Bare Knuckle Boxing

John L. Sullivan

The record for the longest bare knuckle boxing match is 6 hours and 15 minutes.  Think of the stamina that would take.

By 1879, John L. Sullivan had already won over 450 fights when he began a tour of America, offering people a chance at $500 to fight him bare fisted.  He won consistently for 12 years.  In 1891 he defended his title against challenger Gentleman Jim Corbett with 10,000 spectators cheering him on.   But Corbett was younger and faster, with a new boxing technique that enabled him to dodge Sullivan's punches. In the 21st round Corbett landed a smashing left "audible throughout the house" that put Sullivan down for good.  Sullivan was counted out and Corbett declared the new champion.

John L. Sullivan didn’t stop fighting.  His victories were less frequent, but he continued fighting for another 12 years.  “Unhealthy” (that has to be the understatement of the century) from the effects of prizefighting, Sullivan died at age 59 with only 10 dollars to his name.

Can you imagine a more brutal lifetime pursuit than bare knuckle boxing?  What stamina it would take to subject your body to those assaults year after year.  Even when you were winning, you would know in the back of your mind that you couldn’t keep it up forever.

Barbaric as it is, bare knuckle boxing has rules.  For instance, it is illegal to strike an opponent when they are down.  The fight with leukemia has no such rules.  It is merciless.  It knocks you down and then continues beating you when you are least able to defend yourself.  If you manage to land a punch, leukemia bobs and weaves and re-emerges as a new opponent with a new fighting style. 

Roger is exhausted, in pain, and “unhealthy” from taking leukemia's punches for nearly 8 years.  Like a champion, he’s still in there fighting.  And what do we hear from the champ’s corner?

“Ultimately, you can’t beat the disease.”

--Dr. Bill Nichols, oncologist.

We know that is probably right.  But we have to believe it is wrong.  After a very long day that started with a transfusion in Missoula, we are in Salt Lake City tonight.  Roger will visit his cheering fans at the Bone Marrow Transplant Center tomorrow.