THE AUSTRALIAN BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1049, 14 April 1910, Page 11

THE AUSTRALIAN BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP.

BURNS WINS ON POINTS. As announced by cable the contest between Tommy Burns and Bill Lang for the boxing championship of Australia, which was fought at the Sydney Stadium on Monday night, ended in a victory for the Canadian on points after the fight had gone the full 20 rounds. Despite Burns’ absence of 15 months from the ring, during which time he has led a rather inactive life for a boxer, he accounted for Lang fairly easily, the Melbourne man appearing awkward in comparison with the lithe and quick ex-cham-pion boxer of the world. The contest attracted 15,000 people to Rushcutter’s Bay, and as Burns is a great favourite in Sydney sporting circles the decision would be a decidedly popular one. Burns showed superiority

in ringcraft to the Melbourne boxer, -and his smart ducking and diving tactics made it a hard task for Lang to land his blows. It was thought that Lang might score a knockout with one of his heavy punches, but the fight proved the other way about, as Burns had his opponent in desperate straits in several of the rounds, and all through seemed to hold the advantage. Burns once again gave evidence of his wonderful staying power, and 20 rounds seems to be a mere

nothing to him, while Lang showed signs of fatigue as early as the tenth round. The Canadian is always busy when in the ring and gets through a terrible amount of footwork, while he is noted for the fact that he does pot hang back waiting for his opponent to lead, but gamely forces the fighting. His victory over Lang will add further interest to his coming battle with Sam Langford in Frisco, on September 5, and his many supporters will wish him better luck with this negro than he had with one, John Arthur Johnson, on Boxing Day, 1908.