The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-23
Frank Moran Shows
 Power In Comeback
Veteran Displays Old Time Punch As He Knocks Burke Out at New Jersey Show---May Invade England
 to Meet Beckett

New York, Dec. 23-Frank Moran, who has been chirping for the last few days about trying to stage a real comeback and challenge Jack Dempsey for a fight for the heavy weight championship of the world,
 made his re-entrance into the ring of this neck of fistic woods and showed
 much of his old time form-that same form he displayed when he punctured the championship bubble
 Of Jim COffey by knocking the Ros- common Giant out twice at Madison Square Garden It Is true that Moran was not pitted against real battIer; 1t was not an acid test for the sorrel- topped PittsbUrgher. but it was sui dcient to show that Frank still car ries his famous Mary Ann around with him.
 The bout did not progress a full
 round before Sergeant Jack Burke was knocked down twice. The last
 tiure he stayed there while the full count of ten was toIIed over him. Burke is not a champion; in fact, he
 is far from it, but he has been re- garded as a fair sort of trial horse. Moran started after him as soon as
 the gong sounded. It was apparent that Frank was out for business. He
 was much like the Frank Moran of
 oId-the same serious -visaged husky who realized he carried little else in trade than the heavy wallOp of his right hand. Thrice he sent this swinging blow to Burke's head and then the latter crumpled in & heap on the floor He took a short count and
 dragged himself to his feet. He was not exactly out, but he was still very
 groggy., He tried to raise his hands, but it was a futile effort. Moran stepped in close, carefully measured his victim, and sent over his right. It missed the button by inches, and Burke wabbIed on his feet but did not fall. Again Moran cut loose his right It landed behind the ear. Burke crashed to the resined canvas with a thud- There he stayed while the referee toUed off the fatal count. Moran was greeted by burst of
 raucous cheers as he left the rins. He was hailed as a real hero. l. was as if he had knocked out the last obstacle between him and an other chance at the worlds heavy weight title Moran looked pale, but withaI he was well ajned-better trained than he has been for some time. He showed that he had work ed hard for the bout and that he was in the proverbiaI pink He weighed 193 1-2 pounds, further aUtestation that he was trained to the minute.
 Burke tipped the beam at 1SS pounds.
 Seldom has Moran been seen 1n
 better condition than he was last night. He was lean but powerful. He had not trained to take off weight alone. He had trained to
 perfect his punch, to improve his judgment of distance and to prime
 himself to assirnilate punishment.
 There have been bouts in the past when Moran might have done a great deal better had he devoted as much time to conscientious training
 as he evidently devoted to his prep
 aration for this bout.
 His judgment of distance was not
 all that it should have been, but,
 then, Moran's judgment of distance never has been perfect. His blows have always been more or less hap hazard. He has trusted more to the weight of his blows than to direc-
 ton. His blows last night were just as heavy as those which shattered the championship aspirat tions of Jim Coffey and forced the erstwhiIe mo torman to retire from the ring. In ciGCutalIy, Moran seemed to be a bit faster. on his feet This may have
 been due to the fact that Burke was slow almost to the point of being sluggish The WeSterner knew little about defense. He knew little about avoiding Moran's heavy right. The result was inevitable.