Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Building, Site

Location

1 Hughes St, Belfast, NY 14711, USA

Lat/Long

42.343453, -78.112462

Grant Recipient

Town of Belfast

William Muldoon was born in the small town of Belfast, New York on May 25^th, 1845. He grew up on his family’s farm and left home to serve in the Civil War at age 17. After the war, he joined the police force in New York. Muldoon eventually became a physical instructor for the police, where he developed a knack for wrestling. He became a talented, professional Greco-Roman wrestler who wiped out competitors throughout the United States and other countries like Japan. Muldoon retired as an undefeated world champion and continued to play a role in the sport by training other athletes.

One of Muldoon’s most notable trainees, John L. Sullivan, stayed with Muldoon at his home in Belfast, N.Y. in 1889. Sullivan, a native of Roxbury, Boston, was a gifted bare-knuckle boxer that had knocked out prominent fighters like John Flood, Joe Goss, and Paddy Ryan (International Boxing Hall of Fame, n.d.). In preparation of his fight with the up-and-coming champion, Jake Kilrain, Sullivan went to train with Muldoon. Muldoon owned a large farm and had converted his barn to house a training facility equipped with a rugby football, a wrestling pad, various dumb-bells, and a chest expander. Sullivan’s daily conditioning consisted of running and walking 12 miles, eating bland meals of meat and bread, and hours of wrestling, punching a bag, throwing footballs and other activities (“Nelly Bly and Sullivan” 1889). After a long and tumultuous 76-round fight with Kilrain, Sullivan came out victorious.

Sources:

International Boxing Hall of Fame. (n.d.). John L. Sullivan. http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/pioneer/sullivan.html

Nelly Bly and Sullivan: The Noted Lady Reporter Visits Him in Belfast. (1889, June 1). Wellsville Daily Reporter.