Published by McFarland [Go]
Books: Irish Interest
John L. Sullivan
The Career of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion
Author: Adam J. Pollack
John L. Sullivan was the first gloved heavyweight champion, the fighter that made gloved boxing popular. He helped legitimize Queensberry rules boxing, which is the foundation of boxing as we know it today. He took what was then a fringe sport and made it an immensely popular mainstream sport that generated big revenues. In order to do this, he had to be a phenomenon, the likes of which the world had never known.
The First American Sports Hero
Sullivan was such a huge star that he transcended cultural barriers. He was the first American sports hero. He is certainly an Irish legend because he was the first Irish American to gain worldwide recognition, respect, and the riches that being the world’s best brought. A lot of Irish men and women took great pride in knowing that the world’s most feared and respected pugilist, the man then-considered to be the greatest fighting machine the world had ever known, was of Irish descent.
Fresh Insights
To understand where boxing is today, we must understand from where it came. Ever since I was young, I have never been satisfied with boxing biographies, for I felt they lacked details regarding the boxing, always left me with a number of unanswered questions, and seemed more focused on the boxers' personal lives rather than the fine details of the champion's career. Boxing fans want to be armed with knowledge that they can use in their debates and discussions. I give them that knowledge, providing facts and analysis that no other book has offered.
This book fills a much needed void and will have timeless appeal. For anyone wanting to answer a question about one of Sullivan's fights, they need look no further than this book. It presents the most detailed and thoroughly researched accounting of his career ever written. I present multiple viewpoints of his fights based on local next day newspaper reports. I discuss his opponents and their careers so you can understand who they were, their experience and relative merits, so that the significance of the bouts can be put into perspective.
The book follows Sullivan’s skill development over the course of his career and shows how the critics changed their perceptions of him. Social, legal, and historical analysis also enables the reader to better understand the limitations and impediments Sullivan encountered, as well as some of his career decisions. The book reveals new facts, provides fresh insight, corrects others’ mistakes, and details Sullivan’s many bouts and exhibitions.
About the Author
Adam J. Pollack is a staff writer for Cyberboxingzone.com (CBZ), is vice chair of USA Boxing’s National Board of Review, and a member of the Women’s Subcommittee. He is also a boxing coach and attorney living in Iowa City, Iowa.
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