BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP.

Evening Star, Issue 13144, 28 December 1908, Page 7

BOX ING CHAMPIONSHIP.

" '■'".' ~:. HOW JOHNSON WON. A record"" GATE." Eight rain fell in Sydney on Saturlajr morning, but cleared off, and left a foot, dull day. For hours a stream of traffic flowed to tho Stadium at Rushcutters Bay. Twenty thousand people gained admission, and a huge crowd surrounded the structure, waiting to hear the result. Many hundreds camped in the vicinity through Friday night. The money taken, it is said, will, be a world'B record for a prizo aght. At a quarter to eleven both men entered the ring, and received an ovation. Sums wore elastic bandages about his elbows, but Johnson insisted that they should be taken off, and refused to fight unless his request was complied with. His announcement was received with vociferous hooting. Half an hour later the men faced each other, Burns having removed his bandages. The fighting started with a will. In the first few minutes Burns went down for eight seconds. The Canadian went for the body of his opponent, but Johnson, who was standing erect, was battering Burns. Right through Johnson's coolness was remarkable.. Burns was boxing superbly, but any of the blows that he got home seemed to be of no consequence to the black fellow. Johnson had a continuous smile on through the contest, and appeared to take the combat as a joke, though it was no joke for the champion. Burns forced the fighting up to the fourth round, but did no damage. In this and the filth ronnd he sustained a lot of punishment. Johnson surveyed him coolly, awaiting his opponent to lead. After several seconds of this Burnt said: "Are you going to fight, you cue, and Johnson's reply was to SWl **S a terrific blow, which found its mark. Burns stepped up to his man gamely, but Johnson only smiled, and used every opportunity to good advantage. In the next round Burns's punishment was- severe. The fight then eased off a bit, Burns apparently tirinc Eventually the champion went clown for a couple of seconds. In the ninth and tenth rounds he freshened up somewhat, but apparently his blows produced no effect on Johnson, who remained imperturbable, and never missed an opportunity of inflicting punishment. Burns kept at it willingly, although his blows lacked strength. Several heavv blows caused Johnson to stand off, which brought from Burns the remark: " Why don't you fight." The eleventh round however, gave Burns plenty of fighting' and he received most of the damage! Johnson walked vigorously to his corner, but Bums limped to his. In the twelfth round more damage was inflicted on Burns. The men clinched repeatedly in the thirteenth round, but Burns suffered every time. The fourteenth round was decisive. After Burns had been down for eight seconds he received another blow, and the police then stopped the fight. The referee declared Johnson the winner. It is said that Burns sprained his ankle badly in the fifth round, thus depriving him of his footwork. The great crowd took the victory sullenly. ( Burns, on being interviewed, said: " I did my best. Johnson is too big tor me, and his reach is too big for me." There was no great betting in San Francisco, but tremendous interest in the result of the fight was evinced throughout America. A ONE-SIDED CONTEST. BURNS OUTMATCHED. RETIRES ANrTsETTLES IN AUSTRALIA. Press As-odation—By Telegraph—Copyright. SYDNEY, December 28. (Received December 28, at 9.56 a.m.) The ' Herald' says the issue was net in doubt from thefirst clash of blows. Within five seconds of the commencement Johnson chipped Burns a n-t styupper cut on the 'chin, knocking him down. A few moments later he sent the champion to the boards a-.'nin. From this out Burns was hopelessly outclassed. Long before the police entered the ring, Burns was plainly a beaten man. Throughout, however, he displayed courage and capacity for taking punishment, which aid much to soften the blows. Johnson delivered remarks, not only to his adversary but to the spectators, nearly every one of whom- were obviously in sympathy with the white man. Throughout Johnson fought fair, but unfortunately his fine boxing was disfigured by the display of bombast happily seldom seen in any sporting arena. The 'Telegraph' declares that the contest was one-sided throughout, and that Burns was outmatched at every point. He was severely punished, while Johnson was quite unharmed. Johnson declares that he could have won much earlier, but laid himself out to make the drubbing as severe as possible as he wanted to get even for disparaging remarks made by his opponent regarding himself. Burns is thoroughly satisfied with the referee's decision. Up to the time the police stopped the contest he thought he had a chance, but fully realised that up to that stage he was fairly beaten. To another interviewer he stated he had very little doubt in his mind that he might have won if the police had not stopped the fight. He felt that Johnson was tiring, and hope had risen high within him. Burns reiterated his intention of retiring from the ring and settling in Australia.

