On Monday, July 8, 1889 history was made in the small sawmill
community of Richburg, Mississippi. This was the site chosen for the
last bare knuckle heavyweight championship fight. The champion, John
L. Sullivan agreed to fight Jake Kilrain. The site was somewhat of a
secret due to the illegal nature of the sport which at the time was
outlawed in thirty eight states. So this little hamlet 104 miles from
New Orleans and three miles south of Hattiesburg became the site. The
fight had evolved slowly over time largely due to the long standing
animosity between Sullivan and Richard K. Fox of the Police Gazette
who backed Kilrain. Fox used the pages of his publication to
manipulate and goad Sullivan into the match. A crowd of about 3,000
assembled to see the fight on a blistering hot day. Sullivan’s corner
had William Muldoon and Jimmy Wakely while Kilrain’s had Charley
Mitchell and Mike Donovan. Bat Masterson was the timekeeper and John
Fitzpatrick was the referee. It started at 10:10 a.m. Sullivan went
right to work By the 34th round Kilrain’s nose was broken, his lip
was split and one eye was swollen shut. The fight lasted 2 hours and
16 minutes. Donovan threw in the sponge in the 76th to end it.
Kilrain could just not go on. Any artifacts from this fight are
extremely rare. Few attended and the site was so remote there was
little to bring back. Offered here is a very rare full, unused ticket
to this historic event. Both names are boldly printed. The ticket is
VG to excellent condition with some slight soiling. You will not get
the opportunity to purchase a ticket from one of the most important
fights in boxing history very often.