Getty Images Mystery Photo

No, obviously not the Dempsey fight. With the gas tank and ring style, could it be the Rushcutters Stadium in Sydney?

 

Yes,thats what I thought.
Hence it could be Burns v Lang or Squires?

 

Looks like Burns v Squires Aug 24 1908 to me...

 

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Not sure there's a big enough size difference.

 

Box Rec says there was 3 lbs between them.

 

Did they weigh in? Boxrec lists quite a few weights in early fights that are dodgy.

 

I don't know, I don't have the Burns biography yet.

 

That definitely looks like Tommy Burns. His opponent could be Marvin Hart. The wide part in his hair and the slightly balding hairline resembles an older Marvin Hart.

The referee looks like Charles Eyton, who refereed Burns-Hart.

The angle of the fighters could be misleading. The fellow in the white looks a little smaller, but his legs are more bent and he seems further away from the photographer than the fighter in black who I'm assuming is Burns.

Could be the Burns-Hart Title fight. Reports said the ring lights went out at some point. There are lights rigged up. But they don't look too stable.

 

If the given weights are correct Hart had 17 1/2lbs on Burns.

 

I'm not basing it on weights listed. I'm basing it on who they look like. The guy in the black looks like Tommy Burns. The guy win the white looks like Marvin Hart. The referee looks like Charles Eyton. It took place in February in California. Everyone is wearing coats. The fight had ring lights ... it wasn't fought early in the day. This one does, too.

 

You may be right, I'm just thinking there does not seem to be weight disparity between them.

 

Sometimes it helps to identify the ref. In this case, if you open the image in a new tab and enlarge it, you can see the referee's face pretty clearly. He really resembles the photo of Eyton on boxrec, down to the eyeglasses, nose and mouth.

Eyton refereed like a 100 fights. But he only officiated a couple Tommy Burns fights - if we think that's Burns. One of them was Burns-Hart. The others were against Jack Twin Sullivan (who was bald) and Philadelphia Jack O'Brien (but there are photos of that - which don't match these).

So there's a good shot it's Burns-Hart, unless that's not Tommy Burns in the black. If it's not, forget everything I said. (LOL)

 

The world heavyweight bout between Tommy Burns and Marvin Hart took place in Naud Junction Pavilion, an indoor venue located in Los Angeles, California. In other words, the photograph was not taken during the bout between Burns and Hart.

The epic world lightweight bout between Ad Wolgast and Battling Nelson also took place near a large tank. However, I believe the photograph was taken during a bout at Rushcutter's Bay.

- Chuck Johnston

 

This picture is from the Heavyweight title fight between Tommy Burns and Bill Squires in August 1908 and the referee is Harry Nathan.

This is The Sydney Stadium in Rushcutters Bay shortly after it was built and where a few months later, Jack Johnson would defeat Tommy Burns for the heavyweight title. The huge gasometer is easily identifiable in the background looming over the stadium.