A MEETING OF TWO SICK MEN.

NZ Truth, Issue 168, 5 September 1908, Page 5

A MEETING OF TWO SICK MEN.

Tommy Burns Triumphs Over Bill Squires. BILL MORE SCIENTIFIC BUT LACKED STAN IMA. Squires Had Burns m Queer-st. m the Tenth. Sydney " Truth's " Account of the Big Battle.

When it was sor.ie months hack that a syndicate was being formed to control Fleet-week amusements and bring Tommy Burns and Bill Squires out to battle for the championship," Sidney VTruth" expressed doubts as tothewisdo'm of the underbaklrig from tfhe financial point of view. Negotiations succeeded, and the syridicators deserved success for pluckily risking their coin. How the financial result will pah out is not yet known. (The syndicate were met with adverse weather conditions generally m a; number ol their ventures ;"but- m the main one, that of > bringing Burns 'and Squires together j. there should be a good margin of prontj although it is well known that some gang of energetic gents, disposed 0£ a lot of ••crook" 10s tickefe at 5s a-piece. How r ',many of these "canaries" were flown is a&b definitely known, hut it is certain some hundreds JWere rung m AT A DOLLAR A TIME. It is estimated that between 15,000 and 16,000 persons paid to see the fight, and that at least £13,001) was taken m hard 'Cash. ■',■'. . "Trutfi" .dfda't"' go-, nap on Bill : Squires when he was sent to America to wrest the championship from all holders, for the reason that what Australia saw of Bill did not lead to the impression that h« was a great fighter. In Melbourne he disposed easily' of a few pugs none of whom were remarkable for science or great v fighting power. Furthermore, as was pointed out before Bill sailed for the Land of the Stars and the Stripes, there was a somewhat subdued opinion that . had those fights been brought oS m Sydney, with an ordinary Sydney referee, Bill wouM not- have got the decision s^o quickly, and that, m fact, there was just the possibility that, some. -of, -his opponents might have been awarded the fight on the same ground that , Arthur Gripps ■secured the decision when up against him —a foul. However, Bill went, saw, and was conquered, ; he' was up agaiost the undoubted champion (bar colored men) of the world. And what did we see ? We saw— a boxer irhproved "out of sight".; a man deteriorated almost out of sight. ' Bill had gained m science ; he had lost m stamina. Notwithstanding all the flapdoodle that has been published about Bill being as "fit as a fiddle," there is NO USE MINCiNG MATTERS. " ;It was- a v-ery sick man 'that represented 'Australia against Ohampiori Tommy Burns. It was given put that Bill Had got rid of his rheumatism, and whether that be entirely trMe, it, is certain that rheumatism didn't trouble him on the day 'of the fight, tor his arms worked, freely and he used them, well and as eßectfively as his enervated -frame would allow. As be took his scat m his' corner Bill seemed haggard and drawn, .' with a fish-like look m his optics. It was not iAie look of rheumatism, nor.was it the effect ol being over-trained. ■If we may express an opinion on a . champion we would say that a few months' rest at a nice,.'iqpiet seaside hospital .wouJdV be more beneficial physically to "Boshter Bill" tlian hopping oyer the, ropes, even if it be m a ,wild endeavor to, seize the coveted title. Against the well-preserved burly form oi Burns poor old Bill looked but an ani-' mated skeleton. Had he been the Bill 61 a couple of years ago there would probably have been A DIFFERENT DECISION given. Always ahead, on points to the end of I*re twelfth round, he more than held his own. But tired nature that had been petering out round by round went completely wh«u Burns, m a clinch, managed to get home a rip to the chin, Bill took his seconds on the mat, but aroso too tired to battle along. Burns shot a left, which opened up William's right eye apd sent the blood spurting ; while a well-planted body punch" sent him to his. knees, from which lie arose on time. Bill led a feeble left, but it did no barm. Then . there- was a clinch, a tussle; and as Bill dragged away, Burns walloped him on the jaw and on! the back, and Bill went to the mat ; face downwards. Thfi towel came m, 'as the count closed, arid, simultaneously, S>qjuires v arose and shaped up again. Referee Nathan had already indicated Burns as the champion, and Bill was ied to his seat, where he quickly recovered on getting a breather. Burns, as ! a boxer, '^ is a revelation ; as & champion, a disappointment. The most noticeaible— in fact, THE DISTINGUISHING FEATURIs of his stock-in-trade is the continuous two-step movement with which lie is instantly, carried out of danger or whirled m on the offensive. Bill has learned this pdcuiiaf movement, and uses it with considerable effect; though to the eye of the iDDloolfer Bill is the elephant on the. circus barrel, whereas Burns is the cork on the crest of the Waves. With Burns the movement is graceful, with Bill ungainly, but to both it proved an effective diminisher of punishmerit. Time and again did Bill shoot, out his long left to the race, only to find that face receding with the backward movement of tlhe foe, and i time and again did . Burns make a lunge for the dial of the colonial, when the footwork of Bill took his dial out of danger. While <sp&rrin'g for an opening, and to effect or avoid an onslaught, the; Burns' movement proved highly, effective, as demonstrated by the actual work of both combatants, and our, local pugs will do well to GET ON TO THE IDWA. Judging Burns' method of using his bands by Monday week's display, he did not make atavorable impression. What appeared to 'be Dhe master strokes were a left tap to the face or body whereby distance was measured for a convincing right cross to the,'', point, frequently tlio simple left was .sent on a voyage of tliscovery by Burns, but Bill was enabled to get out of danger of the right either by the use of his footwork or by ducking. Half-a-dozen times through the progress of the contest Bill beautifully ducked that vimful right. It connected a couple of times, but the force was broken by Bill's backward movement, or his circling movement towards the right, so that it did n,ot prove effective throughout the battle. ' Let our reader's imagine g 'circle chalked within a couple of feet of the edges of tlie roped square. on' the circumferunuu . oi that, circle, ever moving to the right when on the defence, was Bill. Burns was on the radius that extended fconi the centre direct to the circumference whereon Bill was travelling. Had Bill remained stationary, as he would have done m other days before he became wiser, Burns would have measured him and got tho king hit home with the right to the left point ; but Bill kept moving' along the right^ of that circumference, throwing his left point out of reach of Burns' dandy duke. Never ohee did Bill make a movement towards the left— 'to have done so would have been fatal. He knew it, ami, Burns knew .it, and as Bill kept ever circling to the right Tommy grew anxious. Burns' best work .was done m the clinches with half-arm pivotal blows and upward rips ; indeed, it was pne of the ' latter that sent Bill to the boards early in' the thirteenth. m the early rounds jßill did the better work m the clinches, 'but as he began to tire B.iirns got m some

