BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2860, 6 January 1909, Page 36

BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD.

■burns completely outclassed b a bitter contest. B- (By the Special Reporter Melbourne H v Argus.) H Sydney, Saturday, December 26. X Jack Johnson, the heavy-weight boxer, is Low champion of .the world. To-day, at Hthe Stadium, he met Tommy Burns, the Hformer champion. The fight lasted 14- ■ rounds, and in every round Johnson comBpletely outclassed Burns, who received terBsible punishment — so much that in the fourKeenth round the police stopped the figsht. m. There were rhe usual preliminaries and ■ challenges and announcements. Dr MaitKjand examined the gloves, and weighed ■them.. They v.ere 4oz each, with most of Kihe weight "in the wrist and palm. Ths Emen "put on the gloves, aud Mr M'lntosh ■/•called' upon them to start. Johnson threw poff his bath-robe, and stepped out from his Bj2corher, but as he did so he caught sigh? ■J of Burns, also -stripping. Burns was wea.rk ing elastic elbow-bandages. Johnson drew X back into his corner, and sat down with his Bliath-robe huddled round his shoulders. w "Sfo ! no !" he said. "He must take then E off; he must take them off. No! no! He ■ •mustn't wear thosa. " I Burns had stood up, but he &ank back J into his chair with an air of resignation and Ka shrug of the shoulders. Johnson's seconds p appealed '-to the referee. Mr M'lntosb inI spected Burns's armbands. •> l r "They are all right," he said to Johnson. p "You will have to go on." j But Johnson 6at where he was, saying rto himself, "No ! no ! He will have to [ take them off." f. The problem was solved by Burns, who I and indignantly ripped off the offend- [. ing bandages. f After that there was nothing to delay for. Not a moment was lost by either man. Burns,, in his well-known crouch, danced up to Johnson, .vho towered over him. John- * son weighed 13st 101b, and Burns just half ? , * pound over 12st. Burns looked like a small boy beside the beautifully-nacdelled giant. Johnson stood in the centre of the ring like a great bronze statue as Burns , danced up to him. Burns sparred at the motionless figure for a moment. Johnson smiled. "Come on, Tahmy." he said, "you've got to get it." and the statue -woke to sudden violent life, as he stepped in, - smashing his left on to Burns's ribs. Here was a chance for Burns to use his skill at ' close quarters. It had been supposed by everybody that Burns would beat him at in-fighting, but Johnson, with quick, flashing b!ov.' c ; reached Burns's ribs, and then, - withdrawing his right like lightning, sent it crashing back in an upper-cut, which sent Burns to the floor. The fight had not lasted a quarter of a minute, and Burns was down. He stayed on the floor for six seconds, and as soon as he roee Johnson bore do'- n on him again, firm-footed, warj', cool, and smiling. Burns rushed in and clinched. There he tried to adopt the tactics whitA have stood him in such good slead before, smashing in vicious blows on the Tibs, and reaching up to the jaw whercever''possible; but Johnson's defence was 6uperb. Whenever Burns hit Johnson's glove fell lightly on his biceps, and pressed the aim back. «o that The blow had no power. Johnson stood straight up, smiling, while Burm, with head down, pounded away at his ribs. As he smiled, the negro said softly, "Ah. poor little Tahmy." He leaned over Burns's bent head, and drove his right down the kidneys again and again. Then he straightened again, murmuring. "Don'i you know how to fight. Tahmy? They :>aid you were a champion." ■ Then they separated, only to clinch again, while Johmon amused himself by stiffening his abdominal muscles, and letting Burns punch at them. About the middle of thp first round, v-aioh w<-.s packed so full of incident and wonder that it scorned to last hour?. Burn* >hot an I'pper-cut on to Johnson's chin, but John«ot merely smiled in answer. It nad not hurt him. •''Sow, Tahmv." he said, and his face set into fierceness," as he sent *:?ht and left to Burns's body: and then. wi< • another stinging upper-cut, Burns was :::r«ked down again, but he spransr to his feet instantly. Burns had discovered that be was overmatched. He grew careful. He e»\v that hU only chance of winning lay in srjapping an opening- for a knock-out blow. TLat opening never came. Johnson, whenever ne chose, forced the fighting. In that £vst ronnd he again and again perplexed ilurns by a murderous-looking feint with Ins left hand, followed instantly by the right crossed on to the side of" his" face, left side of Byrn-'s face began to swell from the hail of blows. Burns jumped lightly out of his corner tor the second round, and feinted at his opponent. Johnson had taken up his statuesque pose with the right hand low d.,wn across his body, and the left swinging loosely from hi-, shoulder. The great loft forearm, however, was rigid as a bar of bronze, all the muscles standing out tense on it. It was the same with his right when he used it. He did not hit with hi= fist only, but with the whole of that •tremendous, rigid forearm, propelled like v battering ram at hi«s opponent. Johnson laughed at Burns's feinting. "That's right. Tahmy, feir.r away; you'll fight directly, perhaps." he sneered," and, dropping his^ fists, he stood up in an attitudo of indolent arrogance, daring the white man to come on. Then suddenly he stepped forward and lashed out at Burns with those terrible fists. Burns clinched, and again the pair struggled in holds, Johnson using hi« great strength w irh such practised ease that the efforts of Burns seemed puny and childkh. Burns brought ell hi« skill into play, but he could not penetrate Johnson's defence. Johnson coolly lurried his blows aside with his glove, or iook the force out of them by striking him on the biceps. Burn 3 gave up the attempt to fight at close quarters, and took to long-,-ange fighting. But he soon found that nis opponent was equally his iraster there. John>on simply stood still, let Burns feint md strike at him until an opening came ; •hen, with a paralysing rush, he would dash it Burn*, driving his left hard in to the oody, crossing 1 with hi* rig Jit, and aiming Mows with such strength and fury that Burns could only defend himself by clinch\ng' and accepting punishment at close quarters. In the third round it was tdi-e same.

