The last heavyweight champion that Tommy Burns could beat?

Burns was interviewed immediately following the Marciano/LaStarza title fight. 1954

Interviewer "Tommy, we sportswriters and many fans see similarities between the Rock and you"

Burns "Why, thank you. Thank you. Rock will have fitted in perfectly with the old breed"

Interveiwer "Tommy, have you any thought on how you'd fare with Rocky?"

Burns "Strong fighter, pal. He's not dissimilar to Jeffries in power. Its likely I'd last just 3 rounds with a fighter like Rock"

Interveiwer "Really? You'd only invisage youself seeing out 3 rounds?"

Burns "Sure. 3, maybe 4 rounds. I am 73 years old"

 

COULD beat? I'd certainly say that Marvin Hart, Jack Sharkey, Johanssen and Spinks COULD lose to Tommy Burns on a bad night.

Marvin Hart: just not that impressive.

Jack Sharkey: hopelessly inconsistent.

Ingo Johanssen: horribly shaky chin. I just don't give any boxer a 100% chance against anyone of note if they can get sparked out by Brian London.

Leon Spinks: totally unreliable. I don't trust anyone who could "prepare" like he did against Ali in their second fight (by staying in a shack and smoking weed/drinking moonshine) and who can come within a round or two of losing to Scott LeDoux to have a 100% chance even against a super-middleweight.

I'd only make Burns a favourite against Marvin Hart, though.

 

Qawi?:think

 

Very funny !

 

Cosign.

 

jack dempsey

 

No way....

 

Tommy Burns made the most of what he had. At only 5'7" his best fighting weight was about 174-175 pounds. He was quick on his feet, a smart boxer and a solid puncher. He beat the best heavies in the USA (Marvin Hart, O'Brien and Flynn), Australia (Bill Squires and Bill Lang), Ireland (Jem Roche), England (Gunner Moir) and France (Jewey Smith) to gain International recognition as heavyweight champion. Back then the champion of any weight class dictated the rules and picked his opponents, so Al Kaufmann and Jack Johnson had no more right to a title shot than Sam Langford did when Johnson held the title. Johnson should have kissed Tommy's feet for allowing him to challenge him for his title. No other previous champion would have.

I've watched the film of a number of Burns' fights. He was a tough little SOB who wasn't scared of any man on earth, including Johnson and even Jim Jeffries. If Jack Johnson could have knocked out Tommy Burns, he wouldn't have waited 14 rounds to do it. He hit Tommy some good ones, but Burns always came back to scratch. Tommy hit Johnson to the body, but Johnson hid it well; Burns later said he could feel something give when he hit Johnson in the ribs. Like Muhammad Ali, Johnson could hide it well.

When the local police stopped the fight, Burns was on his feet and ready to keep fighting, ready to go the distance. He was in no more danger of being knocked out in that last round than he was earlier on, when Johnson clinched, held and shoved him down.

Burns did better than most of Johnson's opponents. Johnson preferred fighting smaller men, generally avoiding men his own size unless they were old or less skilled than him. When he finally did defend against Battling Jim Johnson, he quit in the last round, complaining of an injured arm. Today, Jim would've been awarded a TKO and the title.

Now, as to which later champions Tommy Burns could beat, seeing as how no one can ever say for certain, I'll say Dempsey, Tunney, Jack Sharkey, Max Schmeling, Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Floyd Patterson, Ingemar Johannsen, and Leon Spinks. Prove me wrong.

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