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1892 John L Sullivan vs. James J Corbett Full Boxing Ticket Collection - Sourced from Olympic Club Boxing Instructor (18)
<em></em>Displayed is an amazing full ticket boxing collection (18) of rare ducats to the 1892 World Heavyweight Championship fight in New Orleans between the world-renowned undefeated John L Sullivan and his popular challenger, undefeated "Gentleman" Jim Corbett. "The greatest carnival in the history of boxing'" wrote the Sporting Life newspaper of the upcoming Sept. 7, 1892, fight at the Olympic Club. This fight was a momentous turning point in the history of boxing. It was not just Sullivan against Corbett; it was a clash of eras, the old (represented by Sullivan) and the new (represented by Corbett), a clash of philosophies. Sullivan, almost 34 years old, was out of shape at 212 pounds. Corbett was 26 years old, and in shape at 187 pounds. Sullivan was the last of the bare-knuckle champions, winning his last official bare-knuckle bout three years earlier against Jake Kilrain. In the interim, Sullivan fought "exhibitions" as he kept his title. The Marquess of Queensbury rules, which required gloves, and favored skill over mere strength, were gaining in worldwide popularity, and this epic contest was the first time the Marquess of Queensbury rules were to be implemented for a World Heavyweight Championship fight. Sullivan stood for boxing as a wild, street fight with witnesses, with bouts as long as 75 rounds and bare-knuckled punches brutalizing opponents. Corbett stood for skill and boxing as a "sweet science." Corbett had earned his 'Gentleman" nickname from his prior attendance at college, and from being a fancy dresser who spoke with polished grammar. In this time period, boxing was banned in most states and in many jurisdictions. Because of the widespread boxing bans, bouts were often scheduled as merely "exhibitions" as a way to get around the law. Another way to stage matches was to illegally hold them in secret. The Sullivan-Corbett fight drew 10,000 spectators - almost all of them men. The timekeeper was the famous western hero, "Bat" Masterson. Corbett later wrote of the fight that he would deliberately let Sullivan drive him into a corner, which the bigger, slower Sullivan desired, and then let Sullivan try to hurt him and see if he (Corbett) could discover a "tell," a tip that Sullivan would make that would reveal when he was going for a knockout punch. Corbett's strategy worked. In the third round, Corbett broke Sullivans's nose, and that injury affected Sullivan's breathing, and thus his stamina. Corbett wrote of the final round: "When came up for the 21st round... Right away I went up to him, feinted with my left and hit him with a left-hand hook.... I saw his eyes roll... I hit him alongside the jaw. And he fell helpless on the ground. And the crowd went wild." Corbett was the World Champion. The tickets measure approx. 3.25x4.25". These tickets were all originally identical, but the passage of time has caused various degrees of foxing and darkening in all of the tickets. On the front of each ticket is printed, "John L. Sullivan and Jas. J. Corbett/Grand Glove Contest for the HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP of the WORLD/Olympic Club/Purse $25,000/WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 7th 1892/NINE O'CLOCK P.M./Entrance Chartres St./TICKETS $15.00". The tickets are sourced from Robert L. Curry, a boxing promoter at the Olympic Club. Curry was a locally respected and well-known instructor in the New Orleans area. The tickets were passed down through generations within the Curry family. The full tickets are in remarkable condition, and these valuable rarities stand for a seminal boxing event, the titanic clash of Sullivan versus Corbett, the Old World against the New World, when boxing changed forever.
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