Burns-Johnson Promo December 25th, 1908

[APerno]

Note: Newspaper calls Tommy Burns a "claimant" to the title.

[Caractacus]

Isn't there an Australian booklet Burns-Johnson promo where part of it illustrates Jack Johnson doing some "self-defense" tatics ,such as parrying ?
I read about that somewhere,possibly one of the earliest illustrated boxing instructions published.
(unless Jim J. Corbett had done one earlier)

[Caractacus]

Note: Newspaper calls Tommy Burns a "claimant" to the title.

That's probably because no one won it from Jim J. Jeffries in the ring.( that would be my guess)

[APerno]

Note: Newspaper calls Tommy Burns a "claimant" to the title.

That's probably because no one won it from Jim J. Jeffries in the ring.( that would be my guess)

Yea I was making an indirect reference to an earlier thread as to whether Burns (and Hart for that matter) should be considered 'champions'

[Ambling Alp II]

It also refers to Burns several times as the "titleholder". I don't think when someone was referred to as a claimant", it automatically meant that the person was not the champion.
Something else that was interesting is that Johnson was mentioned as being 6'2 and weighing over the magical 200 pound mark.

[Kalan]

Jack Johnson was still extremely skinny when he met burns -- at I believe 192... He did a lot of traveling and he hadn't made a ton of money yet to eat that well, but he still made burns look like a midget and had a massive strength advantage, and obviously a skill advantage.

How anyone could call Burns the "favorite" is mind boggling... since Johnson had height, weight, reach, speed, strength, skill, and sheer intellect over Burns. Along with Corbett, Tunney, Holmes, Vitali, and Joshua, Johnson was one of the more cunning Heavyweights ever.

[APerno]

How anyone could call Burns the "favorite" is mind boggling... since Johnson had height, weight, reach, speed, strength, skill, and sheer intellect over Burns. Along with Corbett, Tunney, Holmes, Vitali, and Joshua, Johnson was one of the more cunning Heavyweights ever.

Of course you are correct - but it is obviously a racist thing. Betting odds are set by the action of gamblers, not by 'predicting experts' as most people believe. White people had more money to put at risk forcing bookmakers to drum up Johnson money by offering better odds.