Ike Weir was an Irish boxer, credited with being the first man to take the Featherweight Championship of the World in a match against Frank Murphy on March 31, 1889, in Kouts, Indiana. The fight was billed as a World Featherweight Title, and went an astounding eighty rounds, though it was officially declared a draw. Some sources may credit Weir with taking the World Title as early as 1887 in his knockout title wins over Jack Farrell in Ridgefield, New Jersey on January 24, or Jack Williams in Westerly, Rhode Island, on March 10. Weir first claimed the title in his win over Farrell.

John Lawrence Sullivan, known simply as John L. among his admirers, and dubbed the "Boston Strong Boy" by the press, was an American boxer. He is recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing, de facto reigning from February 7, 1882, to September 7, 1892. He is also generally recognized as the last heavyweight champion of bare-knuckle boxing under the London Prize Ring Rules, being a cultural icon of the late 19th century America, arguably the first boxing superstar and one of the world's highest-paid athletes of his era. Newspapers' coverage of his career, with the latest accounts of his championship fights often appearing in the headlines, and as cover stories, gave birth to sports journalism in the United States and set the pattern internationally for covering boxing events in media, and photodocumenting the prizefights.