stiff body punishment, which did the Colonial no good. As a guard, Burns' arms seemed to be of little use ; m fact, be appeared* m comparison with some Australian fighters, a dead mug at the game. He practically made no effort to. guard the straight lefts that Bill kept firing at his dial, and these unfailingly landed when his footwork did not take him • oiut of danger quickly enough. So far as the use of hands and arms was concerned, SQUIRES OUTCLASSED HIM at eveiy point. Burns nose and mouth were bleeding profusely, and his eye « was . bungod up as a result of Bill's frequent visitations to the face ; - indeed, if the Cornstalk had had any. 'power behind him Burns would now be seeking a' return match for the championship. - t ■ . - Not drily did Burng prove very much ou so far as flhe arm defence is concerned, but be appeared unable to use hands or arms to take advantage of many gopd openings offered by Bill at unguarded moments. For example, Squires frequently led for the face, and Burns back-moved. Meeting no obstacle to stay bis fist, Bill's back curved downward till his head was level with Burns' belt and quite ungUard- , cd. Burns failed to take any advantage of the chances thus afforded, which were bis to take without danger of • a return. Perhaps he didn't want to, and then, again, perhaps he couldn't if he wanted to. Burns doesn't impress as being a boxer with a big assortment of strokes. The (few he has ' HE USES WELL if he can get them home. A little thing, however, m the way of a clever defence is apt to throw- his bag of tricks out of . gear. Bill had him entirely o!ut of gear [ or twelve founds, only to fall a victim when his strength was gone to a very ordinary rip exactly similar to the one that he had. been playing against Burns. It. may be , that we did not see Burns at his best. It was stated that be had ,a cold and was otherwise ailing. It was also contended that he was simply fooling,, and had S-quires at his mercy at, any part of the thirteen rounds. This is not so. He may have been reserving his force and letting Bill expend his poor stock;, he may have been awaiting an opportunity to land a knock-out' blow (they all do that), but that he had Bill at his mercy toll the last round is not correct. Indeed, several times throughout tbe turmoil Burns was VERY MUCH IN 'QUEER STREET, ' and only his own wonderful reserve of energy and Bill's lack of same saved him. Towards the close of the tenth round Burns stood dazed. 1 with his arm hu«ging helpless by his side, and Bill was shooting left after left to his face, landing unresistingly, h!ut, without -.force. ci:-< ough to crush a skeeter. The bell saved Burns" from what would probably have been a respite on the canvass. The minute's-, spell saw him back at graft recuperated, while Bill was the more fatigued from his own feeble exertions. Takingthe bat Ue as it was. seen^and not on. what Burns may or ; may not have badi up his sleeve-Ht would undotfbltediy have been Squires' had he THE VIGOR AND VIM behind his blows that he had when he left Australia. /He has gained much 'm science, but lost more m stamina ; gained > sufficient science to 6utfight Burns, but at present does not possess sufficient strength to enable him to pull through a ■lengthily-conteisteu' buttle. Bill must get some strength into his composition before he, again essays to battle for a championship of any kind.