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TOMMY BURNS AND AUSTRALIAN SQUIRES.
After Jeffries quit the fighting game, there were just two heavyweight ring events in which it was considered that the championship of the world was involved. The first of these was the battle between Tommy Burns and Champion Bill Squires of Australia. The other was a championship struggle beyond doubt. Reference is made to the bout in far away Australia when Burns lost his newly acquired title to Jack Johnson, and a black man for the first time in pugilistic history was hailed premier heavyweight fighter of the world.
In the Burns-Squires affair there were arguments as to whether the meeting was really entitled to be considered a fight for the championship. On the plea that Burns had beaten the best of the white heavyweights, and that Tommy was entitled to bar black men the way Jeffries had done before retiring and the further plea that Squires had proved himself the king-pin of the Australian heavies, the majority of sporting men graciously admitted that the Squires-Burns fight
should be considered a world's championship engagement.
Squires trained for the fight at Billy Shannon's in San Rafael, and Barney Reynolds supervised the Australian champion's preparation. Tommy Burns trained at Harbin Springs under the guidance of Professor Lewis.
The men met in Coffroth's Mission-Street arena on July 4, 1907. When the opening gong clanged, and Referee Jeffries motioned the men together, Burns backed around the ring and Squires followed. The Australian made a couple of lunges at the little fellow who was dancing away from him, and then tried to wedge Burns into a corner. Burns clinched, and
laughed as he leaned his chin on Squires' shoulder.
"Break," yelled Jeffries, and as they dropped their arms Burns bounded lightly to mid-ring. Squires began to crowd his man again. Burns waited until the Australian champion came within striking distance, and then sent in a right hander which sounded like the crack of a pistol. Squires went to the floor and rolled over. He was blinking as he arose, and there was a big lump on the side of his left eye.
Although unsteady and dazed, Squires lumbered after Burns, and as Tommy went into a clinch the Australian dealt the Canadian a stiff right hand body punch, and followed it with a left hander on the side of the face. It looked for a moment as though the body punch had hurt Burns, but Tommy pulled out of the clinch, and felled Squires with another snappy right hander.
Squires fell a second time, and the finish was in sight. He arose clumsily, and lurched toward Burns. Burns measured him now with a third right hander, and before Squires tumbled, gave him still another. This time Squires went down for keeps. He was too far gone to make the slightest effort at getting to his feet, and was counted out.
Burns was lifted shoulder high and carried from the ring by his friends.
After Jeffries quit the fighting game, there were just two heavyweight ring events in which it was considered that the championship of the world was involved. The first of these was the battle between Tommy Burns and Champion Bill Squires of Australia. The other was a championship struggle beyond doubt. Reference is made to the bout in far away Australia when Burns lost his newly acquired title to Jack Johnson, and a black man for the first time in pugilistic history was hailed premier heavyweight fighter of the world.
In the Burns-Squires affair there were arguments as to whether the meeting was really entitled to be considered a fight for the championship. On the plea that Burns had beaten the best of the white heavyweights, and that Tommy was entitled to bar black men the way Jeffries had done before retiring and the further plea that Squires had proved himself the king-pin of the Australian heavies, the majority of sporting men graciously admitted that the Squires-Burns fight
should be considered a world's championship engagement.
Squires trained for the fight at Billy Shannon's in San Rafael, and Barney Reynolds supervised the Australian champion's preparation. Tommy Burns trained at Harbin Springs under the guidance of Professor Lewis.
The men met in Coffroth's Mission-Street arena on July 4, 1907. When the opening gong clanged, and Referee Jeffries motioned the men together, Burns backed around the ring and Squires followed. The Australian made a couple of lunges at the little fellow who was dancing away from him, and then tried to wedge Burns into a corner. Burns clinched, and
laughed as he leaned his chin on Squires' shoulder.
"Break," yelled Jeffries, and as they dropped their arms Burns bounded lightly to mid-ring. Squires began to crowd his man again. Burns waited until the Australian champion came within striking distance, and then sent in a right hander which sounded like the crack of a pistol. Squires went to the floor and rolled over. He was blinking as he arose, and there was a big lump on the side of his left eye.
Although unsteady and dazed, Squires lumbered after Burns, and as Tommy went into a clinch the Australian dealt the Canadian a stiff right hand body punch, and followed it with a left hander on the side of the face. It looked for a moment as though the body punch had hurt Burns, but Tommy pulled out of the clinch, and felled Squires with another snappy right hander.
Squires fell a second time, and the finish was in sight. He arose clumsily, and lurched toward Burns. Burns measured him now with a third right hander, and before Squires tumbled, gave him still another. This time Squires went down for keeps. He was too far gone to make the slightest effort at getting to his feet, and was counted out.
Burns was lifted shoulder high and carried from the ring by his friends.
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