Whenever he liked Johnson seemed able to fiit Burns wherever he liked. At the beginning of the fourth round he called cut. " Come on, Tahmy ; come on and fight," and moved over to Burns. Burns glared at him, and snarled from betwetr. his swollen lips, " You cur." Johnson did not smile, " Huh," he said, ;and Burns paid for his remark. Johnson new at him, and forced him across the ring vfith powerful blows on the body, sending in a nerce upper-cut as they clinched, ! and then smashing him on the swollen spot j in the face again and again as Btirns clung ',to him. Then he posed again, immovable, while Burnfe danced round him, only to be driven back as Johnson bore" down on him. The fourth round ended witb Burns chow- , ing unmistakable signs of weariness. He 1 staggered slightly as he returned to his : corner. His body was. cut and bruised all ! over where Johnson's terrible hammer 1 blows had bc-en falling. The left side of his face was bulging ; his lip 6 were swollen ; his eyes blackened. Johnson was smiling, fresh, and cool, and, if possible, more confident than ever. . . ■ Burns recovered wonderfully during tJie minute interval, but the next round sent him back to his corner worse than ever. Johnson was playing with him like a great cat playing with a unerase. Burns was cony pletely'at his mercy, but he did not knocK him out. He was showing the crowd who had hooted him how immeasurably superior l>e was to the man they cheered. Johnson kept up * running fire of taunts. Ho *aa terrible in his insolence. In the sixth round, after driving Bums all' round tn« ring, Johnson said, . "Say little Tahmy, you're not fighting. Can't you? I*ll have to show you how. Then he stood off for a moment, only to pounce upon Bums again with a terubie blow on "the ribs. , At the end of the seventh round Johneon swung his long left arm cm to the side of Burns's head, and sent him to the ficoi. Burns was up in two or three seconds but the blow had told, and Burns clinched to save himself from another attack. At lon« range Johnson was treating him I badly, but the gong came to Burn s res.cue ', with its minute's respite. Ac the round ' opened it looked every time as though i Johnson was going to finish the fight there and then, but this was merely his crafti- ! ne?=. He knew that Bums was freshened up with the minute's interval and fanning and sponging, and it was his plan to weaken him again at once. So he commenced vigorously, and then, as Burns weakened again, adopted his attitude of : contemptuous superiority."Come on now, Tahmy," he said, as he opened the eighth round- "Jewel won t know you when she gets you back from this fight." ' - , ... He sent in abashing blows with both hnnds. . . •Did you sec that one? he exclaimed, as he poked his left glove softly on to j Burn's mouth, and drove a terrific right | cross on to the white man's swollen check. They clinched, and Burns managed to force his right on to Johnson's mouth. It- was not a painful blow, but >it dyed the negro's gold teeth with red. Johnson grinned widely, but he watched Burns very clcsely during the rest of the^ round, though he never ceased his gibing talk.- At .the end of the round he patted Burns on the shoulder and said, "Poor little boy.V . Burns turned round and made a grimace- at him. It. was pathetically, ridiculous. The champion of the world; had been reduced to grim?cing. Johnson saw ;t; t and smiled contentedly. "Are you going to fight, Tahmy?'' asked Johnson for the hundredth time, as they met at the beginning of the ninth round.* "Ye;", you big clog,"' almost wailed Burns. "Sure . But don't cry over it," rpplied Johnson, as he hurled Burn 6 back with, a fearful blow on the ribs. "I'll teach yvu something," went on Johnson. "Look at this- and this and this."'"" , Every word was accompanied by brown \!asiU~, v. inch descended in blows from right and left on Burns' 6 body and face. If Burr* protected his face the blow reached hi body. If he guarded his bod> j; reached hi* facs. It wa= the supremo =cionc3 of boxing. Burns was helplrss before it. "rCbeii Johnson ceased Burns! clinched. Burns was sorely distressed, but ho broke away from his onrjonent, and '.lodged across the ring, leading at him with fierce lunges, then dancing- back quickly before the smiling black could reach him. The next round — the tenth— brought only more- punishment for Burns. Johnson seemed really in -earnest ; he followed Burns iound the ring, using both hand* with terrible effect. Burnfe had become meehani'_tl in his fighting, and nothing but his splendid footjvork saved him from a knockout. A dozen ti.ns-s Johnson cent home terrific blows on Burns's face and stomach, but Burns was moving away ju?t at the moment of impact, and did not drop. Tho eleventh roufyl showed Burn* at his best. Successfully concealing th-e deadly w-eak-ii?