The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-20
Hart and Ryan VIII Perform on
Friday Night.
Bout Is Scheduled to Take
Place at Los Angeles.
THE HEAVIEST
Louisville Boxers First Appear
anee Since July.
Tommy Will Be Up Against His
First Heavyweight.

Cincinnati, Feb. 20.-In a letter to the
Enquirer George Siler says:
The important battle Of the month
viii be that between Heavyweight
Champion Marvin Hart and Tommy
Burns, scheduled to take place under
the auspices Of the Pacific Athletic club
Of Los Angeles. on Friday night. This
viii be Harris first fight since last July,
when he defeated Jack Root, at Reno,
New, in II rounds, and a fight which
netted him the heavyweight champion
ship, according to Referee jim Jenries'
verdict.
The coming battle. while practically
q championship affair, is not causing the
interest that a battle of It's Importance
should, presumably because Hart is not
taken seriously as a champion and be
cause his opponent is not considered
classy enough to take part in a. cham
pionship battle. The fact that neither
or the principals have the standing that
d1d Jeffries, Fitzsimmons, Corbett and
other champion heavyweights is the di-
rect cause of the shabby manner in
which the contest is being treated.
II surely IS not the fault Of the fight
efs that they do not stand higher in the
estlIilation of the followers of the game
but Il IS unfortunate that the heavy
het8uL championship market is so thor
ough1y depleted. Men of .Jeffrfes. F'itz
summons and Corbett's fstic abilities
crop up once In just so many years. and
mart ana burns should not be held ac-
counlaDle because this is one z the off
years. II should be remembered that
JeH retired principally because there
was not man In sight big or clever
enough to give him an argument or
ralner with enough class to make a con-
sesI with MN financial success. He
u1o not get enough money out of his
nght with Jack Munroe to pay his ex-
pensess and he (Jack) was the hest ad-
Yert1sed no account that ever stepped
INTO ring to battle for a champion
ship.
San Francisco fight promoters made
strenuous efforts to foist Marvin Hart
on the public as a champion possibility
when they matched him against Jack
Johnson, and If he, Marvin, had shown
championship class against the cOlored
man he would have been matched to
tight JEFF. but he made such sorry
showing ne was passed up. This left
the heavyweight field barren, so far as
Jeffrtes was concerned, and which Drac-
ucally forced him into retirement This
action on the part of JEFF left the coun-
try without a heavyweight champion,
and as Hart and Jack Root We're offered
the first purse to battle for the title
the winner was rightfully entitled to the
not fought for the title then two other
fighters, with less reputation and with
less dstic abilities, undoubtedly would
have taken a Whirl at each other for
the honors as the title was seeking a
holder. Jeffries recently stated, it was
reported that any man that wants the
championship must fight for it. and he
did. That is just what Hart and Root
did, and the reason neither Of them
fought a champion for the title, as did
Jefrfes, was because there was no
champion to fight with. Had there
been the probabilities are Hart would
not be the champion today.
new champion Not that I think Burns
will defeat Hart, but. judging from the
reports Je4ries may be induced to re-en-
ter the ring should Marvin defeat Tommy
In championship style. JeI really does
not care to get into harness again. but
he has a Crouch" against Hart and
nothing would please him better than to
give the Kentuckian a good licking. The
present easily made champion will have q
decided advantage over Burns in height
weight and reach, and, as he has been
under Tommy Ryan's tutOrShip for sew
eraI months, there Is no doubt he will
have It on Burns IN science With all
these advantages to which should be add
ed hitting powers. there Is no reason why
he should not knock out his smaller OPP
ponent within 10 rounds. In fact, that is
expected of him, and. failing to accom-
plfSh the trick within that limit, his cham
pionship stock win drop below par. This
Will Bo OAAAAAAg AlA5L 4AGdls y eEAes NJ De-L-
tie, and he might have improved in skill
as in weight, sttll he seems to be far out
classed. Should JEFF refuse to re-enter
the ring then Jack O'Brien will be the
winners next opponent.
O'Brien claims he has the best right to
the heavyweight championship because Of
his defeat of Bob Fitzsimmons, and be-
cause he is the only man. excepting JEFF
fries, who beat the freckled one. There is
no doubt that, from a fighting standpoint
he can shoulder the honors much better
than Hart. but he VIII have to beat the
present holder of the title before be will
be accepted a S such. His much talked-of
match with Tommy Ryan for the middle
weight championship is still in allegiance.
Tommy has not. as yet, agreed to fight
him at other than 1873 pounds. weigh In at
the ringside, and Jack is holding out for
1888 pounds weigh in at 8 o'clock on the
afternoon Of battle.
O,BRTEEN- WAS sURPRIsEn-