BOXING

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 November 1945, Page 8

BOXING

CARNERA OUTCLASSED. MILAN, November 22. Primo Camera, the Italian boxer and former world heavy-weight champion, who is now 39, faded out after five rounds in an attempted come-back against Luipi Musina in Milan. Camera was downed twice in the first round. He was easily outclassed by his younger opponent. TOMMY BURNS. 4/- FOR FIRST FIGHT. • SYDNEY, November 1. Tommy Burns, “battler,” boxer, and family man, is just about ready for his Australian welterweight title fight with Vic Patrick. Burns—his real name is Geoffrey Murphy—graduated the hard way. As a kid he went to Brisbane from Lismore and sold bottles of water for threepence at big cricket matches. At 16 they used to stake him in for pool games in a Lismore billiard room at 2/- a time. Burns got the 2/- and the man he played for got the sweepstake if he won. Burns could then make snooker breaks of 50. About this time he decided to fight. Burns went to Queensland, met his present manager, Alby Graham, and refused to be talked out of a boxing career. Graham, a 9-stone Rugby League five-eighth until he was nearly 40, liked the smiling boy named Murphy. So he talked for two hours on the pitfalls and futility of professional boxing. Graham knew he had a winner when the youngster retorted: “I’ll handle all that.” Geoffrey Murphy, billed as Reg Burns, got 4/- for hip first professional fight. He disliked “Reg,” changed it to “Tommy,” and has been beaten only once under that name. Lyle Law stopped him in 1941 after Burns had reduced from list 21b to 9st 91b in a few weeks. Burns (or Murphy), the family man, is preoccupied after he spars every afternoon at' Jack Dvtnleavy’s. He likes to talk about his baby’s teeth and wonders how many words she says. Next to his.wife and daughter, he likes most to talk about his 18 months in Western Queensland and his enthusiasm for Rugby League football. Burns spent 18 months working as a station hand in Queensland to build his weight from 8.12 to 11 stone. He thinks that some day he will run a station. Until then, Burns promises to fight, follow Rugby League, and argue against Australian Rules with Ambrose Palmer any time he is in Melbourne. £3,000,000 FROM FIGHT. NEW YORK, October 16. Promoter Mike Jacobs plans to make the bout next June in which Joe Louis will defend his world heavyweight title the biggest sports event in history. Jacobs has not yet decided on the place of the fight. Price of ringside seats will be about £3O. It is anticipated that more than £900,000 will be taken at. the gate. Jacobs anticipates that motion picture, radio, and possibly television rights, will raise the total takings to about £3,000,000 Louis has contracted to defend his title under . Jacobs’s auspices. Louis will meet Billy Conn, the leading contender for the title, or any other suitable opponent Jacobs designates.