Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-30
BURNS To FORCE
O. O'BR|EN' S HAND
PHlLADELPHIAN MUST FIGHT
OR SHUT UP
conqueror of Hart Expects Easy VIC
tory Over Fltz and VIII Then
Go After lawyer
Pugillst

general run OF IlBHL ldliS dSASS Ihe''
Tommy will put the finishing touches
on the career of the Ruby Robert long
ere the limit has been reached.
And in this general sentiment is most
aptly manifest the ease and speed with
which once-great gladiators may
retrograde. Only a few years ago, which
period of time has flown by like the
wind, Fitz was considered the toughest
proposition in the world and the best
of the big men were sidestepping him
in rag time.
Now none are too minus the essential
quality of confidence to rake in the
shekels by punching him around the
ring as if he were only dummy. And
too many of them are capable of doing
so and too few are left who are
believed to have no chance with him.
That the Burns-Fitzsimmons mill will
draw a $4,000 house is the estimate or
the premier fight promoter of the east,
Tom O'Rourke, which also illustrates
the direful straits of the fans in that
portion of the globe.
The contest between Burns and F1tz-
simmons is so great that at this dis
tance the mill appears to have one
sided look, with the younger and more
clever mittologist having all the pest
of the match from any point of view.
Burns is a vastly improved battler
since abandoning the middleWe1ght
class. He is stocky and heavily built and
cannot make the middleweight limit
without sacrificing condition.
Burns Is Improved
The improvement in his fighting is
best illustrated by the remarkable form
reversal shown in his battle with Mar
vim Hart, who was expected TO lit
orally eat him up.
In this battle Burns exhibited n sur
prising degree of cleverness which even
his staunchest admirers did not dream
he possessed. His footwork was Il
revelation to all and his cleverness with
the gloves was equally as surprising.
Hart could not bother him in the
slightest degree and yet Tommy stepped
in and punished the Kentuckian as he
had never before been punished. BY
clever footwork Tommy evaded all
leads for his anatomy and as flash
he darted in under, through or over
the guard of the big Kentuckian and
biff-banged him to his entire salts
faction.
Hart was much taller, heavier and
had a longer reach, but these great adj
vantages availed him nothing against
Burns Whenever Hart attempted to
land on Burns the Detroit boy was
somewhere else.
Whenever Hart swung a la the wind
mill and tried the pivotal style of saw
ing the air Burns was resting and
laughing elsewhere. He was entirely
too fast for Hart and was never, at
any stage of the fight, in any close
quarters or gave his friends any un-
easiness.
On his showing with Hart and the
latter's showing with o. Brien and
others who are now seeking matches
with Burns, there is no room for doubt
ing the righteousness of Burns claim
upon the relinquished heavyweight title.
Burns Is Champion
There are none of the present day
heavies, barring Jeffries, who seem to
have more than a passing chance with
the improving Canadian. There is
vast difference between the 158-pound
Burns and the 1S0-pound Burns.
While fighting in the middleweight
division Burns was sacrificing condition
Cor weight and his effectiveness was
N1aterially diminished thereby. Now,
when weight no longer bothers him,
Burns trains solely for condition and
peed. .,.-.~...
Because he is a fiddle feller'' the big
Ship aspirations, but none of them are
running into mad houses. because of a
desire to get inside the same ring with
him.
Jack O'Brien has set up a claim upon
the relinquished heavyweight title,
basing it upon his defeat of Fitzsim-
mons and Kaufman. He has even cried
aloud from the house tops that he
dared the Burbank farmer outside his
fIair
II Jeff should accept the def
The Burbank farmer paid as much
attention to the Philadelphia lawyer
as the noise demanded. That was moth
ing. O'Brien then condescendingly
notified the world that If it should de-
mand that he accommodate Burns with
Il whipping he would sacrifice his busi-
ness and immediate plans to adminis-
ter it.
But Burns has repeatedly called the
bluff and O'Brien has not attached his
signature TO any papers binding him
to get inside the ropes with Burns. The
latest development is that in refusing
TO meet Fitz again he has exhibited
streak of yellow and has toppled off
the pedestal of idolatry where he was
placed by the eastern sportsmen after
he had disposed of Fitz and Kaufman.
May Compel o'Brien
Should Burns realize upon his ex-
pectations of an easy and early victory
in a decisive manner when he meets
Fitz the inevitable will be cry from
the sporting world for O'Brien to come
out i'll the open and fight Burns or
cease his periodical yawpings.
Tommy proposes to have all disputes
between himself and O'Brien adjusted
while he is in the east and will either
force O'Brien to fight or take to the
woods.
Should a battle be arranged between
Burns and O'Brien there will be great
surprise manifested unless O'Brien
changes his tactics. He has heretofore
picked his battles and made his reputa-
tion principally through those six
round affairs which never decide any
thing.
The public recognizes Burns as the
legitimate claimant upon the relin-
quished heavyweight title, and until
O'Brien wins it from Burns there will
be nothing DOING for the PhiIadel-
phian's claims.
Down-easters have never seen the
I,oa oh pitr,ao IN aOtfnr1 apJ +I,f,