 After his release from jail, Coburn fought seven successful exhibition bouts with the highly popular champion John L. Sullivan from December 1882 through March 1883, as well as three with Herbert Slade in April.Coburn's exhibition with Sullivan on January 20, 1883 was a lucrative arrangement which played to a full house at Buffalo's St. James Hall, and featured other pugilists as well.The two drew large crowds again on January 30, 1883, when they performed at Coburn's hometown of Troy, New York.