21a["Boxing", The Western Mail (Perth, WA), Saturday 02 January 1909, page 37]

BOXING.

THE WORLD'S CHAMPIONSHIP.

A BITTER STRUGGLE.

BURNS OUTCLASSED.

In fourteen one-sided rounds, in all of which he had prevailed, Jack Johnson, the coloured champion, defeated Tommy Burns, the holder of the world's boxing championship, yesterday morning in the presence of 16,000 persons, the house running into £26,000, at the Stadium, Rushcutter Bay. Except to those who had seen the remarkable capacity of Burns for taking punishment in his fight with Squires the issue was not in doubt from

the first clash of blows. Within five seconds of the commencement Johnson slipped Burns a nasty right uppercut on the chin, knocking him down and keeping him on the floor for 6 seconds. A few moments later he sent the champion to the boards again, and from this out Burns was hopelessly outclassed. Every round terminated in favour of the negro, and long before the police entered the ring in the fourteenth round and compelled a cessation of hostilities Burns was plainly a beaten man. Throughout, he displayed the courage and capacity for taking punishment. Johnson, throughout fought a fair and manly battle, albeit it was contested by both men in accordance with the American practice of hitting freely, in clinches, but unfortunately his fine boxing was disfigured by a display of bombast that is happily seldom seen in any sporting arena. Johnson was greatly the superior of Burns; in fact, it seemed possible that he could have beaten him in half the time had he so chosen. Instead of doing so he protracted the combat apparently that he might enjoy the discomfiture of his opponent and protract as far as possible the pain he inflicted on him. He kept up a running fire of remarks either directly insulting to Burns or intended to express indirect contempt. Throughout the contest it was manifest that Johnson was fighting something besides the short game Belgian-Canadian, who took the blows showered on him, and came for more until his face resembled something that was scarcely human. It was an ethnological struggle as well as a boxing contest, and the white man's burden was too great for Burns to carry. From the beginning to the end Burns did not get what is known as a look-in. As he pre- vailed over Squires by a system of in-fighting new to Australia so did Johnson beat him by the same tactics, and as far as out-fighting was concerned Burns could not reach the negro. The hits he aimed fell short, and the only effect was to cause a broad grin from a mouthful of gold teeth and either an invitation to show what he could do or a nod to an imaginary acquaintance in the crowd. "Come on, Tommy," smiled Johnson, "I thought you were a great in-fighter." "Tommy, let's see what you can do." "Huh! who's going to get off the sidewalk of Broadway now, eh, Tommy?" "Aint I clever, eh?" The last to the crowd, and though everybody present was agreed as to his cleverness it was plain that not an admirer present thought Johnson half as clever as he thought himself. For twelve rounds the fight continued, with Johnson in the ascendant, and still ascending. His im mense reach enabled him to reach Burns in vulnerable points, where the smaller man would have been powerless. For instance, when in holds he was able to deal severe blows on Burns's head with his right hand shot from beneath Burns's left elbow, or he would swing a heavy slap with his right hand over Burns's back. Burns got in a few short hits on the negro's body, but they lacked force, and in the words of nearly everybody present the whole contest was just what might have been expected had the contestants been a man and a schoolboy. Johnson simply toyed with Burns, and the latter was beaten at every point of the game. Up to the twelfth round Burns, despite his terrible punishment, was remarkably fresh, and his foot work, was delightful, although it was marred by a strain to the ankle in the fifth round, but towards the end of the round Johnson roughed him into a corner and delivered three swinging blows in succession. Tho fight really ended in the thirteenth round. Johnson opened by scoring with solid face and body blows, followed by half a dozen of his favourite slaps over the lower part of the back. Then Burns clinched for safety, and as they broke he swung a strong left on Burns's ear which sent him staggering, and, seeing his advantage, Johnson dashed in and before Burns could shape again delivered the left on the abdomen, and one of his clever right crosses on the jaw. Burns shook to the feet like a reed in the wind. His knees trembled and the negro swung another solid left on his neck. There was a clinch and a breakaway, and as Burns seemed likely to fall from sheer weakness the gong sounded and saved him. In the interval the police officer and Dr. Maitland were seen in consultation, and the moment the fourteenth round opened the former moved up to the ringside. Johnson lost no time, and as he hit Burns a light blow on the head they clinched. When the referee, Mr. McIntosh, broke them Burns swayed on his feet like a drunken man. Johnson stepped in and measured him and swung a heavy blow on his ear. Burns dropped his hands. He was like a condemned prisoner awaiting the headsman, and Johnson appeared just as resolute. With all his force he threw in blows of great weight. One would have knocked Burns down, but before he had time to fall the impact of the other made him recover his balance. Then a third party took a hand in the affair; the law stepped into the ring in the person of a police officer.

