If Burns had ducked Johnson ?

Most will probably pick Ketchel but I give Burns a 50/50 chance here.

 

Stan was on a roll in 1909 having kod O 'Brien.

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I think Burns KO's him, likely in brutal fashion.

 

Interesting,I doubt many will agree.

 

O'Brien was past his best by that time. Ketchel's resume is a little thin, and he died young. Stanley's best win is Papke, but Papke wasn't the type who liked to train hard and also beat Ketchel on film.

I think Burns Ko's Ketchel, who has no form of defense, and a very wild but hardly well thought out type of offense. Burns had modern looking skills and stopped bigger men. He also looks to have better hand speed, and of course better size. Burns also had the better chin.

What if Burns did not fight Johnson?

We'd probably see Johnson taking on prime versions of Langford, Jeannette, and McVey which is something he didn't get in his career, and maybe have a leftover film or two to see how it played out.

 

I'm actually surprised some are ,like me , picking Burns.

 

I pick Burns here. He'd be the naturally big guy, and I think he looks considerably better on film than Stan, so he gets my vote.

 

If Tommy Burns didn't defend the title against Jack Johnson, nobody else would have either. So Jack Johnson never becomes heavyweight champion. Jess Willard doesn't, either. Because the search for a "White Hope" never would've occurred. Jim Jeffries never comes out of retirement.

Burns could've made 20 title defenses against weak competition. Or there could've been a dozen heavyweight champions over the next decade until a guy like Dempsey emerged. Or maybe Dempsey never gets a shot, either.

EVERYTHING would be different.

 

Burns was initially to defended against Sam McVey in late 1908, it was changed to Johnson.

I think Mcvey would have offered Johnson a title match had he beaten Burns sooner or later.

While the white hopes that Johnson selected for title matches were pretty weak, the title defenses Burns picked could be viewed as even weaker. I would not pick Burns over L. McCarty or GB Smith.

 

If Tommy Burns waited a little longer to fight Johnson, and Burns lost, there's no saying the next guy defends against Johnson. That's my point.

Think Stanley Ketchel fights Jack Johnson if Johnson isn't the heavyweight champion? No way in hell.

Burns was more apt to defend against Johnson because Burns wasn't from the U.S. Think any white US heavyweight who knocked off Burns for the heavyweight title defends against Johnson?

NO.

 

Again, Tommy Burns wasn't from the U.S. And he defended against Johnson in freaking Australia.

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