&s which must have been g lipping him, he tried several times for knock-out hits, bub Johnson's heavy countering robbed them of effect. At last Burns, darting out of a clinch, got a hea\y right swing home on the side of Johnson's head, and awoke the cheers of the crowd, who had been singularly silent during the last few rounds. After that Burns led freely, and forced the fighting, hut Johnson never let him get homo a blow again. Burns staggered to his corner when the erc.ng sounded, and it seemed certain that the next round would/ see him counted out. It was obvious in the- twelfth round that Burns was beaten, and many of tho spectators, tired of seeing him useles^lv battered, began to inquire "Where are the police?" But Burns fouzht on. enduring Johnson's insults, and taking the fearful pttni-hment served out to him without flinching. Only now and then he hissed through hi« brui«d lira. "You cur." aiid every time he did *o Johnson smashed his heaw right on to Burns 'p distorted Jeffc clk?f»k. In the clinches, as has been the case all through, Johnson seemed able to upr>er-eut Burns whenever he pleased. Burns ha« a superstition that 13 is his lucky numWr. and his secorwta cried to him, ''It i« your lucky round," ac he left his corner for the thirteenth round. Tlip luckiest thing tha+ could have happened To hi n then was to have been speedily knoofced out : but this was no part of Johneon's plan. He had clearly made up his mint; to work off all his old scores on Bints. Burns was very weak. The sprine had gone out of his footwork. He hold Ifl« arms as thougth the sjloves weighed po',/.M instead of ounces; but Johnson had

no mercy. He did not try for the chin, but instead he let Burns spaT and clinch for a while, then jumping in he smashed his left three or four times to Burne's ribs, wh.ch were raw with the battering' they had received. Then he directed his attention to Burns's face, and sent in a series of savage upper-cuts, whose effect could be judged by the way they jolted Burns's head back. Johnson was almost holding Burns up when the gong sounded, and Burns staggered to his corner. His '"lucky" round was over. The fourteenth round was not finished. When the round opened the two men sparred for a few seconds. Johnson seemed to measure carefully his distance for a moment, then he smashed, rushed in, and drove his left right into Burns's face, following it with his right on the swollen cheek half a dozen times in quick succession. Johnson hit with all his power, first with the right and then with the left. It was only the rap"id succession of the blows, first on one side, then on the/ojher, which kepi Burns on his feet. They clinched, and as they broke away Johnson sent out his left and right again, and this time Burns went down. He stayed eight seconds on the floor and rose. But the inspector was in the ring. The referee stopped the men and declared Johnson the winner. It was only a -matter of seconds, and Burns would have been down again almost at once ; and it is inconceivable that he could have avoided a count-out — he was completely exhausted. There was no doubt about Johnson's overwhelming superiority. He made Burns look like a novice. He had an advantage of sin in height and lin in reach,>and this, of course, stood him in good stead ; but Burns's forcing and hitting power, wonderful as th 63 r are, cannot be compared with Johnson's. He dealt with Burns just as he dealt with Lang on the Richmond racecourse in 1907. But he set out to punish Burns, whereas he let Lang down as lightly as possible. Burns had previously di-awn (he colour line against him, and only last Thursday had taunted him with having "'a yellow streak." From the time they stepped into the ring until the fight was stopped Johnson bore these things in mind. However poor a showing 1 Burns made as a boxer and hitter, he proved himself a man of extraordinary pluck and stamina. His capacity for taking punishment is something altogether remarkable. His^ gameness is beyond all question. He never ones wavered or flinched all through those 14 rounds, while he took without a quiver blows that would have counted out any other man. The punishment he inflicted on Squires in Sydney four months ago was a mere bagatelle beside that which he received to-day. He had taken every means to help him to success. His training had been sound' and careful. A code of signals on the same lines as American baseball signals had been arranged with his seconds, who could be heard during the fight calling '• Twenty -three." '• Thirty-five." " Twentysix." All the code words gave him some particular secret instruction, but with all this, Jrom the time he was knocked down. 10 