21b[http://www.saddoboxing.com/boxing-article/Jack-Johnson-v-Tommy-Burns.html]

Boxing Classics - Jack Johnson v Tommy Burns - December 26 1908

History was to be made on this momentous day in 1908. For the first time ever in boxing history a black man was to fight for the World Heavyweight Championship. Sure black men were allowed to fight for lesser weight titles but not the biggest prize in sports.

Jack Johnson was born in 1878 in Galveston Texas. As a child he had various jobs such as a potato peeler and sponge fisherman and he had been fighting since the age of 12 years. He hitchhiked through the USA in search of a living.

Gradually Johnson made progress through the ranks. He had to be content at the time with fighting the other black boxers of his day. Fighters such as Sam McVey, Joe Jeanette and Sam Langford.

When James J Jeffries give up the title in 1905 Marvin Hart and Jack Root were nominated to fight for the vacant title by Jeffries himself. The fight was stopped in the 12th in favour of Hart. This give way to a man called Noah Brusso alias Tommy Burns and in February 1906 he beat Hart over 20 rounds in LA to capture the title. Burns then proceeded to take on all comers and travelled round the world to do it. However there was one man he wouldn’t face and that was Jack Johnson.

Johnson proceeded to follow Burns all over the world purchasing a ringside ticket to each of Tommys defences. Whilst there he would taunt the champion. When seeing both men in action someone commented that Johnson was Burns master. Johnson was ecstatic over the public pressure and Burns visibly shaken.

The National Sporting Club in London were keen to match Johnson and Burns and offered a purse of £2,500 with the winner taking £2,000. Johnson was happy with that but Burns wanted £6,000 win lose or draw. If the National Sporting Club were not prepared to meet Burns terms Hugh McIntosh of Sydney certainly was.

For weeks the arguments raged back and forth but eventually Burns agreed to fight Johnson for the title..Johnson wanted and got Hugh McIntosh to referee the fight commenting that it was the only white man he trusted. Burns was guaranteed £7,500 which was the greatest sum ever offered to a fighter at that time. The fight was made for December 26th 1908.

20,000 people packed Rushcutters Bay on that Boxing Day in 1908. Jack Johnson was first in the ring and received a good reception. He had a 5 and a half inch height advantage over the Canadian champion. Johnsons intention was to dictate the fight from the start. When the fighters broke from a clinch in Round 1 Johnson smashed a tremendous right swing towards Burns unprotected jaw and Burns went down for a count of 8. Johnson proceeded to taunt Burns. "Poor old Tahmmy" he would say as Burns lunged willdy at him.

This became the pattern of the fight as Johnson was continually taunt the champion. He would flash his gold toothed grin to the crowd as he beat Burns to a pulp. He would invite Tommy to hit him and would actually allow him to land a couple of blows. In fact a sports writer covering the fight commented that not one second of one round could legitimately be scored for Burns.

The bell sounded to start the fourteenth round and Johnson was intent of ending it. He eventually opened up and proceeded to smash Burns with every shot in the book. Uppercuts and hooks rained in on the defenceless champion and even the most bloodthirsty members of the crowd were calling for the fights end. It came as no surprise when the police saw fit to stop the fight. Jack Johnson was awarded the title on the spot.

Burns was effectively finished at that point. Yes he would fight again but never got the chance to become champion again. Johnson however would reign for a further 6 and a half years.

By Lee Bellfield