2-377-997 - Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images

John L Sullivan, American boxer, c1898. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1858, John L Sullivan (1858-1918) is regarded as the first world heavyweight champion. He held the title from 1881 until 1892, when he lost it to James 'Gentleman Jim' Corbett. Sullivan was the first American sportsman to become a national celebrity and the first to earn over $1 million.