Post Johnson Fight Interview Proves Burns Did Not Have Jaundice

Mendoza always claims that Tommy Burns was suffering from "a jaundice " as he describes it, when he defended his title against Jack Johnson in 1908.

Mendoza of course never provides any primary souces or proof of his claims , just repeats them like a mantra

This post fight interview with Burns ,[kindly provived by Boilermaker ,] proves that Burns was suffering from nothing more than severe dose of Johnsons fists on that Boxing Day. Burns says he trained very hard for the fight and gives this as the reason he scaled a comparatively ,[ for him, ] low weight.

Burns asserts that he never scaled that low before the Johnson fight.


Well he was 168.5lbs that day, he says he never was below 172lbs prior to that fight. He must have forgot he came in at 171lbs for his title defence against Gunner Moir just a year earlier . 170lbs for the Flynn fight a year and a half earlier.163lbs for the Mike Sullivan fight.And 172lbs when he drew with O Brien .


Burns gave public workouts and sparring with Al Kaufman leading right up to the fight dropping Kaufman on a couple of occasions, its possible he overtrained, but there was jack **** wrong with his health.
Here is the link to the interview and now perhaps we can put to bed the bulll**** about Burns having "a jaundice".


http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/5167618?searchTerm=fitzsimmons interview&searchLimits=

 

If he wasnt impressed by Johnson's power ,one wonders why he went down three times, and was rescued by the police when on the point of going down again?


FIRST ROUND

After a few moments of preliminary sparring Johnson reached Burns with a sharp uppercut, and the Canadian went to the floor, remaining there for the count or eight. He signaled to his seconds that he was all right, however, and when he arose sailed In for Johnson's body. Johnson swung a hard right to the head, and Burns staggered backward nearly across the ring from the Impact of the blow. Then Burns, rushing in, planted a right of great force on Johnson s chin, and by an excellent display of boxing warded off a return. Johnson, nevertheless, managed to put through a stinging left to the head at the sound of the gong.

SECOND ROUND

When the gone clanged Johnson yelled across to the approaching Burns, " Come right on," and he swung his right and landed hard on Burns chin. The champions ankle gave way under him and he went down. He was up immediately, however, and Johnson got to close quarters with him and placed right and left to face and body. Burns's left eye here commenced to swell. Johnson thus far had the better o£ the battle. The big black man was coming all the time, and he swung a terrific left Into Burns's stomach. Burns was doing but little. He. was bleeding from the mouth, and apparently was tired. The men were clinched as the bell rang.

THIRD ROUND

Burns swung his right to Johnson's head and then did some wonderful execution at in-fighting, chopping his right to the ribs frequently. Johnson during the round landed some terrific blows to the kidneys.

FOURTH ROUND

the men met In the centre of the ring Johnson shot a heavy right into Burns ribs. The men talked wildly to one another, each seemingly intent upon getting the other excited and landing the money winning punch. During the jeering they sparred fiercely, but few blows being struck. Then Johnson swung left, to the body, and Burns brought right to head. Johnson, closing in, threw a terrific right and left to the head of the , Canadian. The bell found the men In a hard clinch.

FIFTH ROUND

Apparently refreshed from his minute's rest, Burns started the round briskly, landing his right on Johnson's head and punching the body with both hands. Johnson managed to slip over a few rights to the head during the round.

SIXTH ROUND

Johnson rushed, .and Burns clinched. Breaking loose, however, with one hand -Johnson swung his right a dozen times into the white man's ribs. Burns jolted Johnson's body frequently, and swung his right hard over the ribs and put a stiff left to the stomach several, times. Johnson, however, treated these blows as a joke, laughing at the crowd and making sarcastic remarks to his opponent as he bustled Burns Into a corner and scored a couple of rights to the body.

SEVENTH ROUND

Johnson rushed Burns across the ring, dealing out rights in which there was no mercy. Burns got a left to Johnson's jaw, and Johnson raised a lump under Burns's right eye in return. Burns here seemed to be losing strength. Johnson was landing repeatedly on Burns eye, meanwhile addressing the people about the ringside, end though Tommy was working dexterously at infighting, he placed several terrific blows on Burns's ribs, dropping him to the floor for a few seconds.

EIGHTH ROUND

Burns's eyes were puffed up and he was bleeding from the mouth when he emerged from his corner. The white man's blows apparently had little effect on the Texan, who went severely about belaboring the head of the champion.

NINTH ROUND

" Come on, Tommy; swing your right! " yelled Johnson as the gong rang. Burns responded by calling the negro a " yellow dog." There was not very much fighting — probably more talking — during this round.

TENTH ROUND

Both men seemed tiring. Johnson still used his fists effectively on Burns's head and stomach and Burns was doing all he could ill reply. His blows, however, lacked steam.

ELEVENTH ROUND

The perspiration pouring off the body of Johnson made it look not unlike highly polished walnut. Burns tried to cross his right over, but .Johnson cleverly avoided him, meantime laughing at the champion Burns was outclassed, and Johnson apparently was invulnerable. When the bell rang Burns limped to his corner,

TWELFTH ROUND

Again Johnson sailed In, and Burns took a tremendous lot of punishment gamely. His Jaw was greatly swollen,

'THIRTEENTH ROUND

Johnson continued to play for the injured eye and the bleeding mouth of Burns, which was swollen twice its normal size. Blow after blow the colored man rained upon him. and the gong alone saved the white man from defeat, for he was reeling and groggy as it rang.

During the Intermission between the thirteenth and fourteenth rounds the police officials consulted together, and the probability is that they will stop the fight in the next round. Referee Mclntosh went to Burns's corner and had a talk with the champion, who declared that he was strong. Mclntosh then asked the police not to interfere.

FOURTEENTH ROUND

Johnson went right after Burns when time was called. The white man warily backed away, but Johnson, following him up, dropped Burns with a heavy right to the head. "One, two, three," slowly counted the referee, and Burns remained down until eight seconds had been tolled off. When he arose Johnson flew at him like a tiger, and, using both hands unmercifully, he soon had the champion tottering. The police then Jumped into the ring and stopped the fight.

The referee immediately declared Johnson the winner. He added that he considered it the best fight he ever had witnessed In Australia, and that both men had fought fairly.

 

I know you are aware Seamus ,I wasn't making the point to you.
In later life Burns picked Johnson as the second greatest heavyweight of all time .

To do Burns justice he was probably angling for a rematch with Johnson,and after Johnson demolished Jeffries he said Burns gave him a harder fight.
ps Tell us about the Fiat.

 

When he beat O Brien both scaled under 175lbs, so Burns was in theory both the Heavyweight ,and the Light heavyweight champion, though he never bothered to claim the lighter weight title.

 

Prior to the fight , Burns was ready to defend against Sam McVey, but the $$$ was not forth coming.

Yes Johnson knew how to use that weight.
Billy Conn weighed about the same when he fought Joe Louis, who came in at a dehydrated 199.5lbs, because he wanted to be under 200lbs so as not to appear the bully.

Louis did not push Conn around though, because Conn fought an elusive ,in, and out fight, whereas Burns attacked Johnson, or tried to.


"No smaller man ,who fights in a crouch is going to beat me because to land punches he must come out of that crouch,then I get him".