Residing in Akron and standing at 6 feet 2 inches tall, Gus Ruhlin became known in the arenas as The Akron Giant.[1] In 1897 Ruhlin fought James J. Jeffries to a draw.[2] In 1898 he lost to Kid McCoy and Tom Sharkey, but defeated Joe Choynski.[2] In 1900 Ruhlin defeated Tom Sharkey, but lost to Bob Fitzsimmons.[2]
Ruhlin competed for the world heavyweight title when, in 1901, he had a rematch against champion James Jeffries. The fight ended with Jeffries' victory, in the interval between the fifth and sixth rounds, when Ruhlin gave up continuing the fight.[2] In 1902 Ruhlin again defeated Tom Sharkey.[2] In that same year Ruhlin was photographed for the book, "The Art of Boxing and Self-Defense" by Professor Mike Donovan, which depicted Ruhlin using the Cross-armed guard.[3] In 1904 Ruhlin fought to a draw and lost to Marvin Hart.[2]
After boxing, Ruhlin and his wife ran a café, popular with boxers. Ruhlin was also a champion of women's suffrage.[1] In 1912, in Brooklyn, NY, Ruhlin died of a stroke at age 40.[1]