seconds after the fight began, only his immense courage and determination enabled him to stand before his skilful, powerful, pitiless antagonist. Johnson interviewed : " I knew- 1 would win. but I figured out to give him a beating he was not likely to forget in a hurry. I whipped him proper, and I did it on purpose. I wanted to beßt him down bit, by bit. and show him and the public how much ' yaller ' there was in me. Tahmv's a /jame." straight fighter all right, but he did not give me r as much trouble ns Bill Lang gives me in training. T could have won a long way sooner only I wanted to beat him proper, so's he'd remember me.'" and Johnson laughed a delighted laugh. '' Yes." went on Johnson. " Squires challenged me to-day. He can have a fight for £2000 — that is if he still wants it," and again Johnson chuckled. When interviewed a few hours after the fiprht Burns seemed very happy and cheerful, though he looked as, though he hod fully earned his £6000. He said: '• T did my best, but Johnson was too big and too strong Although I sealed 12 stone and half a 1b on Friday, the morniner before tho fivrht I was only list 13i\b. so that I should have bef*n in a lower division than Johnson. I ffavp him this chance lo win the charomonsliij> because of a promise made early la=r \car that 1 would fighi him as soon .■is I had disposed of all the ton-notch white fisrhters in sight. I need not have done so. The colour line was drawn very rigidly by the \\ hite champions before me. «ad T could have followed their lead. When' I signed to meet him I knew what I had to face. I knew his skill, size, and strengthAlthough I reckoned he was the toughest proposition I had been up against I thought I must win. '• About the fight? Well, that punch in the first round rattled me. and I never fully recovered from it. I scrowed my ankle, too. and that interfered with my footwork. T let the trouble spell for a bit and then triod to liven things up. but it hurt too much. T don't know what I am to do in the future: but I can tell jou one thing — I'm through with boxing, and no one is nsorrpleased than Mrs Burns. There's no one in sight with a chance against Johnson. He is sure to hold the championshin for a lone: while if he look 6 after himself. "I intend to reside in Australia, and become an Australian citizen. This will be my home." LONDON. December 28. "Ce tt tus." in the Sportsman, while recognising Burns's pluck, considers Johnson his superior at every point, justifying the belief tint Burns had no right to be clashed with the best of pi'st champion.*-. '"Cestus" -expected Burns to make a better fight. He conndei- him a brainy, craftj* boxer, but that he lost his head and generalship. Tlie Snorting Life says : '' ' John e on was too big and clever.' exactly .-urns up the contest. He could probably have won eai-lier, but preferred to punch Burns instead." The Daily Mail says that the fight was not heroic, and that probably Burns obtained the championship in a period of decadence of the sport. The Telegraph's New York correspondent says that the Americans dislike Johnson's victory, but that the negroes are greatly delighted. James J. Jeffries (champion 1899 to 1904) Ma- .•Nounded, but aecHned to fight Johnson or anyone eNe. Ov, ing to Tommy Binns's lack of

popularity in England, sportsmen generally are glad of the result oi the contest. SYJJJNiiI', D-acember 30. The Cabinet will shortly consider the question of prohicuting pugilistic encounters such as that of last Saturday. JOHNSON'S MOTHER PLEASED. NEW YORK> December 28. Johnson's mother, a respectable old woman living in Galveston, states that when a boy Johnson was a rank 'coward. She vras not in a position to be bothered to settle a children's fight, so* she gave Johnson a licking for' being beaten by another boy. He developed confidence in consequence, and became champion of the village. The old lady is very^ proud of her son's success. BURNS DISSATISFIED. LONDON, December 31. Burns has cabled to Sporting Life alleging that Johnson's seconds influenced the police and caused thedir intervention. He was quite strong, and always had a chance, as Johnson was tiring. He says he is willing again to fight Johnson. The Sportsman say* that Burns's challenge is considered a joke. The charge against Johnson's seconds is childish, mean, and contemptible, and is quite "unfounded. SYDNEY, December 31. The Chief Secretary states that the Government will take action in the event of further contests of the Burns-Johnson nature. It is imperative, he says, to prevent so-called boxing contests developing into contests- of sheer brfctality. WELLINGTON, December 31. The Wellington Boxing Association has arranged for T. Burns, the ex-champion of the world, to visit New Zealand,