Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-05-12
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAVV BY FRANCIS STANN
The One With the 1928 Kdyo

BACK IN 1898 the talest prize fighter record
out of Ottawa Canada to ply his trade in this country
Henry johnson Negro who stood 7-eet-2 weighed
265 pounds and could not fight very well.
Two years later, Noah Brusso out of Hanover,
Canada. He FrenchCanadian who changed his
to Tommy Burns and he considerably expert than
his predecessor became the shortest heavyweight
champion of the world in boxing history at 5feet-7.
When Tommy Burns died the other day in Vancouver at
49, joining in the hereafter such contemporary pugss
Corbett Fzsmmons Jeries and his to the
title Jack Johnson he suddenly remembered by the public
he had been easy to forget Does that sound
strange? 1t is the truth
The question, for marbles money and drinks front
porches radio and bars always has been: Who
the world heavyweight champion between Jim Jees
Johnson? It reasonably safe because Burns
while held the title for two years. did not actually dethone
champion, probably because there wasn't one.
x *
THAT PLUS THE FACT that Burns did not compare
favorably with such Sullivan Corbe Jeie and Johnson,
at least in the opinion of old timers built like
repug, weighing under 100 when he recognition
champion February 3d. 1906 by outpotng Marvin Hart
in 20 rounds
Jeries you see had the title from Bob Ftzmmons
in &c., getting from the 10 years and 80 pounds
and them after disposing of Tom Sharkey Fz again and
Jim Corbett he retired in March, 1905 and named Marvin
Hart and Jack Root the leading contenders for the vacant
throne.
stopped 171-pound IL rounds but
really considered the champion Burns in 1906
when he took Hart Philadelphia Jack OBrien title
claimant having outpointed and fought 20round draw
with Burns but when the Canadian round man beat oBen
1907 he generally acknowledged to be the king Incl
denaly, OBren skilled boxer scaled only 1882 pounds
when he and Burns staged their draw.
MEANWHILE, A LARGE, skiful Negro named Jack
Johnson was camorng for shot at Burns for time
Tommy stepped him very WELL knocking out eight
tenders in in California London Dublin Paris and
New South Wales Actually Tommy a round-the-
world bicycle tour, trying to avoid meeting with Johnson
The big Negro from Galveston finally caught up with
Burns in Sydney, Australia, the day after Christmas in 1908
Twenty pounds heavier 1885, johnson out his sawedof
foe in the 18th round which Fleschers Ring Book
describes as follows:
johnson went right after when time called
The white wariy backed away Johnson, following
him, dropped Burns with heavy right to the head
q. When he at the eight count Johnson flew
at him like tiger and using both hands numerically
had the champion otterng. The police then jumped into
the ring and stopped the fight -
Noah Brusso, alias Tommy Burns reached the
$4,000 mark in purses until he got $4,000 for beating Hart
biggest purse $4,000 for the Jack Johnson cob
bering and ironically his second biggest dozen years
later when playing the part of oncettled SNOWFALL for
overraed Bher named Joe Beckett he got knocked out
for $4,000.
Jack Dempsey in 1927 got $45OOOo plus his share of
$4,000 movie rights when he fought Gene Tunney AS cham
pion Tunney got nearly a million
IT is PROBABLY NOT TRUE that Burns was the first
Of the world heavyweight champs knock opponents
on the night he did March 49, 1906, when he
stopped one Jim OBrien and Jim Walker, within
a round That the way the rulers of boxing divisions
operated in those days usually from the stage of burlesque
house.
This much Noah Brusso alias Tommy Burns, will be
remembered for % He the heavyweight champ who
batied lot of to who held the title between
Jefries and Johnson, squattiet of all and
81 hey we didn't go into that distinction.
On st. Parck's Day in Dublin in 1908 the Round Man
kayoed Jem Roche short while defending the title
Joe Louis during his "a title defenses dismissed varied
group Of chaengers ncudng Max schmeng) in less than
3 minutes no less than five times.
Tommy Burns lattened his tte-contendng guy in 1928
still record for a heavyweight title fight