BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2142, 26 July 1907, Page 1

BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP.

SQUIRES V. BURNS.

Cabled advices received from the Sydney Morning Herald state that , the, boxing contest for the heavyweight championship between W. Squires, of New South Wales, and T. Burns, of America, took place on July 3rd at San Francisco. Janies J. Jeffries, the retired champion, acted as referee. Burns knocked out Squires in one round. When the fight commenced the men came together quickly. Squires forced Burns around, the latter backing away They clinched, and both tried to punch iii the clinches, and failed. Burns felled Squires with a right oil the jaw. Squires rose immediately ami went ill; scoring oil the body with bis-right. They clinched again vij| l worked across tile floor. Scjuiios laid his right on Burns’ body, and Ins left on bis ear. Then Burns landed hi-, l-i'dit on Squires’s head, and followed it with another, knocking the Australian down. Squires rose, but he was knocked down again. Squires proved the biggest failure as a championship candidate that ever entered a ring here (says a tele- ■ i-iam from the ring side). He had no defence from Burns, and was knocked out in less than a minute’s lighting. At the sound of the gong, Burns retreated around the ring. Squires clinched. Burns drew Squires s fire, and then floored him with a right-temple hit. Squires was clearly rattled, and arose with a lump between the ear and the eye the size of a pigeon’s egg. Squires then went at Burns in a shaky manner and forced him on the platform, •retime ill some body punches and a left-hander on the side of the face. Burns was cool, hut Squires was suffering from the knock-down blow. Burns watched his chance, and landed a. snapping blow. Squires went ts> the hoards again, but-got up. He reeled, ducking imaginary blows, and tiling to clinch an imaginary opponent. Burns measured him, and sent hi n down and “out" with a righthander on the chill. Squires rested on his back, his head slightly raised, and eyelids trembling. Jeffries counted him out. Squires’ failure comes as such a surprise to Australian followers of boxing that they are disinclined to believe that the Newcastle man could i have been in his ordinary health, s That ho should he beaten was posi sible, but that he should be beaten • will such ease and bo described in terms of contempt by journalistic ex-

ports is inexplicable. His Australian record wns wonderful, not only by its success, hut the ease with which such success was atained. Ho invariably exhibited groat courage and endurance, and compared favorably with the Australian champions of a dozen years ago, who held their own with tho world. The only excuse that can ho advanced for Squires’ poor showing, assuming that no suspicion, of liocussing or other foul play attaches to anybody connected with the affair, is that the blow was a chance one But the private cable message received in Melbourne does not oven suggest this. Australians generally will regret Squires’ defeat, not only from patriotic hut from personal motives. By his manly conduct in the ring, and clean living in private life, he was a model athlete, and made warm friends of all who met him.

Tho feeling of disappointment in Melbourne at the result was very keen

Everybody thought the fight a good thing for Squires; the only question was whether it would take him more than one round to win. When word came through that Squires had been beaten in a round, the news could •scarcely be credited. That Squires’ poor showing with Burns represents his true form, no one who has followed his career thinks for a moment. Experts in Melbourne agree that the most reasonable explanation--of his disappointing form is that he “lost his head.” He lias invariably been excited; so excited at times that lie has appeared for a time not to know wliat lie was doing. A cable received liy Mr. J. Wren from his agent, Mr. Barney Reynolds, states that Burns won cleanly in one round. Reynolds advises that Squires bo recalled. Squires is under engagement 1 o Mr. Wren for twelve months. Mr Wren said ho would wait for a few days for further developments. A good deal of money changed hands in Melbourne over the fight, Squires being backed at six to four on. Mr Wren was no doubt the principal loser. He is stated to have lost £SOOO. He is naturally very much disappointed, but still regards Squirts as a great fighter, but thinks he will some day retrieve his reputation