BOXING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 959, 23 July 1908, Page 12

BOXING.

THE BURNS v. SQUIRES BATTUE.

Full particulars are to hand by the mail of the big fight in Paris between Burns and Squires for the world’s championship. The fight took place at Neuilly, in France, on June 13, and was witnessed by an immense crowd of people. Both men stripped in excellent condition.

Squires, whose stock had risen considerably since his convincing defeat of Roche, the Irish champion, shaped very confidently, and evidenced skill and capacity for punishment much beyond that expected in view of the easy manner in which Burns defeated him on the occasion of their previous meeting twelve months before.

From the outset the contest was fiercely waged, and exciting occurrences followed very quickly upon each other.

Though Burns asserted himself here and there, Squires was not to be stopped; he went for his man with such strength and determination, and to such purpose, that during the first five rounds Burns was unquestionably in a bad way, and frequently looked on the point of being defeated. The Canadian’s greater experience and consequent superior ring generalship, however, stood to him at a very critical time, and, further, he stayed better than Squires, who had forced the pace from the beginning, and did, as already stated, much the greater amount of work. Though Squires was not so prominent after the termination of the fifth round, his friends —and the great bulk of the spectators appeared to be with him —-saw a good deal to encourage hope till a blow in the region of the stomach—somewhat similar to that with which Bob Fitzsimmons outed Jim Corbett years ago at Carson City, Nevada, U.S.A., and won the championship of the world —completely settled the Australian, who sank to the floor beyond all hope of recovery within the time allowed.

The scene during the count out, and all through, in fact, was almost beyond description. Men stood up and roared the excitement they felt. Especially was this condition of things in evidence throughout the period of Squires’ mastery.