BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1268, 25 October 1911, Page 6

BOXING.

IMPENDING EVENTS OF IMPORT. BURNS BACK. AFTER LESTER AND JOHNSON. FOR VARIED REASONS. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.} Auckland, October 24. j lommy" Bums, once heavy-weight champion of ilio ring, arTivod in Auckland to-day from America, cu routo to Australia. Burns looks just as boyish and just as handsoino as ever. JTe is ia Hie jiiiilc of condition and good health. May Sue Lester. About the principal reason for his prtv sent visit to Australia is to proceed, if accessary, with a laivsuit against "Jack" littler, the young American l>oxcr, who recently defeated Lang, the champion of Australia and stood up for 20 rounds apinst M Yea. It will bo remembered -tiiat Jiurns unearthed Lester, and starred turn as a "white man's hope." Thus pushed into the limelight, Lester had no difueul'.y in securing big matches. Burns now claims that lie has a contract with Lester under which lie gets 50 per cent, ot (.ho profits forthcoming. He asserts, as indicated, that :hc starred Lester, got lum good engagements, We all the initial expenses, and found him a place in the firmament of fighters. Now his protege has gathered "exalted notions" (at least according to Burns), and does not recognise old obligations. Moreover, Burns claims that Lester is his ward, the IYU'cnts having signed over the guardianship, and the youth holding the'championship of Australasia is only 20 years of age. Burns, however, is hopeful that, on his arrival, 'a conference will end in an amicable arrangement between Lester a l . so that there will lx? no nood of litigation to ensure recognition of hia claims as Lester's manager. Ideas as to Johnson. Burns was, of course, asked if he ln« tended to enter the ring again. "There is only one tight that i will ever fight again, ' he said, "and that will bo against 'Jack! Johnson if lie will fight my way. Ever since Boxing Day in Sydney, tlireo years ago. I've been counting on again meeting the man who took tho championship from me. Now I want to meet him iu a ten-round contest wicii clean breaks. On these conditions I am positive that I can beat him in Sydney or anywhere else in the wide world.

"I will meet him on those terms, though I would prefer it to be in Australia, for the Australians are the best sports in tho world. The casli consideration attaching to another contest with Johnson won't matter—l'll come at almost any terms. All I want is tho chance of getting into tho Ting with the 'big black sinoko,' and having it stipulated I hat thero will bo no fighting in clinches.

"When I last met Johnson I had tho best of it whilo I depended on clean quick fighting, but I was not big enough to hold my own in tho clinches.

"I've cabled to "i'ex' ltickards, in Buenos Ay res, asking him to endeavour to match me with Johnson on thoso terms. If ho fails, then I will not enter the ring again. 1 am well endowed with the world's goads, and do not neod to fight for what I can make out of tho game. All I want and long for is to get another chanco in (he ring with Johnson, with a clean break stipulated. Given that chanco I'm satisfied that I could win."

On General Topics,

_ Asked if there was another white man in sight whom ho considered iVortli a thought as a possible champion, Burns admitted thero was not one." The black trio—Johnson, Langford, and SL'Vca— stand at the top of the tree. The best while man available was "Jim" Flynn, who had defeated respectivo "hopes"' in Al. Kaufman and Carl J]orris. "Flynn is a good man,.and 1 give him a 'fair chance against Johnson," was Burns's summing up, and tho ex-champion should know something aljout tho New York fireman, as it look him XI rouuds to knock Flynn out. But the only man at present really capable of beating Johnson, 111 Burns's opinion, is another coloured man, "Sam" Langford. Johnson, lie thinks, is afraid to meet the Boston "tar baby," and if the fight ever conies off ha figures it out that Langford is sure to win.

"Jim and "Eddy" Clabby, two wellknown American boxers, arc with the exchampion. and Burns expects them io nccompli.qi big tilings in Australia. "Jimmy" Clabby is practically tho woltor weight champion of America, and has beaten "Twin" Sullivan and fought a drawn bnttlo with Gardiner. A battl® between Mohegan (welter chamnion of Australia) and Clabby is looked "forward to at an early date.