BURNS v. JOHNSON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 999, 29 April 1909, Page 11

BURNS v. JOHNSON.

After witnessing the Burns-Johnson pictures, Mr. Jas. Douglas writes as follows to the London “ Morning Leader — In one respect the cable did prevaricate. The cable said that Burns was utterly weary and worn before the police stopped the fight. I saw no evidence of that. To the very last he was full of spring and sprightliness. To the end he was dancing on his toes round that monstrous black demon, dodging and feinting, ducking and darting, dashing in under those elongated black arms, that seemed to stretch right across the ring. To the very finish he was trying indomitably to get in the knock-out blow, which was his only hope. But the negro was like an ironclad, with its torpedo nets out. He was invulnerably long, unconquerably strong, and as hard as an hippopotamus. At times he ignored Burns, and turned his head round and talked to the crowd. I saw him opening his enormous mouth and laughing his negroid laugh. He looked like a giant playing with a lively child. The fight on the film was not a fight. It was more like an exhibition of hugging. Burns was always in the attitude of a semi mental lover. He was never happy unless his head was lying on a great black shoulder and unless his arm circled that great black waist. Sometimes he clasped the negro passionately round the neck. The referee was clothed in a white suit, and in the blinding glare he looked like a ghost. You could see the edges of him, but not the solid shape. At times he faded into a flickering phantom. This made the scene sinister, macabre, bizarre.

Great interest is being taken in the Griffin-Tracy contest, which comes up for decision at His Majesty’s Theatre on Monday night next. The fight will be limited to fifteen rounds, and patrons should be treated to a very willing display, as both men have been training hard, and will ass iredly give a good account of themselves. Tracy and Griffin are now both in Auckland, ■finishing up their preparations, and it is expected a big number will be present on Monday evening to see these two clever boxers do battle. * * * *

Bob Turner and Rudolph Unholz (“ The Boer”) were to meet last Tuesday night. At latest advices Unholz is in great heart and splendid condition, and Bob Turner reports himself as fit as a fiddle —ergo, a torrid encounter should result, as each is a willing fighter who will get close up and give and take as long as the other fellow remains there. (Up to the time of going to press the result was not known locally).

The Otago Amateur Boxing Association’s interprovincial championship meeting was brought to a close on Thursday evening in the presence of a large attendance. There wer about 35 competitors, the finals resulting: —Bantam-weight, J. G. Leckie beat J. M. Hunter; feather-weight, M. Leckie beat A. McDougall; light-weight, W. F. North beat J. R. Squair (West Coast) ; novice, J. Riley (Oamaru) beat H. Green; middle-weight, A. Cooper beat G. Mathewson; heavy-weight, P. Ruston beat F. M. Moloney (Lauder).

According to a report sent out from New York, Jim Jeffries will make a definite announcement soon as to whether he will meet Jack Johnson for the world’s heavy-weight boxing title (says the Chicago “Daily News” of March 18). The story was given out by a close friend of the Californian, to whom the latter is said to have remarked that he could get in condition to battle. If Johnson and Jeffries get together and agree on terms, it is more than likely they will meet in California, although Hugh McIntosh is desirous of staging the bout in Europe. One of the big fight clubs of the coast wired Johnson that it will give 80,000 dollars (£16,000) for the go. The latter accepted, and declared the organisation would get the fight if he agreed on terms with Jeffries.

World’s champion Jack Johnson has been challenged by E. Dunkhorst, an American “ heavy,” whose chief claim to fame lies in the fact that he is the biggest man in the ring to-day. He weighs just under 29 stone, and claims that he can get backing for £5OOO.

In the course of an interview accorded the London “ Weekly Despatch,” Mr. H. D. Mclntosh gave the following vivid word-picture of the Burns-John-son fight, as he saw it while acting as referee thereof: —“No intelligent man could fail to see from the first that Johnson had the measure of his man. Being seven inches taller he so towered over Burns that the audience marked the unequal height of the men with involuntary exclamations of surprise. Speedily, the 2 to 1 on Burns turned to ‘ 2 to 1 against,’ rising to higher odds as the fight went on. Johnson most of the time wore a broad smile, revealing his flashing gold-filled teeth, but when he was endeavouring to administer ‘ sleeping powders’ his face reminded one of some tremendous fierce-visaged barbarian watching for the psychological moment at which to spring upon his foe. One noticed the white of his gleaming eyes that watched Burns’ least movement with tigerish ferocity and quickness. He attacked Burns like a wild beast springing upon his prey.”

The bitterness of the London “ Sportsman’s” attacks upon Tommy Burns is evidently becoming nauseating to the paper’s readers. The following letter appeared in the journal named on February 6: “To the editor of ‘ The Sportsman.’ —Sir. —Are we not having a little too much of Mr. Jack Johnson ? We are treated almost daily to such a big dose of this coloured prodigy that it is becoming difficult to swallow. Besides being a boxer and talking about himself ir that capacity, the champion of the world is so plugged with accomplishments that it would be a relief to know what there is he cannot do. The qualities of self-restraint and good taste add to the prestige of a man when he is ‘up,’ and a little exercise in this direction will not hurt Mr. Johnson. The boast of the Englishman is that he never kicks a man when he is down, but Burns has been so mercilessly lashed with verbal thongs as well as Johnson’s fists that his con-

queror can well afford to put a curb on his tongue. For those whose forte is solving conundrums the puzzle is to get a proper definition of the wordboasting.—l am, sir, yours truly, G.A.S., February 5.”

“Snowy” Baker, the popular Australian swimmer, boxer and footballer, who went so near to winning the amateur heavy-weight championship of England last year, was recently married to the widow of Dr. Kearney, erst Victorian tennis champion, and the lady shows a taste for champions. She is said to be young and handsome, and has an expression that is a recommendation itself. * * * *

Thus the London “ Sportsman” on the possibilities of a Jeffries-Johnson fight for the championship:—“ Strenuous efforts are being made in the States to get Jim Jeffries to take the ring with Jack Johnson, and if all we hear is true a purse of £22,000 is on offer. This, providing it is well cut up, is enough to tempt any man into the ring. Jeffries has frequently given out that he has done with the game for good as a principal, and if he values his reputation he will keep to his word. ‘ Jeff’ has never suffered defeat, and he is thirteen years younger than Bob Fitzsimmons, who professes to be spoiling for another go with Johnson. All the same he is close on 34, and carrying with his years some 18st odd, he seems an almost impossible person to train down for a championship battle. Still £22,000, if it really is on offer, is a very tempting bait, always providing it is judiciously divided.”