Did Tommy Burns ever draw the color line?

Burns actually did initially draw the colorline at the urging of Jeffries and did everything in his power to avoid having to face Johnson, but Johnson was very resourceful and had a lot of wealthy friends, so he did everything in power to shame Burns and basically destroyed any reputation Burns had in Europe.

Burns eventually gave in and agreed to fight Johnson, but Johnson had to give in to every one of Burns demands and some of them were ridiculous.

 

Initially, he was very clear that he was NOT drawing the color line. He had fought black fighters en route to the title as well. However, later he said his wife, a southern lady, insisted that he would draw the line, and hence he was doing so. Yet, sometime thereafter, Burns said that after he had cleaned up all the top whites, if there was a large enough monetary offer, he would cross the line. Once he was offered his asking price, he signed to fight Johnson. He won the title in 1906 and by late 1908 he fought Johnson. Bottom line is I don't think Burns had any real qualms about fighting a black fighter. He was all about maximizing his pocketbook.

 

You seem to look at this in entirely the wrong way.

Burns drew the quality line.

He was basically the first belt milker in the history of the sport.

He made as much money as he could, for as little risk as he could, for as long as he could.

When he came to the end of the road on that, he cashed out against Jack Johnson.

The fact that he did not have a problem with fighting a black opponent in principle, does not mean that he was a man of unsullied principle.

 

Jack Johnson #1. Also, potentially Sam McVey, Joe Jeannette, or Sam Langford, all of whom were considered right behind Johnson.

 

Willie Lewis, speaking in 1908:

You may be surprised to know that Sam McVey, the big Los Angeles negro, is the Parisians' fighting idol, and as soon as Burns got to Paris he was pestered to death with challenges from McVey and his followers. They offered a purse of $20,000 for the match, and Burns said to me:

"I had made up my mind that I would fight only one negro – that's Johnson – but I hate like the deuce to let this money get away from me." At the fight Saturday McVey and his backers again challenged Burns, and Tommy replied: "Give me a purse of $25,000, split $20,000 to the winner and $5,000 to the loser, and a side bet of $5,000, and I"ll fight McVey here."

This is all in the book, In the Ring With Tommy Burns.