A Fight for the Ages?

Did Jim Young deck the champ in a Tombstone bout?

Tombstone legend has it that in 1882, heavyweight boxing champ John L. Sullivan came to Tombstone to put on an exhibition. The champ offered $500 to anyone in the crowd to last two rounds. Jim Young, a Black cowboy who worked for John Slaughter, took the challenge. He climbed in the ring at Schieffelin Hall. Supposedly, Young decked the champ in the first round. There is some controversy as to whether or not that match ever took place, but according to the Tombstone Republican, on September 15th, 1883, Big Jim did defeat pugilist Neil McLeod.