Ryan Sullivan, bonus Sullivan thread

Since we have discussed Sullivan's bout with Joe Goss, and are going to discuss his Queensbury title defenses, I am going to say a bit about his bare knuckle fight with Paddy Ryan.

So Paddy Ryan has lifted the heavyweight title by beating Joe Goss, but this young fellow named Sullivan had put Goss away much more convincingly, in a Queensbury bout. This puts them on a collision course.

Opinion seems to have been divided between those who expected Sullivan to win due to youth and skill, and those how picked Ryan because of his previous experience in bare knuckle fights.

This was to be Sullivan's first bare knuckle fight, though he had fought two fights under London Prize Ring rules with hard gloves.

The National police Gazette picked Ryan "owing to his pluck, science, and stamina" and because he "proved that he was a clever wrestler and expert boxer". It further wrote that he "proved to be a game man, and a hard hitter, and one of the best fighters and wrestlers of his time."

One local writer wrote of Sullivan "Since he was here last December, his improvements have been something wonderful. He always had done terrific work in round arm hitting." but that "Now he has become a skilled man in straight hitting" and "has acquired a great deal of science."

While they were both preparing for the fight, a local newspaper claimed that Ryan ran 10 miles, while Sullivan did 100 yard sprints in 11-11.5 seconds. Ryan was the betting favorite in New York, while Sullivan was the betting favorite in Chicago.

Joe Goss who was helping to train Sullivan said of Ryan:

"He looked very well in sparring, but my man will lick him for sure."

Times Democrat on Ryan after seeing Sullivan sparr Goss:

"The Troy man is the better sparer of the two, being cooler in his judgment, quicker with both hands, and fully as agile as his opponent."

A local observer wrote:

"Sullivan will down Ryan as sure as you live. I have seen a good many fighters, and I give you my word, that I have never seen a man that I regarded as his equal."

Another wrote:

"Sullivan is a tremendous hitter and the most perfectly built man that I ever saw. I think that he will out fight Ryan from the start".

Another wrote:

"I think I will walk home if Ryan is whipped, but I know he won't be. I have just seen him, and he is as quiet and confident as a man can be. Nothing worries him, and it would take a man with a club to beat him. Put that in your diary."

Sullivan was asked if he was nervous:

"No sir, not a bit. There aint a man in the world who I am in the least bit afraid of, and none I wouldn't fight."

 

The fight itself:

The fight took place in front of the Barnes Hotel, in Mississippi City. People crowded onto roof tops to watch, and the local Sheriff had business out of town that day. Ryan won the coin toss, and picked the ring with the sun to his back, so that Sullivan was looking into the sun.

Round 1
Ryan held his guard low and fought defensively. Sullivan's left had was described as being in constant motion as he moved around Ryan. The round heated up after Ryan missed with a right, and an exchange saw Ryan dropped one minute after the opening bell.

Round 2
Sullivan forced the fighting and Ryan fell back on his wrestling moves to negate him. They both fell to the canvas together, ending the round after 25 seconds.

Round 3
The fighters felt each other out for most of the round, feinting each other, until a right hand from Sullivan dropped Ryan on his back. Sullivan claimed first blood and was given it.

Round 4
Ryan was cut to the nose and bleeding from the mouth. He tried to counter Sullivan, but Sullivan was busier, and forced the fighting. A series of body shots forced Ryan into a clinch, and both men fell to the canvas, ending the round after 30 seconds.

Round 5
Again Sullivan forced the fighting, and Ryan's neck was starting to swell. Ryan clinched again, and Sullivan threw him, with both men going down.

Round 6
Both men feinted each other until Ryan landed an uppercut, and Sullivan responded with another, staggering Ryan. Sullivan followed up his attack drooping Sullivan after 30 seconds of the round.

Round 7
Sullivan continued to batter Ryan, and when Ryan clinched, Sullivan threw him to the canvas. One newspaper wrote that "Ryan was a wreck".

Round 8
Ryan fought more aggressively, but was still getting the worst of it. Again Ryan clinched, and again Sullivan threw him to the canvas.

Round 9
Ryan struggled to make it back to scratch, and seems to have offered little effective defense, getting battered all over the ring. Some observers said that a left to the neck ended the fight, and others a right to the chest.

The fact that the fight went nine rounds makes it sound competitive to the casual observer, but the timings tell a different story. The New York Herald wrote that the fight lasted 10 and a half minutes, and that the total fighting times was six minutes. Bear in mind that quick knockouts were almost unknown in bare knuckle fights. This is arguably one of the most brutal demolitions of a reigning champion of all time!

 

Aftermath:

Times Democrat:

"The greatest fistic battle of the last 20 years".

"It is generally conceded that the Boston boy is a wonder.His hitting powers are terrific, and against his sledge hammer fists the naked arms of a man are but poor defense. He forced the fighting from the start and knocked his opponent about like a football, receiving little punishment in return"

"Sullivan's style of fighting differed from that of any pugilist that has entered the ring in recent years. He is a rusher, and it is this quality and his tremendous hitting powers, that really make him a great pugilist. Besides he is a skillful wrestler, and a good in fighter, quick to dodge, and always on the alert for any opening that an opponent might leave."

New York Times:

"Sullivan exhibited remarkable skill as a two handed fighter."

John Wlash

"I think that Ryan is lucky to have escaped with his life. That boy from Boston is liable to kill a man with a blow".

Times Democrat

"It is amusing to observe the style in which the newspapers now speak of the Sullivan Ryan fight. They describe it contemptuously as a brutal hammering of Ryan by Sullivan. One would suppose that Ryan was a helpless of imbecile who had been inhumanely beaten by a cruel and callous giant. The fact is however, that previous to the battle, nine tenths of the sporting men in the country looked upon Sullivan's pretensions with open derision. He was alluded to as a green and gawky boy, a chap who had never fought without gloves. Ryan was alluded to as a Hercules."

"Sullivan won the fight by virtue of superior science, and irresistible strength."

 

So what do I take from all this?

While I still feel that Ryan was a weak champion, I think that he may well have been better than many give him credit for, and he was clearly rated by many at the time.

Sullivan clearly had trouble gaining the respect of the contemporary press, because all of his previous bouts had been fought with gloves.

The fight was remarkably short for a bare knuckle bout, and Sullivan seems to have had some success in imposing his attacking gloved boxing style.

Sullivan was clearly very much a two handed fighter that this stage.

 

We aim to please.