Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-12-21
BURNS FAVORED
BY AUSTRALIANS
MAKE HIM FOUR TO FIVE
CHOICE TO WIN
BOTH REPORTED TO BE IN PER-
Feet CONDITION
Meet in Finish Fight at Rushcutter's
Bay, Near Sydney, Next Saturday
for Heavyweight Champion
ship of the World

SYDNEY, N. s. w, Dec. 20.-Tom-
my Burns, French Canadian heavy
weight pugilist, and Jack Johnson
American colored pugilist, who are to
fight here on Saturday next FOR the
heavyweight championship of the
world, are both in the pink OF condl-
ton. Hard work has made them fit
for a long and hard battle, and, al
though the odds favor Burns, probably
because of his recent victories, John-
son has many supporters.
Burns is quartered at Darling Point
and has placed himself in the hands OF
his sllillful trainer, O'Keete, with
O'Donnell, the Australian middle
weight champion, as sparring partner.
johnson is at hanley, seaside SUD
urb. Jack Mullins is his trainer and
Bill Lang, whom Burns trimmed SO
handily in Melbourne last September,
has been doing his best for the past
few weeks to give johnson points ON
Burns style of fighting. Several 9TH
er pugilists have been assisting Lang
in this task, and Johnson has been
putting in the hardest kind OF work
with the gloves and on the road pre-
liminary to what he considers the most
important battle of his life.
Both have been giving training ex-
hibitions twice a week at their stad-
ium, and thousands of persons, In
Guiding many women, have watched
them at work. In this way they have
been enabled to gather in lot OF
money, a portion of which they intend
to place on their chances. The public
betting favors Burns at to 4, and al
ready a large amount has been put in
the hands of Stockholders at these
figures. 1t is expected that 10000 per-
sons will see the fight, 10000 tickets
already having been sold. AS yet a
referee has not been selected, but It Is
said a good man will be found within
a day or two Contracts for the pic
ture rights are being made IN all parts
of the world.
When the final count of the referee at
Rushcutters Bay, Sydney, Australia,
next Saturday, proclaims Tommy
Burns, or Jack Johnson, the world $
champion heavyweight pugilist, the ad-
herents of the fighting game of North
America. Europe and Australia Will
have finally settled the question Of
which is the superior man. Since
James J. Jeffries retired, and Burns de-
family announced that he would defend
the title against all comers-barring
colored men-Johnson has camped on
his trail, denying the right OF Burns
to draw the color line, and no little
amount of public opinion has sided with
the black man.
Despite the clamor, however, Burns
persistently refused to grant Johnson s
demand for a fight, and went his way
piling up easy money purses against
second and third rate fighters. NO
bodv. however doubted Burns ability
to give johnson good fight.
Bill Squires, the Australian, Went
across the seas with the championship
bee. and sought a fight with Jehries.
The Californian, however, was out of
the game, and Burns took him on IA
san Francisco. The fight lasted less
than one round. Burns claimed that
this battle clinched his right to the
title of heavyweight championship hon
ors. but johnson still demurred. Burns
then went to London, where ne knocked
ont Gunner Moir in ten rounds, and
afterward whipped Jem Roche In Ire
land, and several other heavywelghts;
Johnson followed Burns to London and
challenged him.
Burns declared he would give him a
fipht II a purse should be hung up OF
sufficient size to assure him $3O,OOU WIN,
lose or draw; but this was not Iorth-
coming, and Burns sailed for Australia
where he again trimmed Bill oquiIes'
after a. harder battle than the Aus
traIian had given him in California,
and eight days later he also defeated
Then the fight promoters at Sydney
hung I'm a purse of 1000, and Burns
cabled johnson his ultimatum. ms
was that. of the $4,000 Burns was 70
receive $40 900 despite the issue of the
hattie: Johnson's end to be $4,000. john
son accepted and Immediately left Tor
The fight will be to finish in TWEEN
tv-four-foot ring in the open air Be
sides the purse of $4,000, Burns wiz
obtain a moving picture MIN ValueHes
at $3.50, and transportation LOT hlnnselL
go manager back to London, making
IN ali $4,000 that he will receive for
meeting johnson.