John L Sullivan against Wladimir Klitshcko! ! ! !

You are joking arn't you?

I wouldn't be shocked if it turned out that John L hit as hard as Earnie Shavers.

I am certain that his power was in the general category of Dempsey, Louis, and Marciano.

 

Norton, willard, schmelling and walcott all tasted the power of those you list.

John l doesn't have a comparable list of victims. He wouldn't even be a hw today.

 

Modern rules?

Wlad kayo within the first three. Sullivan isn't even in with a prayer, here. Outweighed, outsized, out powered, outsped, and outskilled.

Old school rules?

Dunno how a guy like Wlad would take to gloveless boxing. I can't see very well. Sullivan probably gets that one, on the basis of being a far more violent, and more mean human being.

 

Yeah no one specified which era. If Wlad had to fight in the Great John L.'s era I would favor the guy who could lick any sob in the house. But i'm not sure how Sullivan does in modern boxing. Most of his fights were bareknuckle.

 

he probably does the same as bobby jones would do if he were transported onto modern day golf courses and handed graphite clubs to do battle with tiger woods...he'd lose

 

Really? That's not what i've been led to believe.

 

Sanity needs to prevail here. This is probably a mismatch.

John L. was easily the best heavyweight of his period; probably the first true sports star the world had seen. He's a legend and a great.
But really, c'mon.

Surely, SURELY...boxing has evolved from a prime Sullivan's time? I'm no big fan of Wladimir, but his style is leagues more sophisticated than that of fighter's of Sully's era. Logically, I can't see how it could possibly be otherwise.

Yeah, Sully has the power to knock Wlad on his backside (You better believe it) but he'd never get close to Wlad's chin, and would almost certainly be bewildered and by the combination of movement, strength and size.

I'm a big fan of Sully's and no fan of Wlad, but barring a lucky swipe to the whiskers, this ought not to be much of a fight.

 

That I agree with. :yep:good

 

I think in part Janitor's correct. Indeed, he was bigger than Marciano and Dempsey.
Liston and Jeffries...maybe not that big. (Not far off either, though.) But he could no doubt compete on a physical level today, given modern weight training and modern dietary techniques.

 

that is actually pretty fearsome, seriously. That would make me run away, and I'd not just be running from his ring fashion sense. I wonder if tash clinching was a legit move back then.


I still think that Klit would have too much opportunity to learn how to beat rushers like JLS, but Sullivan never learned how to fight an awkward tall guy with a jab who has learned to avoid him over 12 rounds.
Mind you, by then Klitman would look like he did on Lennox day at the end of the fight.