Is there anyone who fought BEFORE Sullivan who could have taken him?

Possibly Cribb, in a fight that looks very similar to Cribb/Molineaux II--Cribb gets hammered early and finally draws Sullivan into a war of attrition. Belcher might massacre him early if he's as fast, skilled, and hard-hitting as many claim. Then again, Sullivan could do the same to him. Sayers may be canny enough to take him to a draw after absorbing a pasting.

 

A fight with Spring would be interesting, and might end with Sullivan exhausted and Spring's knuckles destroyed.

 

Plausibly given that Sullivan only had a few fights under LPR rules.

Sombody like Jem Mace might be able to survive a battle of atrition under LPR rules.

It is when Sullivan only has to put you on the floor for ten seconds that he is next to ubeatable.

 

I would pick Sullivan over anyone who came before him, but I agree with the others that Belcher, Cribb, Mace, and Sayers would be tough fights for him.

 

Maybe Cribb or Mace. Hard to say. Mace seems to have taught Fitzsimmons, so with him it was power and skill.

There is no film of any heavyweight champion pre-Sullivan, and the news reports are even harder to come by.

 

Try Boxiana and Pugilistica. Both are available in full, for free on Google books, and are excellent.

 

Theagenes of Greece. According to Grombach he had a record of 2,102 wins, 0 losses, and killed 1,800. World's champin from 484 to 468 B.C. Sounds like a pretty tough cat!

 

Holy ****! Undefeated in over 2000 fights! And that's an 86% kill rate! Not many rematches in those days, I guess.

 

I have Boxiana it has round by round commentaries on fights.
The Boxing Companion by Denzil batchelor also has several passages on the old time fighters.

 

Sullivan was brought along as a queensbury fighter and exceled under that rule set. He also perceived that there was little future in the LPR system due to increasing police vigilance and did not want to come into confrontation with the law if he could avoid it.

Left to his own devices Sullivan might never have fought under LPR rules but many refused to recognise a champion unless he won the title under those rules. Sullivan defeated American Champion Joe Goss in a Queensbury fight but many in the media refused to recognise his title claim and when Goss lost to Pady Ryan in an LPR fight Ryan was recognised as the new champion. This forced Sullivan to fight Paddy Ryan under LPR rules to gain recognition.

Once he was recognised as champion he basicaly said that anybopdy who wanted a shot at the title would have to fight under Queensbury rules.

 

Indeed some sources say that Sullivan was heartbroken by his failure to put Mitchell away.

Mitchell had only lasted three rounds against Sullivan under Queensbury rules.

Sullivan was of course later induced to fight Killrain under LPR rules but it took a large financial incentive and his status as champion being called into question to bring it about.