BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 282, 22 August 1908, Page 9

BOXING.

(Br Meecohy.) COMING EVENTS. August 24.—World's Championship (Burns V. Squires, Sydney); August , 2G.— Gault' - Murphy Contest (Hawko's Bay Association). September 1-. —Gault-Ireland Contest (Opera House). September 9.—Horowhenua Association's ' Tourney. October 7 and 8. —Hawke's- Bay Champion- ' ships. November 24th.—Tourney (Opera House). Monday next will bo a great day for Australian pugilism. On that day tho great fight for the world's championship will oc? cur between Tommy Burns and Bill Squires, at tho new stadium specially built for the contest in Rushcutter's Bay, Sydney. Both men havo been accorded almost royal receptions, and both have stated their confidence of being able to land tho big prize. It may not be wise at this stage to assume tho rolo of prophet.' Still, much as a victory for Squires is to bo desired, I can hardly think it within his reach, and quite expect to see tho clever Canadian tighten his grip of tho title, after a short but vigorous fight.. For tho information of thoso thinking of adopting pugilism as career; the "Referee" publishes a list of Burns's winnings sinco 1900, the sum total reaching tho modest amount of £21,350. The light-weight championship of tho world has again changed hands. The present champion, Joe Gans, had to lower bis colours to his old foe, Battling Nelson, in tho seventeenth round on July i last, and now occupies his old place at tho top of tho light-weight division. The unfartunate withdrawal of Godfrey from his fixture with Ireland on September 1 placed the local association in somewhat of a fix. Ireland had, of courso, signed articles to meet Godfrey at a certain woight, and the difficulty was to find a substituto acceptable to the visitor. On receipt of tho intelligence from the Aucklander, Gault was immediately communicated with, and ho replied that as he was meeting Bert Murphy in Hastings on the 26th at catch weights, he could only agreo to sign on with Ireland on the same terms, and the m*ttor had to stand at that pending Ireland's arrival. Fortunately tho Australian took a sporting view of tho difficulty, and announced his willingness to take on anybody up to 9st. 61b. His own weight at the ringside would not be more than 95t. 21b. at the outside, and he was rightly very loath to concede a bigger handicap than this. This was immediately wired to Gault, who replied accepting this limit, ■ so tho matter may ho considered as settled satisfactorily for all concerned.

Now, on the eve of the Burns-Squires conflict, the opinion of Jim Jeffries on . tho Canadian's bargaining with Jack Johnson is seasonable if not complimentary. Interviewed at Los Angeles rcoently regarding tho claim of Tommy Bums for 30,000d01., win, lose, or draw, Jim Jeffries, retired heavyeight champion of tho world, said:—"No champion ever held the title who in my estimation had tho right to conduct himself in the manner that Burns is now doing. So long as Tommy doesn't draw the colour line, so long as he is willing to fight Johnson at all, ho should do so under something like reasonable arrangements. I never dreamed of demanding such cut-throat terms when I was the active champion as the Canadian is now doing. ■ With ono exception, every fight that I Lad was on the percentage basis —that is,; so much to the winner and so much to the loser. Jim Corbett and I fought on a 75 and 25 per cent, basis." In tho course of somo remarks on our Australian visitor last week I unwittingly did him, and incidentally tho Wellington Boxing Association an injustice. Misled by the similarity jn name, I chronicled that Ireland had been beaten in a contest with Tony Williams at Maitland Wost on August 2. It now appears that the Ireland referred'to was "Ted" of that ilk, while tho Ireland we are immediately concerned with is "Harry," a boxer of quite another calibre.