66 times in 4 rounds until finally disqualified for going down without being hit. |
| Win | 25–0 | James Lang | KO | 1 (4) | 06/02/1884 | Seattle, United States | |
| Win | 24–0 | Sylvester Le Gouriff | KO | 1 (4) | 01/02/1884 | Astoria, Oregon, United States | |
| Win | 23–0 | Fred Robinson | KO | 2 (?) | 12/01/1884 | Butte, Montana, United States | Robinson was Sullivan's 5th challenger on his latest exhibition tour across the U.S.. 2000 people watch Robinson take a horrid beating, going down a total of 15 times in just two rounds before the fight was called off. |
| Win | 22–0 | Mike Sheehan | TKO | 1 (?) | 04/12/1883 | Davenport, Iowa, United States | This bout was part of Sullivan's grand exhibition tour of the U.S. after winning the title. Sheehan was a Davenport blacksmith who somehow became known as "the strongest man in Iowa." |
| Win | 21–0 | Morris Hefey | KO | 1 (?) | 26/11/1883 | Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States | Part of Sullivan's grand exhibition tour of the U.S.. Hefey was floored 3 times in 30 seconds. |
| Win | 20–0 | Jim Miles | TKO | 1 (?) | 03/11/1883 | East St. Louis, Illinois, United States | Part of Sullivan's grand exhibition tour of the U.S.. Police found it necessary to stop the bout after only 20 seconds of action to save Miles from further punishment, yet the challenger insisted he be allowed to continue. When he rushed past the police and at Sullivan, the champion slapped him off of the stage. |
| Win | 19–0 | James McCoy | KO | 1 (?) | 17/10/1883 | McKeesport, Pennsylvania, United States | McCoy was Sullivan's first challenger of his 1883-1884 "Grand Tour," another of his exhibition tours criss-crossing through the country offering to pay the locals to step into the ring with him. McCoy landed few punches before a one-two combination from Sullivan put him flat. After 20 seconds, it was all over. |
| Win | 18–0 | Herbert "Maori" Slade | TKO | 3 | 06/08/1883 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, United States | Sullivan vs. Slade. |
| Win | 17–0 | Charley Mitchell | TKO | 3 (?) | 14/05/1883 | New York City, United States | Mitchell knocked Sullivan down it the 1st round. |
| Win | 16–0 | P J Rentzler | TKO | 1 (4) | 17/11/1882 | Theatre Comique, Washington, United States | |
| Win | 15–0 | Charley O'Donnell | KO | 1 (?) | 30/10/1882 | Chicago, United States | This was part of champion Sullivan's nationwide tour offering 500 dollars to any man who could last 4 rounds against him. O'Donnell was knocked down 5 times during the fight. |
| Win | 14–0 | S P Stockton | KO | 2 (?) | 16/10/1882 | Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States | |
| Win | 13–0 | Henry Higgins | TKO | 3 (4) | 23/09/1882 | St. James A.C., Buffalo, New York, United States | Part of Sullivan's nationwide exhibition tour. |
| Win | 12–0 | Jimmy Elliot | KO | 3 (?) | 04/07/1882 | Brooklyn, New York, United States | Elliot was a former claimant to the Heavyweight Championship of America. Elliot was floored twice in the opening round and once at the close of the 2nd. At the opening of the 3rd, a blow to the throat put Elliott down for the count. |
| Win | 11–0 | John McDermont | TKO | 3 (?) | 20/04/1882 | Grand Opera House, Rochester, New York, United States | Part of Sullivan's tour of the Northeastern U.S.. McDermont did well to last into the 3rd round, mostly by keeping his distance from Sullivan, who had to take breaks to catch his breath. Eventually, Sullivan knocked him out, to the boos of his audience. |
| Win | 10–0 | Jack Burns | KO | 1 (4) | 03/09/1881 | Chicago, United States | Part of John Sullivan's 1881 tour of the Northeast. Burns fashioned himself the Michigan state boxing champion and was both taller and heavier than Sullivan. However, Sullivan made short work of him. Down within 20 seconds, Burns rose shakily to his feet but a blow to the mouth sent him careening into the audience below. |
| Win | 9–0 | Captain James Dalton | KO | 4 (4) | 13/08/1881 | United States | This fight took place during Sullivan's tour of the Northeastern U.S.. Dalton survived into the 4th round, longer than any of Sullivan's previous opponents on the tour. Still, Sullivan dominated the action and dealt Dalton a severe beating until the tugboat captain collapsed in the 4th. |
| Win | 8–0 | Dan McCarty | KO | 1 (?) | 21/07/1881 | Philadelphia, United States | This was the second fight of Sullivan's tour of the Northeastern U.S.. The fight did not last a round, with an early punch to the neck sending McCarty sprawling to the floor. |
| Win | 7–0 | Fred Crossley | KO | 1 (4) | 11/07/1881 | Philadelphia, United States | This was the first bout of Sullivan's tour of the Northeast, arranged by his manager, Billy Madden. The fight proved a horrible mismatch, with Sullivan forcing an already bloodied Crossley to flee to his corner and quit in the opening round. |
| Win | 6–0 | John Flood | KO | 8 (?) | 16/05/1881 | Yonkers, New York, United States | LPR bout with hard gloves, lasted 16 minutes total. Fight held on a barge six miles up the Hudson River. |
| Win | 5–0 | Steve Taylor | TKO | 2 (4) | 31/03/1881 | Harry Hill's, New York City, United States | This is the fight that helped first establish Sullivan's reputation within the fight community of New York. |
| Win | 4–0 | Professor John Donaldson | RTD | 10 (?) | 24/12/1880 | Pacific Garden, Cincinnati, United States | Scheduled fight to the finish. LPR rules with hard gloves. On the 10th round Donaldson was too much exhausted to come to the scratch. |
| Win | 3–0 | George Rooke | KO | 3 (?) | 28/06/1880 | Boston, United States | The bout was officially labeled a boxing exhibition under Marquess of Queensberry Rules to please local authorities, but the fighting was serious. Sullivan used his size advantages to score 3 knockdowns in the opening 3 minutes. During the 3rd round, believing the action too "realistic," police stopped the match to save Rooke, who may have been drunk, from further punishment. |
| Win | 2–0 | Johnny Cocky Woods | KO | 5 (?) | 14/03/1879 | Boston, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Jack Curley | KO | ? (?) | 13/03/1879 | Boston, United States | Sullivan won this fight to the finish (likely LPR rules with gloves) in 1 hour and 14 minutes. |
Read more about this topic: John L. Sullivan
Famous quotes containing the words professional, boxing and/or record:
“The American character looks always as if it had just had a rather bad haircut, which gives it, in our eyes at any rate, a greater humanity than the European, which even among its beggars has an all too professional air.”
—Mary McCarthy (1912–1989)
“I can entertain the proposition that life is a metaphor for boxing—for one of those bouts that go on and on, round following round, jabs, missed punches, clinches, nothing determined, again the bell and again and you and your opponent so evenly matched it’s impossible not to see that your opponent is you.... Life is like boxing in many unsettling respects. But boxing is only like boxing.”
—Joyce Carol Oates (b. 1938)
“This play holds the season’s record [for early closing], thus far, with a run of four evening performances and one matinee. By an odd coincidence it ran just five performances too many.”
—Dorothy Parker (1893–1967)