Today in Boxing History: Jake Kilrain dies in Massachusetts

On this day in 1937, former bareknuckle fighter and boxing pioneer Jake Kilrain died in Quincy, Massachusetts. He is best known for fighting the last bareknuckle heavyweight title fight ever held.

Born John Joseph Killian in New York in 1859, Kilrain turned professional in 1879. By the late 1880s, he was listed as one of the top fighters in the country. In 1889, he faced heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan for the heavyweight title. It was the last bare knuckle title bout under London’s Prize Ring Rules. The bout was competitive, but in the end, Sullivan got the better of Kilrain, and his handlers stopped the bout after the 75th round of the 80-round fight.

Kilrain boxed for ten more years before retiring. He lived out the later years of his life in Massachusetts before passing away at the age of 78.