THE CONTEST DENOUNCED. a brutal"exhibition. SYDNEY, December 28. (Received December 28, at 10.25 a.m.) The 'Herald,' in a leader, says: " The contest was a nakedly brutal struggle, which edified the public who paid the syndicate £26,000 to see.it. To say that these spectacles are sport in any decent meaning of the term is flatly untrue. It may not be amiss to ask the Government, who so far have been delightfully acquiescent, whether, in the interests of the general community, we have not had about enough of these exhibitions. Sydney is worthily ambitious of distinction, but does not exactly aspire to become the cynosure of all the world of toughdom. A SILLY REPORT. LONDON, December 27. (Received December 28, at 9.15 a.m.) The rumor that Burns had died as the result of injuries sustained in the glove-fight was published in London. The welcomes the result of the Burns-Johnson fight. The ' Observer' characterises it as » degrading spectacle. Mr Bettison, manager of the National Sporting Club, said the result of the contest was not surprising to boxing circles m Enlgand and America. From 'Lone Hand 1 ' of December 1 we make the following extracts, which should prove of interest at the present juncture:— J A versatile citizen ia. Johnson. He owns to having been a flat race jockey in early youth, and in that capacity he scored a number of wins. In the intervals of prizefighting he has engaged ia foot races. " Long distance matches or sprinte? " he is a*ked. "Sprints" is the reply. "I leave long-distance running to little Tahmy"— a graceful allusion to the alleged evasion by Burns of the colored brother's clamorings for a meeting. Johnson is said to possess a fine singing voice, but as to whether it is a- tenor, a baritone, a bass, or a falsetto there exists among hia entourage a> good deal of uncertainty. He w aa. enthusiastic performer on the double banv -&*-lia notes, ho ia ttrobably the -only

heavy-weight pugilist'the world has ever known who performs -habitually during his leisure moments on the double bass.He is prominent in tho ward, politics, of Texac, and is one of tho leading members; of tho Methodiat Church there. v.

A sketch of Johnson in the present; month of the. present year of grace would be incomplete without a note as to his pantimonte towards Burns. Johnson does, not like Burns. Far from it. It -is his normal habit to direct upon the wholeworld a beaming auriferous smile of friendliness. The beam fades swiftly away, however, and is replaced by a look of gloomy venom when the name of the little Cana- ; uian is mentioned. Burns is, in John- | son's view, "the most sarcaetical man' he j ever met." He refused to speak to i Johnson in the bar of the London National [ Sporting Club. Also, it is alleged. Burns, started the rumor about the colored champion being afflicted with a " yellow streak.-" To accw-e a working pugilist of. possessing n. "streak" is a serious matter. Johnson thirsts to humiliate his detractor. He hurls no charge of streak-ownership at Burns, but he does say that Burns is a grossly overestimated battler. It is Johnson's firm opinion that both Jimmy Barry (the Irish-French heavyweight) and Laneford (the negro welter weight) arc Burns'a masters. Johnson contemns Burns for his niggardliness. He considers it beneath the white man's dignity to have but one attendant to perform the multitude of duties that are required by aiworld's champion. He would hke, if only for the credit of the profession, to eee his foe adequately provided in this regard. And Johnson levels many other complaints and criticisms of the sort. It is useless to suggest points in Burns's favor. Johnson can see no virtue in them. Burns is his conception of a thoroughly nide and offensive person. The colored champion lms> engaged in tome hundreds of public boxing contests in his time. The straggle with Burns will bs the first, he claims', in which he will enter the ring with a feeling against his adversary. If Johnson is as gocd as lw thinks he is, Burns will crawl out of the Stadium on the 26th of this month an anguished, reputaitionless wreck. Burns, contrariwise, expects that the latter portion of next Boxing Day will he the cheeriest of his life. The only certainty in the affair appears to be that a level and willing fight will occur.