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HSC: 1892 John L. Sullivan vs. Jim Corbett Fight

Currency:USD Category:Sports - Cards & Fan Shop Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:8,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
HSC: 1892 John L. Sullivan vs. Jim Corbett Fight
<B>1892 Sullivan vs. Corbett Fight Program.</B></I> While tickets from this momentous event in pugilistic history command thousands of dollars due to their rarity and supreme desirability, we must increase these factors twenty-fold when considering the appeal of this all but unheard of "Souvenir Programme" from New Orleans' Olympic Club, where the great John L. Sullivan finally met his match in the form of "Gentleman Jim" Corbett on September 7, 1892. Attempting a title defense for the first time under the Queensberry (gloved) rules, the aging Sullivan proved no match for the sweet scientist Corbett, who foiled the Champ's bull rushes with nimble footwork and crisp, accurate punching. Though Sullivan's nose was broken in the third round, he managed to stay on his feet until the twenty-first, when Corbett was finally able to send him to the mat for the duration of a ten count. After regaining his wits, Sullivan bade farewell to the boxing world from the ring apron. "All I have to say is that I came into the ring once too often--and if I had to get licked, I'm glad I was licked by an American."<BR><BR> The forty-eight page program printed for the three day boxing extravaganza that culminated in the most famous bout of the nineteenth century is one of just a theoretical handful that could possibly exist today. Though it shows a degree of wear that one might expect for a publication entering its twelfth decade of life, the program remains in complete and relatively solid condition, with all pages still held firmly to the spine. The gorgeous Victorian artwork on the cover is still bright and vibrant, and a 1" vertical tear at the top and spine/edge wear do little to detract. A very small hole has been punched through the entire booklet in the upper right quadrant, but again this is all but invisible on the cover, and does not hurt the legibility of the inner pages. Other than this minor consideration, the inner pages remain quite unchanged from the day the program's original owner watched Sullivan fall for the first and last time. As for the content itself, we'll leave that as the prize for the winning bidder, but suffice it to say that there are lengthy biographies of the great boxers of the day (including Sullivan and Corbett of course) and fantastic photographic images. Without a doubt one of the most exceptional boxing programs on the face of the earth.