Another look at tommy Burns

6 Pack · Post by **6 Pack** » 27 Aug 2002, 16:30

Most have forgotten about Heavyweight Champion Tommy Burns. Some interesting facts about the lad...

He was a true champion in that he was the first "WORLD" heavyweight champion to actually travel to four different continents to fight the best from around the world, not just north america. The south African champion, British Champion, Irish Champion, and Australian champion were all defeated. In AMerica ofcourse he had already beaten the world champion Marvin Hart (who had decisioned Jack Johnson).

As a contender he took on all comers, including a half dozen black contenders, a jewish fighter, and a north american indian fighter. He also had blacks as his sparring partners.

As a champion he could easily have drawn the colour line like John L. Sullivan, Fitzsimmons, Corbett and Jefferies before him. Or even like the the many AFTER him( Willard, Dempsey, Tunney never fought a black fighter). But he took on all comers what ever their race and took on a much bigger man in Jack Johnson.

The fight was not as one sided as history tells you. Johnson had a split lip and two broken ribs. It went 14.

Johnson then himself drew the colour line on his own people refusing to defend against any black challengers. Don't get me started on his ducking Langford.

Burns had beaten two world champions (a big deal at the time when their was only 8 weight classes and one champion a weight class) and fought 4 hall of famers.

6 Pack · Post by **6 Pack** » 27 Aug 2002, 18:05

You should read the book, it is a really really good read. tons of stories about him getting in trouble with the mob, him up in the gold rush in a gold mine and getting in a gun fight over the gold. Him fighting some big tough guy called Klondike Mike in a kickboxing match while in this small mining town laying low from the mob. His travels around the world stopping at all the major countries and fighting their champions and defeating them.

Burns was a very smart guy and led a very interesting life.

gopher101 · Post by **gopher101** » 27 Aug 2002, 20:31

I am in total agreement with the opinion of the others in this forum. Tommy Burns was a GREAT champion, and unlike his predecessors fought everyone, regardless of their religion, creed, or color. I own film of four of fights (O'brien, Squires, Moir, Johnson) and I also think Burns packed quite a punch. He was the shortest heavyweight champion, but this by no means kept him from improving the status of the division. I own the book Boxing Day the story of the Burns-Johnson fight and I learned to like the personality of him very much. I also believe Burns was not given enough credit in the fight, he did stun Johnson a few times, and was willing to fight until the end. I think Tommy Burns (along with Marvin Hart at that matter) were both underrated because they were treated as inferior to the retired champion James Jeffries.
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