BoxRec

On December 26, 1908, Jack Johnson fought Tommy Burns (Noah Brusso). Jack beat Tommy by a 14th round knockout (ko).

A bit before this ko happened, Burns broke a few of Johnson's ribs. Tommy didn't realize this though. Had Burns been aware that a few of Jack's ribs been broken. pressed home an intense offensive attack on Jack's ribs, and gotten the referee to stop the fight. -------------

1. Would Tommy's ranking been pretty high in boxing?



2. Do you think that Tommy Burns is underrated?


Please explain.

Burns in the p4p sense is certainly one of the best of the first 50 years of the 20th century, being a top 160, 175, and higher fighter. He could have been simultaneously the Light Heavyweight & Heavyweight champion of the world after he defeated Philadelphia Jack O'Brien.

As for his Heavyweight career, sure he's underrated. In an era when champions regardless of weight class rested on their titles, he was extremely hyperactive (14 title defenses) and unlike most in the sport he didn't draw color lines. He overcame great physical limitations and defeated some of the world's best and some of the world's not so best. His first round blowout of Bill Squires certainly was one of the biggest upsets of the era.

But because he lost to a black guy... Despite that black guy being the best fighter of the generation (other than Sam Langford) ... He was destroyed in every way shape or form by the press and the boxing community and to this day so many people continue to crap on Burns and yet... They don't realize they're still reading the same BS script the pundits said after his defeat.