The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-12-02
What's Doing in the World of Sport
Burns Sees Great Future in
The Present Boxing Game

the medium to improve the physical
conditions of the present age. and
mark my words, boxing will be the
foremost exercise for the very pur-
pose. AS compared with Rugby foot
ball, it's a parlor sport. just take for
comparison last Mondays contest.
Hyland and Bayley, and the Rugby
game in this city. / wouldn't for my
life denounce any genuine sport. but
the former was h warmes contest
ed bout l have e and the boys
We're round Eighth avenue in fine
shape next day, shaking hands in
good fellowship, while broker ribs
kept the footballcrs in the hospital
here.
We know that in France. Australia.
England and the states the govern
ment does teach boxing at their naval
academies. Why not go further and
start the boys when they enter school
in their early years? I'm glad the
idea of forming international boxing
alliances is most likely to come into
effect. The National Sporting club OF
England. along with the boxing au-
thorities Of France, Australia. Amer
lea, Germany and South Africa. are
busy with this project and before long
] hope the federation will control and
regulate the old game, in d business
like way, determine proper champion
ships in each class. arrang weights,
etc. and blot out the 'faker'' element
whenever 1t exists. L consider boxing
the most legitimate sport in the world.
national organizations to protect the
clubs. boxers II the public who fol-
low the ring.
Game Growing In Popularity.
l think, in time. boxing will be as
popular as moving picture shows.
Every city, town and village will have
its boxing and athletic club and have
the patronage of the fair sex. In
France and Australia today the ladies
patronize the sport just as enthusiasts
ttcally as the gentlemen.
Just think of a country like Austria
liza, with it's small population, giving
immense purses for a contest. Boxing
will certainly nave a great future in
the Antipodes, where they maintain
such high character of sport and con-
duct the game so fair and square.
The Australians / am very fond of.
They are a manly. honest sporting
people and are doing considerable to
, maintain the old game. which they
love go we'll. It's hard for my fight
fan to foretell what the future will be
in fifty years. Poor old Figg. the ia
ther of boxing, dreamt that 200
years after his day it would be what it
is today. Suppose he had been able to
be at my arena last Monday to Wit
ness the Hyland and Bayley contest or
could have seen the contest between
Johnson and myself. when into the
tens of thousands of spectators were
there! 1t would keep him guessing
and he would marvel at the progress
made. In less than 100 years we may
have boxing clubs in airships IL thous-
and feet above Mother Earth. but.
however. this is too high a dream for
me at present, although science has
accomplished Just as wonderful inven-
tons since Figg first started boxing in
the Old Five courts Of London in
1919. just to amuse a few hundred
swell sporting patrons of the ring.
composed of England's highest society
of those days. including dukes. lords,
earls and princes. who loved in Wit
ness a clever mill between W game
boxers.