Sullivan, John L BrE AmE
(1858–1918) a US ↑ boxer who was the last bare-knuckle world HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION although he wore BOXING GLOVE s when he lost his title to James J Corbett in 1892. He was known as the Boston Strong Boy, and often said, ‘I can lick any man in the house’, which meant he thought he could beat anyone who wanted to fight him.