July 8, 1889 John L. Sullivan vs. Jake Kilrain Full Ticket PSA VG 3 (MK) - Last Bare-Knuckle Heavyweight Championship Fight!

Graded VG 3 (MK) by PSA. Extremely rare full ticket for the heavyweight championship bout between John L. Sullivan and Jake Kilrain, held in Richburg, Mississippi, on July 8, 1889. This is the first example of this particular ticket that we have offered in the past 22 years and one of only two examples ever graded by PSA. The ticket reads, "Admit Bearer to Grounds/Kilrain & Sullivan/Contest/ July 8th." The Sullivan/Kilrain fight was historic, not only for its outcome (75th round knockout), but for the fact that it marked the last major bare-knuckle heavyweight championship fight. Shortly after this fight, all future contest were governed by the "Marquess of Queensberry" rules, which mandated that fighters wear gloves, thereby making Sullivan the last bare-knuckle champion in history. The ticket (5.75 x 2 inches) displays light creases, even corner wear, and the number "2" noted in pencil on the reverse. An attractive example of one of the most desirable of all nineteenth-century fight tickets.