James J. Corbett
Gentle Jim, the first scientific heavyweight champion, beat Sullivan in 1892
Overview
Corbett, a San Francisco bank clerk, introduced footwork, the jab and timed counters to a game of brawlers. On September 7 1892 in New Orleans he knocked out the great John L. Sullivan in round 21 of the first world heavyweight title fight fought with gloves under Queensberry rules. He lost the crown to Bob Fitzsimmons in 1897 and later became a respected film actor and boxing teacher.
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