This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/29/2019
No boxer in history has had a more wide-reaching and versatile career than John L. Sullivan. In a career that boasted over 450 victories, Sullivan was both the last heavyweight champ of the bare-knuckle era and the first champ of the gloved era. The Boston Strong Boy’s career coincided with the advent of tabloid newspapers and extensive sports reporting which, when combined with his gregarious personality and propensity to provide writers with priceless quotations, allowed him to become the first boxer whose name was well known by the general public. This 5 ¾” by 8 ½” autographed album page is a perfect illustration of what made John L. Sullivan the face of early professional boxing. Not just content to sign his name for a fan, Sullivan inscribed "My compliments, John L. Sullivan, 'Your lessons in love will be awarded in Heaven.' J.L.S. Jan. 13th, 1899." The signature and inscription in sharp black ink grade a perfect 10/10 with the flowing cursive giving this piece of boxing history a visual appeal that is as hard to beat as John L. Sullivan was himself. The brown-toned page is encapsulated in a PSA/DNA GEM-MT 10 holder and comes with a full LOA as well.