AUSTRALIA VERSUS AMERICA.

NZ Truth, Issue 108, 13 July 1907, Page 4

AUSTRALIA VERSUS AMERICA.

Biifjs Beats Squires m a Round,

No star oi the pugilistic firmament | ever came to Hi 3 front with suofo a rattle as Bill Squires. 1 rom the coal mines of Newcastle, N.S.W., to the boxing championship of Australia was a far cry, and yet Bill got there, almost before he hadi time to realise it. A few breezy bouts after knock-off time m the coal mining city convinced the local sports that Squires was losing time delving for "black 'diamonds. ' He was a born fighter, they declared, with all the makings of a champion about him, and soon he was TRIED IN PUBLIC. His first appearance 'bore out the good opinion formed of ;>him by his fellow miners , and after he had practically wiped th.3 floor with all the local, champions, he turned up coat mining to find himself right m the thick of the boxing business. Bill's descent on Melbourne was not accompanied by any flourish of trumpets, for the simple, reason that he was still a comparative "greenhorn," with a., big chunk to learn before he could be termed a scientific fighter, ami several men to beat ere he could be regarded as the best of even a bad lot. But there would have been no flourish of trumpets with Sq/iiires had he been * right m the front ranft then ; for a quieter and LESS BOMBASTIC PUNCHIST never donned a glove. It is to this rare characteristic that tho modest William owes much of his popularity. His manner, his speech, and his every day life won him friends everywhere. Of swelled head, he had none. This was the man who came to Melbourne to be tried out with old Starlight, and this is the man that Squires is still, whether he pitches- his tent m far-off S a n Francisco, or back m his old native haunts. A big cbsery fellow, horny-handed but honest ; ; a typical miner, and a clean liver right through. Win or lose, what shoulders could better bear the burden *of beaid'n^ the Yankee m his own den, to try and bring the World's Championship to Australia ? •-From the time Squires beat Starlight until he sailed for America he never o^nce looked back. ALL HIS BATTLES were like so many "track gallops." They were, one-man fights rigjht through,' arirl just as often as Bill stepped into ..the ring so was he a more masterly: man than formerly. It would be hard-.to say how much he improved' from "the time he beat Starlight till he knocked out Mike Williams at Ribhmobd as easily as he might have "'busted" a paper bag. But hin improvement was tremendous. To the bodily strength and natural dash of the old days was now added a knowledge of all the line points of the business ; and good judges pronounced him to be ; the fastest big man either m the game or out of it. The usual "croakers'; came alcn-*, of course, to ask who Squires, had ever beaten,, but they were few and far between, and apparently UNMINDFUL OP 'THE FACT that no man can do more than win, especially when he wins easily. And when ho came to be 'something more than a novice m the business, "Squires always won easily, with the exception c»J that unlucky foul that cast him the Cripps , fight. Not even when old' Peter Jackson and Paddy Slavin entered the roped arena at I'h3 National Sporting Club, London, has Ihere been more Australian interest m a /Tight than was evinced m the meeting of Squires and Burns at San Francisco on Thursday —or, by our New Zealand time, at about G o'clock on morniiK. The thousands of miles between did not lessen the public interest one jot. Cn the tram car, AT THF y SjTRI§ET 'CORNER,'' and m the /^porting resorts it had been the one big topic of conversation for daj- s past. At Moonee Valley race?? _,j n Wednesday week they backed Squares or Burns, just as they backed , Prestonpans or Solano, and one ''.jnishful" gent even went so far as /to lay the double— the Fight and the Naticnal. . As a rule, it w a s G to 4 on Squires, and people who make it a rule never to lay odds on held aloof "on principle." With them it was a case of Australia and America for it : end if they couldn't back Bill they were patriotic enough to back no one else. The same spirit pervaded all classes of the community. On Friday morn ; ng <public INTEREST IN THE CONTEST was at fever heat. On train and tram, nine out of every ten passengers were wondering if the oable was through yet, and speculating as to whether Squires could write "World's Champion" after his name, or otherwise. Many a .lazy lay-a-bed caught ?.n earlier train than usual, and round the newspaper offioes little kAots oE people gathered awaiting an "extraordinary." Melbourne "Truth's" representative was also o» hand at John Wren's city offices, for 'here it was expected the first cable would be received ; and here, also, an expectant crowd was waitin-g. First intimation of the contents of the cable was given to "Truth's" representative, and this was to the effect that Burns had won m one round. The exact wording of the cable was as follows : " BURNS WON IN ONE ROUND," Needless to say, the announcement of the news fell like a thunderbolt among the crowd m the streets. It was regarded almost as a national calamity. Pro/b couldn't believe it j and for a 1 iriu\ at all events, the crowd thought there must be some mistake, instead of the big cheer that would have greeted Bill's victory, expressions of surprise and regret were heard on all sides, and prejsently the crowd melted away, conSvinced at last that the Australian i f stic idol hud been dethroned, and hint Burns was champion of the jv>-orld' still. No additional partidujlars wtre obtainable. Those fi(ve iwocdSj short, sharp, and. decisive.

vere all that were forthcoming to tell of the downfall of the greatest : public favorite that ever entered the Australian fighting ring, and one of the whitest boxers that ever wore a mit. THE FIGHT. Squires, v as per usual, started m his usually aggressive manner. Burns was chased round ithe ring, and a clinch followed. Burns then drew Squires towards him and floored him with a blow on the right temple. The blow was an exceedingly heavy on*, as it raised a lump the size of a pigeon egg between the eye and the ear. After this, Squires, who . was very groggy, seemed to lose control of himself, and forced Burns to the platform, getting m some heavy body punches and a left to the sidie of the face, which rattled the American somewhat. Squires continued m his wild cyclonic career, while Burns was as cool as a cucumber, and waited for a chance, and a right to the jaw sent the Australian to the floor, who was soon on his £eet, but wilder than ever, hitting out recklessly, and vainly endeavoring to clinch with the Yankee, who, keeping- calm, side-step-ped him every time, and with a hard right-hand punch settled the Australian's pretensions to pugilistic fame. James Jeffries was referee, and he slowly counted the miner out, who lay on his back with his head slightly rais-ed and his eyelids trembling. TOMMY BURNS. Tommy Burns, as everyone now knows, is a British subject, a Canadian by birth, though of foreign extraiction. His real name is Noah Brusso, his father being a Frenchman and his mother a native of GermanyHe first sprung into fame as an athlete by his lacrosse playing, at which he was almost as successful as he has latterly foesn m the prize ring. In weight he would have a few pounds advantage af Squires, but this was counterbalanced by the latter' s aid-r vantage m height and reach. Burns adopts much the same style of fighting as Squires, being one of the hustling type, eager to wade m and mix it rather than rely on mere finessing tactics. Many of his backers would not fosar of defeat, notwithstanding the GREAT NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS of Squires, two of which, given hercwn-dlrtr, now make very interesting reading. For full details we will have tb wait the arrival of the American mail. Without putting forth excuses on Squires' s behalf, it was that very same first round of which many of his backers were frightened. Paradoxical as" it may seem. Bill was a highly-strung fellow at the best of times, and until he had fairly settled down to his work he invariably took chances. A good judge, speaking to the writer just before the fight, remarked : "It's that first round I'm frightened "off " CUfti him get over that, and he's alright.' 1 ' It was a prophecy that has proved all too true, from the Australian standpoint.