What they said about John L Sullivan.

Some saw Sullivan live, others commented on him up to the the 1970's.

Professor Mike Donovan commented on Sullivan’s style "It wasn’t boxing. It was like being hit by a runaway horse." The Professor called John L. the strongest man he ever fought and add, "He used his right as a blacksmith would use a sledge hammer …"

Charlie Harvey, old time manager, described Sullivan as a "rushing, tearing
in, two-fisted fighter with a power punch" and called him "… big, fast, and
courageous"

Diamond writes about Sullivan -- "He was quick on his feet -- as
quick as any modern heavyweight. And what a punch he had! A knockout in each hand! He was not a scientific boxer but a slugger, depending mainly on a vicious right swing to the jaw."

Durant and Rice "He was superbly fast with his hands and he moved always forward, growling as he advanced.

Grombach describes Sullivan in this way "According to the writers of his time, he was a great burly, slugging fighter with bull-like tactics, mighty fists, and little science. He was good-natured, generous, conceited, blustering, and extremely popular."

Durant and Bettman state that "…he was more than merely strong.
He was amazingly fast for a big man and had a knock-em-dead punch in either hand. Ring science was not for John L. He never bothered much with defense. He brushed aside blows and kept moving forward, always punching. His was a hurricane attack."

McCallum describes him "He was far from being muscle-bound. He was a 'natural' puncher. His punches were perfectly timed, seldom wild, and fast. In the ring, he was extraordinarily fast. His hands were large. His shoulders enormous, his chest was remarkably deep

Lardner writes that Sullivan was a bully, a boozer, and abraggart and later adds that he looked like a conqueror with his florid face, black brow, black hair, mustache, and aggressive fighter’s jaw. Burrill says he was "notorious for drinking and tavern brawls."

Tom Langley says that "Sullivan implicitly believed in his invincibility and wasted no time in passing on this information to the world."

Billy Roche, famous referee, rated Sullivan as the greatest of all
heavyweights and said that John L. had the best "One-Two" punch that he
(Roche) ever saw.

Gilbert Odd, boxing historian, once wrote that John L. in most of his early years only had to hit a man one time. If he did not knock the man out of the fight, he knocked the fight out of the man.

Grombach writes: "…if the strength, speed, hitting power,fighting instinct, and ring ferocity of Sullivan had been developed in the school of modern boxing, and were he around today, he would be a dangerous challenger to any champion."


^^^ Based on this collection, you can draw the following conclusions. Sullivan had faster hands than you might think, and was fairly mobile. He wasn't very skilled, and of course he could hit.

 

I think Sullivan had an average left hand. Others such as Corbett said it. IMO, John L was puncher in a land of few and really stood out because of that, and his very fan-friendly personality. Defense and lateral agility was not very good in the 1880's in general ( there were a few exceptions ) so it must have been a puncher's paradise.

If Sullivan took a good punch, sure he could be competitive or even beat some champions decades after him. That is a question mark, as none of the historians spoke his durability, and good chins are rather uncommon at heavyweight. Sullivan really didn't face any punchers who landed to test the outer limits of his mustache.

His prime was very short but explosive. The concepts of defense and scientific boxing were not in his wheelhouse. Even Sullivan himself said the game had changed by the time Jeffries was champion and Jeff would have pout it to him to use Sullivan's words.

Also there is film on Sullivan, not in the ring but hitting the bag. I'd advise all not to watch it as the snap accuracy and whatever he had in his youth is not shown.