BOXING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2748, 1 March 1910, Page 6

BOXING.

THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

BURNS AND LANG

It will not be the fault of either if Tommy Burns and Bill Lang are not in the best possible condition for their contest to take place at the Stadium on Easter Monday night next (says the Sydney “Referee”), and in connection with which the heavy-weight championship of Australasia is involved. Burns has been on the roads daily during the past 10 days, and since Friday last has added indoor work to his programme. Every afternoon lie takes on a couple of strong fellows in the Paddington Barracks gymnasium, where there is no lack of good, solid, willing material to try his hand upon. On Monday, after engaging a couple of extra heavy Australian Artillerymen, the world’s ex-champion and Arthur Cripps were opponents in a brisk and consequently exacting four rounds’ bout. Bill Lang, having only recently let himself down a bit after preparing for two important fights, does not need the length of time Burns requires to get ready, and consequently _ has arranged to start at his old training quarters:— Pick’s Duke of Cleveland Hotel, Redfern—on the Ist prox., which will give him exactly four weeks to the day of battle—ample time, all things considered.

Pat O’Keefe is looking after Tommy Burns.

JACK JOHNSON ON HIMSELF. • Interviewed by “Tad” in the “New York Evening Journal,” Jack Johnson said: “You can take it from ane that this fight will be won and lost on its merits. I’ve been trying ever since I started in the fighting game, and I’m not going to begin to fake at this lato date. Neither Jeffries nor -myself have even spoken to one another outside ofthat meeting when we sigued articles. I know that- Jeff figures himself as a winner, but so do 1. People 'hint that I can make more money by flopping to Jeffries than I can 'by winning this fight. Well, they ■have one way of figuring, but I have another. If I should knock Jeffries out just as many people will igo to see the (pictures as if it happened the other way. “If I had been'mixed up in fakes I wouldn’t -mind it iso much, but neither Jeffries nor myself have such reputations. But still there are people Who think the fight will not be- on the level I know that people will come to me with money to lose this fight. They come to all big fighters and offer them coin.

"Why, I w&ft offered a young fortune to lose in the Ketchcl fight. 1 ■won’t tell you who offered the money, or what the amount was, but you can take it from me that I wouldn’t have to work for many years if I had accepted it. I was offered a- big bunch of coin over in Philadelphia to -let Fitzsimmons stay, too, but I didn’t take it. I’m just as proud' of my record as a painter is of .his masterpiece. “What would I be now if I’d lost to Ivetchel? They’d never give me another chance. I had to go around the world twico to .get Tommy Burns, and then fought for (practically nothing. It was a lia-rd fight to land that match, and a tough struggle to get on top. I’m there now to stay, and the man who -wins over me will do it pn the square. “I’m sure that I could get 150,900 dollars to lose this fight. 1 know that I’ll be offered that amount; but tell my friends and backers that they can hot everything they have and be sure that I’ll win if I can. If my mother bet her new house on me, I wouldn’t fight any harder or train more faithfully. “Jeffries will beat me on the square or I’ll beat him on the square.”