TOMMY BURNS.

NZ Truth, Issue 477, 8 August 1914, Page 11

TOMMY BURNS.

Ex-Champion m Auckland

Tommy Burns, ex-champion of the world, passed through Auckland on Fridny of last week on his way to

Calgary,. Alberta, where business interests demanded his presence. Such, at anyrate, is what Tommy told "The Second," who, meeting Tommy, with Mrs. Burns and a lady friend, viewing the shop windows of Queen-street, on { Friday afternoon, took the opportunity of. having a few words with the exchampion, who is fatter than ever, more talkative than ever, and what is more, richer than ever. Boxing is now I a side-line with "Tommy," so he says. His interest m the game is to be maintained as a promoter, or a manager, j while, on his record he is content to j | stand, and will never enter the ring J ( again, though there have been many inducements hold out to him to "come' "back." • I Candidly speaking, Tommy thought j \ that he could no more come back than | I did Jim Jeffries. He had honestly won a fortune for himself, his earnings m the ring had been judiciously invested 1 and to-day, as the proprietor of a >\ number of mercery stores at Calgary; he considered himself a 'flittle champion of commerce." He hoped to extend his business, and fn the course of building up his business believed he would have to visit Australia once a year, if not oftener. Asked what he" thought of the boxers m Australia, Tommy was for once, l shy. Still, he gave it as his opinion, that with very careful handling, the Maitland blacksmith boy, Les Darcy, would make a champion. Then, Tommy switched on to New Zealand ! "scrappers" and wanted to know what was wrong with boxing promotion m this country, that it could not produce' better boxers than it dW. He had seen the "AH Blacks" m Sydney, and he saw m their ranks the best possible I material, for champions. "They are, j said Tommy, with a smile, "almost as big and broad as some of our lacrosse boys." "The Second" did not enlighten Tommy on the law governing boxing tn | the Dominion, as writer thought he' knew all about it, seeing how he fared when he started a tour of this country a few years back and got an far as Wellington after a^very frosty- season m Auckland, ( Anyhow, Tommy had a very prosperous air. He talked m thousands and viewed the shirts, sox and ties m the shop window with the eye of one who knew all about 'em. Tommy, apparently, is resigned to. the fact that he is a back-number.. He must weigh about 16 stone.