BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 444, 29 December 1908, Page 3

BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP

The Champion Outclassed.

The Black Fellow Wins.

Sydney, December 26. The heavyweight boxing championship contest between Burns and Johnson took place to-day at the Stadium, Rushcutters’ Bay. The money taken is said to be a world’s record' for a prize fight. At a quarter to eleven o’clock both men entered the ring, receiving ovations.- Burns wore elastic bandages about the elbows. Johnson insisted that these should be taken off, and refused to fight unless this request was complied with. The announcement was received with :"vociferous hooting. At a quarter past eleven the men faced each other, and Burns removed the bandages. Fighting started *with a will. Johnson in the first few minutes toppled the champion over, and the white man remained down for eight seconds.’ Bums went for the body of his opponent, but Johnson, standing erect, was battering his opponent over the kidneys. Burns got Johnson one on the chin, and so terrific was the impact that the champion fell back froln its force, but it did not trouble the giant in the least degree. Right through the fight Johnson’s coolness was remarkable. Burnsiwas boxing superbly, but any of hfe blows that got home ' seemed of no consequence to the black fellow. Johnson made vicious efforts to get his right across his opponent’s jaw, but Burns cleverly parried him. Johnson, however, punished Burn’s ribs ■ unmercifully, and they soon showed evidence of this treatment. Burns made frequent attempts to reach Johnson’s head. One got home, but the black only smiled. In feet, he had continued . to smile right through the contest, and appeared to take the combat as a joke. It was no joke for the champion, for Johnson repeatedly got heavy body work in. Burns forced the fighting up to the fourth rdund, but did no damage; but in this and the fifth round he a lot of, punishment. .Johnson surveyed him coolly, ■ awaiting his opponent to lead. After several seconds of this, Burns said.—“ Are you going to fight, you cur?” and Johnson’s reply was a swing of a terrific left, which found a resting place on the champion’s stomach. The champion kept going, but his mouth was bleeding. Johnson followed with a hard one right across the jaw, bringing his right »«—'■up under Burns’ chin. In the sixth round* Johnson got a dozen on to Burns’ ribs, which had assumed a beautiful pink hue. Burns stepped up to his man gamely, while Johnson only smiled, and at every opportunity got home *on ..the jaw. Burns swung a stiff left into the black’s , stomach several times, but Johnson ’laughed at the crowd, and addressed a few sarcastic remarks to “Tommy.’’ Suddenly the black swung his left viciously to the body, and brought his right over to the head, but Burns got under. Johnson then; bustled him to the corner, narrowly grazing the champion’s chin, with a terrific left. In the next round Burns’ punishment was severe. His eye got damaged, and Johnson found the same Spot l several times. The fight then eased off a bit, Burns apparently tiring. Every time Burins tried to get in a blow Johnson retaliated disastrously. Then turning to the crowd, Johnson shouted, “I thought Tommy > was an in-fighter.” After this remark he dealt with Burns’ eye again, eventually dropping him with one on the ribs. The champioq only remained down a couple of seconds. Johnson was bleeding slightly from the lips : otherwise he showed no signs of the struggle. In the ninth and tenth rounds the champion freshened up somewhat, but apparently his blows produced no effect on Johnson who remained imperturable. He never missed an opportunity of inflicting punishment, and Burns’, jaw was becoming a monument to his work. Nevertheless, Burns kept at it willingly, although his blows lacked strength. Several heavy body blows cahsedrJohnson to stand off, while causing Burns to remark, “ Why (fon’t you fight.” The eleventh round, however, gave Burns plenty of fighting, and he received most of the damage,

including a couple of hard blows v .on the kidneys* Johnson walked vigorously to his corner, but Burns limped tb his. Burns came up in the twelfth round with a badly swollen face, and damage was inflicted on his jaw.; Burns got one home on Johnson’s stomach, but received half a dozen on the jaw by way of reply. , Burnsi attacked, but Johnson fighting; steadily, waited for his v lead. The men clinched repeatedly |t‘ in the thirteenth round, but Burns’s , ribs suffered every time. |b*. :The fourteenth' round was degisive. tjohnson, who had a big in reach, after a bit of sparring got Burns fairly on the atiq the lfcter went down for j.,. ,;. eight seconds,' When he got up ' ’ he received another on the forereferee^^declared

The Herald says the issue was not in doubt from the first clash of blows. Within five seconds of the commencement Johnson chipped Burns a nasty upper cut on the chin, knocking him down. A few moments later he sent the champion to the boards again. From this out Burns was hopelessly outclassed and long before the police entered the ring Burns was plainly a beaten man. Throughout, however, he displayed courage and capacity for taking punishment which did much to soften the blows Johnson delivered, not only to his adversary but to the spectators, nearly ever3’one of whom was obviously in sympathy with the white man. Johnson throughout fought fair, but unfortunately his fine boxing was disfigured by a display of bombast which happily, is seldom seen in any sporting arena.

The Telegraph declares the contest one-sided throughout. Burns was out-matched in every round and was severely punished while Johnson was quite unharmed. Johnson declares he could have won much’earlier but laid himself out to make the drubbing as severe as possible as he wanted to get even for the disparaging remarks made regarding himself. Burns is thoroughly satisfied with the decision. Up to the time the police stopped the contest he thought he had a chance, but he fully realised that up to that stage he was fairly beaten. To another interviewer he stated there was very little doubt in bis mind that he might have won if the police had not stepped in. He felt Johnson was tiring and hope had risen high within him. Burns reiterated his intention of retiring from the ring and settling in Australia.

The Herald in a leader says the contest was a nakedly brutal struggle which an edified public paid a syndicate ,£26,000 to see. To say these spectacles are sport in any decent meaning of the term is flatly untrue, and their effect is to glorify a practice in quarters where the British instinct is already an anti-social force. It may not be amiss to ask the Government, which so far has been delightfully acquiescent, whether these prize-fights are iu the interests of the general community. We have had about enough of these exhibitions aud though Sydney is worthily ambitious of distinction she does not exactly aspire to become the cynosure of all the world of toughdom. London, Dec. 27. The Referee welcomes the result of the Burns-Johnsou fight.

The Observer characterises it as a degrading spectacle. Mr Bettison, manager of the National Sporting Club, said the result had not surprised boxing circles in England and America.