Forget Danny Green vs Anthony Mundine or Lester Ellis vs Barry Michael. Those fights are nothing compared to what happened at Rushcutters Bay 100 years ago. Only then has the boxing World truly focused solely on what was going on in the squared ring all the way down here in Australia. At 11am on Boxing Day of 1908 (exactly 100 years ago), Tommy Burns stepped into the ring at Rushcutters Bay to give an African American the first shot at the World Heavyweight title. It’s been 100 years since the most significant event in Australian Boxing History took place when Jack Johnson became the first black man to win the World Heavyweight title. Other black fighters had previously fought for and won World Championships at lower weight divisions including George Dixon (Bantamweight and Featherweight), ‘Barbados’ Joe Walcott (Welterweight) and Joe Gans (lightweight), but it was way too risky for the white public to risk their ’superiority’ by even giving a black man a chance at claiming he was the best fighter in the World, let alone someone as ahead of his time in terms of boxing skill as Jack Johnson.
Jack Johnson made his way up the same way that all black boxers of the time did; by fighting other top black boxers. After having fought the likes of Sam McVey four times and Joe Jeanette eight times as well as defeating the great Sam Langford, Johnson had proved himself to be the ‘Coloured Heavyweight Champion’ as it was back then. Johnson was the first black heavyweight to get top white boxers into the ring with him, knocking out both ‘Fireman’ Jim Flynn and former Heavyweight Champion Bob Fitzsimmons in 1907 making him easily the top contender for the title.
Tommy Burns had won the vacant Heavyweight Championship of the World by decisioning Marvin Hart in a fight that recently retired Heavyweight Champion Jim Jeffries assigned as being for the vacant crown. Burns was probably the most active Heavyweight Champion of all-time, defending against literally all comers in making 10 defences of his crown in just two and a half years. Burns travelled around the World to fight these fighters, but when Jack Johnson started publicly calling him out he travelled the World for different reasons; hoping that Johnson wouldn’t follow him so he didn’t have to fight him.
Burns toured Europe, fighting some of the best fighters over there including Irish champion Jem Roche who he knocked out in the first round and British champion Gummer Moir who lasted ten. After fighting Australian champion Bill Squires in Paris, Burns heard that Johnson was making his way there to challenge him so he fled to England. Johnson followed him there only for Burns to ship off to Australia. The British Board of Boxing sold Burns out on the condition that Johnson meet Sam Langford in a title fight should he defeat Burns in Australia (a promise which Johnson later broke). In Australia, the fight was promoted by caterer Hugh McIntosh who built a stadium at Rushcutters Bay (which later became the site for Sydney Stadium where most of the great domestic Australian bouts took place before the mid 60s) for the fight to take place.
Burns built up interest in the fight by first defending his belt against top local fighters Bill Squires (again) and Bill Lang, knocking both of them out. Both fights took place within ten days! The fight finally took place almost four months after Burns’ last fight. The fight attracted 16,000 fans (with many more unable to get a ticket) earning over a £26,000 live gate for promoter McIntosh. Burns was made the favourite but probably more out of hope then knowledge and it didn’t take long for the much bigger, more skilled Johnson to take command. Johnson toyed with Burns throughout the fight mocking and playing with him while punishing the Heavyweight Champion. Johnson seemed to be prolonging the beating in order to punish Burns for the years of drawing the colour line on him in regards to the two meeting in the ring. The end finally came in the 14th round when Burns could take no more pubishment and the local police intervened, shutting off the cameras which were recording the bout and saving Burns from being knocked out.
The aftermath of the fight was huge in many areas. Johnson was forced to defend against numerous ‘Great White Hopes’ a term coined by Jack London who referred to Johnson as a ’subhuman ape’ who needed to be ‘put in his place.’ After Johnson dispatched a number of these white hopes, former champion Jim Jeffries came out of retirement to take on Johnson and had his perfect ring record spoiled, leading to numerous riots around the United States in which over 20 people (mostly African Americans) were killed. Johnson’s victory and the arrogant way in which he held the title was the reason why no black boxer was given another title shot until Joe Louis won the crown in 1937.
This fight was arguably the most important boxing match of the 20th century and it took place on Australian soil. It’s hard to imagine that there will ever be a fight of that magnitude in the Heavyweight division ever again, let alone one in Australia. That fight was the peak of interest in boxing on Australian soil and one of the countries most significant sporting moments, yet I haven’t heard anything about it’s centennial on the news or anything like that. That is the reason for me writing this article, because I felt that it’s a moment that should at least be recognised. If anyone can tell me of anything that did actually happen to recognise this historical moment in Australian sport and World boxing, please let me know in the comments. I’ve hit up a few guys I know on other forums to spam some Australian boxing sites with this article at exactly 11am (the time the fight started 100 years ago), anyone else who would like to do the same please do so.
Just because I’m still in the Christmas spirit, heres some footage of the fight:
