Sullivan fight of the week Sullivan McCormick

Okay, thanks mate.

 

Mike Cleary and Denver Ed Smith are two interesting contenders from that period too. Cleary held his own with Mitchell, Burke and McCaffrey and held wins over Sheriff and Dalton. He acted as a sparring partner for Sullivan and also did two rounds with a very green Corbett, getting the better of him, Jim describing him as one of the hardest punchers he had faced.
Smith beat Cleary twice and straddled the 1880-1890's. He is very underappreciated nowadays, defeating a prime Goddard as well as Clow and Cleary. He lost to Jackson but gave Godfrey a great go of it.

 

Denver Ed Smith or George LaBlanche would have been good matches for Sullivan in the mid 1880's.

Although he was way past it, there is footage of Sullivan hitting a bag. I have seen it. I'd advise his biggest fans to skip it, as he looks very poor.

 

Goddard was 36 when Martin beat him over 18 rounds and Goddard rather remarkably returned the favor a few years later in 4 rounds. Goddard really seems like "the one that got away" from this era, a Corrie Sanders of his day, a huge puncher with big heart but a flawed individual who started late and lacked dedication. I have started threads here to try and gain more info on him but to no avail. Do you any insight to add, Matt? Seeing that he faced Maher at least 3 times.

 

Seamus, I think you are getting caught up in the "Denver Ed" trap! Goddard was a big drinker but as you say a tough, powerful man. Held a peak Jackson level-I've read the reports and it was competitive-and over Choynski twice and Maher. He was finished really from the first Smith fight on, I would treat all of the turn of the century South African results at heavyweight with caution. However, Joe had other good wins over Ashton, Lees, Dooley and McAuliffe and at his peak was arguably the best heavyweight in the world, 1890-1892.

 

Lablanche was a 5'7.5" middleweight,I don't think he matches up well with a prime Sullivan.

 

Indeed I was caught! Sorry, I've been rereading the Pollack Johnson book. Martin/Smith/Martin... Need coffee.

 

LaBlanche wasn't very good.

He was lucky as hell in the second Dempsey fight, Sullivan would ruin him.

 

Those bareknuckle guys were very capable of crossing over ..

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Because it's a bunch of hobbyists with no money or talent pool or prestege.

I've already given you example of bareknuckle guys holding thier own with much younger guys with much more gloved experience, but the "historian" couldn't do the slightest bit of research, or actually find out any information

Here's one for anyone actually interested in boxing

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/121790529?searchTerm=billy mcarty jim hall&searchLimits=

Jim Hall with about double the fights on boxrec, much younger, and much taller, losing to Billy McCarthy (or M'Carty).

BTW if anyone is interested in this historians knowledge he asked if I had any footage of it, for a fight in 1891, between guys who barely fought past 1900.

 

Or he's right up Sullvan's alley as most of his best opponents were the same size without a big punch. Lablanche would have added to Sullivan's resume. At least we know who he fought and how he did.

 

Right, wasn't that guy ( Savage ) billed as the bare knuckle champion, with a 40-0 type of record?

 

You notice that Cooper didn't rematch Savage!