BACKFLIPPING
BOXING KANGAROO In 1891, boxing legend John L. Sullivan was the undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World. In fact, he so dominated the sport, nobody was willing to fight him. Months went by -- then years -- and Sullivan was getting impatient for a fight. So he offered a prize of $73 to anyone who could best him. Today, that may not seem like a lot of money, but in 1892 you could buy a mansion for that sum. (And the way the real estate market is going, perhaps $73 will buy you one again.) Still nobody took him up on the offer. Until... A little man from Australia arrived in New York Harbor with a large wooden crate. Inside was a full-grown kangaroo named Lester. The Australian claimed Lester could out-box anyone in the ring, and challenged Sullivan for his belt. In March of 1892, the boxing match took place. Since New York State prohibited events where animals were forced to fight, the match was moved to Paris, France. (Not only could you fight animals in Paris, but you could also marry them.) The Folies Bergere was packed to the rafters. In fact, new rafters had to be constructed to accommodate the crowd. All over the world, the match was broadcast over closed-circuit telegraph. Sadly, the mighty John L. Sullivan only lasted one round against the energetic kangaroo. Some say he was simply bested. Others claim it was because Sullivan discovered he was allergic to kangaroos -- or perhaps he was allergic to Australians. Either way, while Sullivan was sneezing his head off, Lester landed a fierce right jab that sent Sullivan to the canvas. To add insult to injury, Lester's little joey hopped out the pouch and kicked Sullivan so hard, it's amazing he was able to father his son Ed many years later. Lester and his owner took the next steamer home, along with the $73 prize money. Sadly, back in Australia, $73 was only worth, well, $73. The owner died penniless and kangarooless. (my spell checker insists that "kangarooless" is not a word) Nobody knows what became of Lester, but we are bringing you this toy that captures his spirit, spunk, and any other "sp" word you think fits. He's a furry, battery-operated kangaroo that throws left and right jabs, and does back flips, too. The Backflipping Boxing Kangaroo comes in two colors -- Tan and Red. Though most kangaroos in the wild are tan, there's a rare sub-species in southern Australia and mountainous regions of New Zealand that actually are red and run on batteries. If you watch the YouTube video, you can see something cute and funny in action. (and the toy kangaroo is interesting, too) So don't die kangarooless -- buy one today! | 
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