We do what we have to do to get by.

History is filled with examples of people who unexpectedly triumphed while living that mantra—perhaps none so unlikely as Hessie Donahue.

As a young girl growing up in Worcester, Mass., Hessie loved going to boxing matches with her father. So maybe it was inevitable that when boxing instructor Charles Converse came to town in 1891, the 18-year-old would fall for him. They soon married and Charles opened a local boxing school.

Since she knew the sport well, her husband frequently asked Hessie to check out the boxers’ moves to ensure they weren’t making any mistakes. And sometimes, she’d even don the gloves and spar with Charles. It’s not as crazy as it sounds. At nearly six feet tall and about 160 pounds, Hessie could handle herself.

“We’d box a couple of friendly rounds together,” she explained to writer Barbara Craig before her death in 1961. “I was a powerful woman, and my husband never tried to hit me hard. I was in no danger.” And she found a fan: John L. Sullivan.

Champion

According to Craig’s article in the 1989 Milwaukee Journal, the undefeated world heavyweight champion, nicknamed the Boston Strong Boy, was a frequent vistor to Converse’s school. And he enjoyed watching the couple’s antics so much he invited them to join him on a national theatrical tour. The school was losing money, so they took him up on the opportunity for Charles to earn money giving punching-bag exhibitions and sparring with the champ.

They’d travel from town to town, offering locals the chance to take on Sullivan for cash. Of course, the locals didn’t have a prayer. One challenger hopped confidently into the ring … and fainted before Sullivan even laid a glove on him. Naturally, tales like that made it tough to stir up volunteers in some towns. So the troupe had to come up with another way to entertain the crowds and earn those much-needed admission fees.

That’s where Hessie came in.

Boxer

Somewhere along the line, someone got the idea for Hessie to volunteer to go into the ring against the Boston Strong Boy. When local challengers were scarce, she’d stroll out wearing a blouse, skirt, bloomers, long stockings—and boxing gloves. The lady and the champ would then engage in some good-natured pugilism, delighting the surprised crowd.

The gimmick worked great until one March day in 1892 before a large, packed hall in Arkansas. For whatever reason, Sullivan forgot to play nice. He hit Hessie a hard one, right in the face.

The aging champ outweighed the 19-year-old, but she was in better shape—and in the moment, she was better motivated. In fact, she was spitting mad. Throwing thta punch put Sullivan slightly off balance, and Hessie didn’t miss the opportunity. She rared back and landed a solid right to his jaw.

Knocked him out cold.

Sullivan, who’d never been knocked out, regained consciousness about a minute later. He wobbled to his feet to the jeers of the crowd, muttered some colorful words to Hessie, then finished the act. “John didn’t remain angry long, though,” Hessie told Craig. “He was too good-natured.”

A few months later, the 33-year-old Sullivan stunned the boxing world by losing his championship—by a knockout in the 21^st round—to challenger Gentlemen Jim Corbett. But the following year, Sullivan was back on tour, with Hessie in the act. And no matter what the record books said about Corbett being the first to send him to the mat, Sullivan, Hessie, and a crowd in Arkansas knew better.