BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 300, 12 September 1908, Page 9

BOXING.

U3Y MEItCUBY.) COMING EVENTS. October 7 and B.—Hawke's Bay Championships. October.—Horowbenua Tournament. (TracyRollo contest.) November 24.—Tourney (Opera House). The statements,made by Burns, the champion boxes, in Sydney concerning his will-, ingness to meet Johnson, the negro, have been cabled home, and published in the newspapers. Johnson's reply, dated August 29, is/that his original offer to stop Burns in 20 rounds ' still holds good; -With reference to Burns's remark as to a possible meeting in Australia, Johnson says lie is willing to light Burns in any part of tho globe. Bums, when seen in regard to the cabled announcejineiit that Johnson's offer to stop him in 20 .rounds still holds good, said there was no. doubt -that he would meet Johnson very shortly, and probably in Australia. -Burns added that Johnson had never issued a clial- ■ lengo to stop him in 20 rounds. Johnson certainly challenged .him in America, but the deDosit lodged by Burns was never covered, and it was the same in London. "You can say from me," said Burns, " that I am ready to fight Johnson, and that I have no fear of the result. I am quite satisfied I can beat him." Mr. H. D. M'lntosh, who is tho brains and executive of the syndicate controlling Burns's destiny in Australia cabled immediately on receipt of the telegraphed de--fiance as given above, and Johnson's reply, as to terms.,and conditions for a meeting in Australia is anxiously awaited. Jim Jeffries, the ex-champion, has been asked his-opinion of the relative merits of Burns and Johnson by an American pressman, , and expresses himself thus:— " Tommy Burns will defeat Jack Johnson if they ever meet, provided Burns can get in a couple of good punches in the midsection of the Senegambian. This ;is my honest opinion of what tho result of the. fight would be should the pair. meet. Jack Johnson is the biggest quitter that ever entered a prize ring, and has a streak of .yellow in hjs system as wide as a street. Tliis is the kind of man who does lots of talking,- but in actual work does nothing. I think Tommy Burns is. as game as they make them, quick on his feet, clever, and able to stand a world of punishment. This last is what Jaclc Johiison cannot do. I think this talk about Bums being afraid of Johnson is more or loss a fable. Burns is afraid of no man, white or black, and has taken chances that 'no other ,man in the; world would have taken." Maorilander Jim..Griffin added another scalp tp""his"bclt by beating Jack Blackmoro at the Stadium in Sydney,''on'August 23. The was at catch-weights, wont thirteen rounds, and was productive of an excellent showing by .Blackmore, who stood up to his opponent's vigorous methods manfully, and mixed things with him in good stylo. Griffin now wishes to meet Ed. Williams again, and will undertake to stop him in ten rounds at catch-weights. The non-success of the Dominion's team in tho Australasian championships in Brisbane is_ greatly to. be'regretted, but it is balm in Giload to know that the team was, with the exception ■of Elliott, composed of second string men, who had been beaten in their various, classes; in the recent New Zealand championships. This being, so, their success was hardly expected, and as they did . not win, we can only hope that they made a good showing, and in this I feel sure that, .when the full particulars come .to hand, ■we will not be disappointed Bill Lang, notwithstanding his muchvaunted confidence in rhis powers,; proved a very light bunch for Tommy Burns. The preliminary bout for the occasion was supplied by Arthur Cripps and Ted Nelson, and considerable interest attached to this affair on account of tho arrangement that if Cripps stopped his man in. six rounds he was to he given a "go "at tho champion. Should this meet with the approval of the Burns syndicate,.Burns will be required, to dispose ofCripps in ten rounds.' Tho result has not yet-como to hand: Danny Sullivan', tho Boston welter-weight-, and Joe Grim, of Philadelphia, heavy-weight,' have issued challenges, the former to any middle-weight and tho latter to any heavyweight in, Australia!- Both men are at present' in Sydney, so thero is every indication that tho boxing boom has come to stay a while. , | '