FROM THE BOOKS
John L. Sullivan will forever be remembered as the first man to become officially recognized as the heavyweight champion of the world, although he claimed the title while boxing to Prize Ring Rules.
He was born of Irish parents in Boston, and as a teenager won a reputation for being something of a braggart, challenging all-comers to take him on and showing off his immense strength by lifting full beer barrels over his head. Not suprisingly, he was dubbed the "Boston Strong Boy".

Peter Brooke-Ball: The Boxing Album