When James Young was in his late thirties in 1883, he gained a reputation as an African-American boxer in Tombstone, Arizona, owing to his imposing size and skill – while still employed in the variety of fields which provided his income.
There is some controversy among boxing historians over whether John L. Sullivan, of Boston, Massachusetts, had sparred with James Young at Schieffelin Hall in 1882.
If it did occur, Sullivan possibly had a brief sparring session with the resident from Tombstone, and didn't regard it seriously as a bout.
Young was an early arrival in Tombstone, Arizona and had worked in the Contention mine and staked a claim nearby.
When he found that Leslie had jumped his claim, Young approached him with a shotgun, and beckoned him to go back to town quickly.
[7][8] On May 14, 1893, A. T. Shuster and James Young had words over an incident in front of Bauer's Meat Market in Tombstone, Arizona.