Tommy Burns: Time To Give Credit to Boxing’s Most Underrated Champion

By Travis “Novel” Fleming

When asked what they know about former heavyweight champion Tommy Burns, 46-4-8, 34 KO’s, an unfair majority’s most common response is “isn’t he that guy that got whooped by Jack Johnson?” Some go as far as labeling Tommy as one of the weakest heavyweight champions in history, which couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s a shame, because Burns was an incredible fighter who was way ahead of his time. He pioneered training methods that are still in place today, and implemented brute power with a scientific approach. He could box, and he could go to war. At just 5’7, Burns fought from lightweight all the way up to heavyweight, where he still remarkably packed a powerful punch.

He captured the world heavyweight championship as the smallest man history to do so, and set several championship records along the way. He holds the record for most consecutive heavyweight title defenses won by knockout with eight, he had the fastest KO in heavyweight championship history, and against a foe favored to beat him, and his eleven title defenses was a record for heavyweight champs that lasted for over 30 years until Joe Louis surpassed it in the 1940’s. A big reason Tommy isn’t universally recognized as the great fighter he was is that he was a victim of the racist media of the day, namely the highly respected and famous novelist Jack London, who was also a sports writer. Tommy stated “I will defend my title against all comers, none barred.

By this I mean white, black, Mexican, Indian, or any other nationality. I propose to be the champion of the world, not the white, or the Canadian, or the American. If I am not the best man in the heavyweight division, I don’t want the title.” Tommy became the first champion to give a title shot to a Jewish fighter, and most notably the first to fight a black man when he gave the great Jack Johnson his well deserved title shot amidst great protest from whites who were afraid of seeing the repercussions of possibly witnessing a black man showing superiority over a white champion. In an effort to slander Johnson’s accomplishments and ability, many whites in the media engaged in a smear campaign against both Johnson and Burns.

They dismissed Burns as a weak champion, and an embarrassment, in an attempt to downplay Johnson’s victory. Johnson was later vindicated, proving himself to be the best heavyweight champion of all time up until that point, and as the years passed, most pundits and fans alike recognized that he was the victim of a smear campaign by the racist media. Burns, however, was never afforded the same vindication. His loss to Johnson was his last time on the big stage after a stellar career that began at 135 lbs, and the smear campaign still haunts his legacy today. I’m here to give some insight into one of the most underrated fighters in history. One that deserves to be recognized for his excellent ability, his accomplishments, his groundbreaking stances that changed the sport, and his heart of gold. Tommy was so much more than “that little guy that Jack Johnson beat the hell out of”, and it’s my hope that this article can provide at least an iota of vindication for this great fighter, if only to a handful of readers.

Tommy was born Noah Brusso in a small village just outside of Hanover, Ontario, Canada on June 17, 1881. He fought his first few fights under his birth name before adopting the Irish “nom de guerre” Tommy Burns, which was common for fighters of his era that didn’t have easy to remember Irish or British names, in order appeal to the majority of the times fight fans who came from Irish or British backgrounds. Noah’s reason for changing names was a little bit different. After beginning his career as a lightweight in Detroit, Noah quickly packed on muscle and within a couple of years he was recognized as the middleweight champion of Michigan. He was a vicious puncher as a middleweight and in January of 1904, Noah nearly killed opponent Ben O’Grady, sending his foe into a coma. He had to flee Detroit to avoid arrest for assault, and participating in an illegal prizefight. The incident was international news, and in order to protect his family, he changed his name to Ed Burns and, a bit later, to Tommy Burns.

As a youth, his family was impoverished, living in a rural log cabin. He was the twelfth of thirteen children. His father was a bitter and abusive man who failed to provide for his enormous family and passed away while Noah was a young boy. As a boy, Noah was as rough as they come and an excellent athlete. He was a good enough lacrosse goalie that he was playing against men as a teenager and gained a reputation as an unbeatable goalkeeper willing to take on all comers, despite his diminutive stature. He sharpened his teeth on the lacrosse field where he found an outlet for his natural violence and restless energy. The type of lacrosse played Canadian fields in the day was the most popular spectator sport in the country, and was about the most dangerously violent sport on earth. Players routinely clubbed each other in the head, and across the back, with their sticks.

Fights were as common as goals, sometimes ending with a fallen man being stomped by his conquerer until teammates came to return the favor, ending in full out team on team brawls that would eventually spill into the crowd. In one game in which Noah played goal, a player was kicked so hard he suffered a ruptured kidney, another suffered a fractured knee cap, another a punctured lung, and a fourth man required stitches to close a scalp wound resulting from a stick club to the head. Noah had cat like reflexes and regularly notched shutouts in a sport where teams averaged over ten goals per game. When he felt it was necessary, he would abandon his goal to meet an agressive attacker on his way with a brutal haymaker that would lay the opposing player out like a mat. Noah’s excessive violent attacks led to him being the most universally hated player in the league who was regularly kicked out of games by frustrated referee’s. His team paid each player $25 a week, and knowing his value as the best goalie in the league, they, one season, gave Noah an extra $50 for each game he completed without getting ejected, which managed to keep the young hothead in the majority of games for the remainder of the season. It led to his team winning the championship that year, largely due to the stellar goalkeeping by the young Noah Brusso.

Noah left school at a young age, and as a teen he hopped between menial jobs wherever he could find work. While working as a baggage handler on a steamer on Lake Michigan, he jumped ship in Detroit and would soon embark on a professional boxing career.

His first professional bout was in 1900, as a 19 year old lightweight. In no time, he built a reputation for destroying local fighters. Within a couple years, he was regarded as a vicious scrapper with a lethal right hand. By 1902, he had filled out to the middleweight limit, and gained recognition as state champion of Michigan when he knocked out Tom McCune. Proving his willingness to take on all comers, even as a rookie who was still just a middleweight, he would challenge undefeated heavyweight contender Mike Shreck. Remarkably, he lasted the distance, and at the end of ten rounds lost a competitive battle by referee’s decision. Returning to middleweight where he was already on the small side, he would defend his state championship three times by the end of 1903. His first bout of 1904 was the aforementioned incident against Ben O’Grady. He battered O’Grady into a coma, and because prize fighting was still officially illegal he changed his name, fled the state to avoid arrest, and Tommy Burns was born. Wary of inflicting that kind of damage on another opponent, Burns decided to campaign in the light heavyweight division, where he figured the naturally bigger men could better handle his concussive right hand.

Burns went west to Chicago to ply his trade, and ended up continuing westward to Seattle where he hunkered down, after winning several bouts along the way and establishing himself as an up and coming talent to be on the look out for. In late 1904, Burns’ growing reputation earned him a fight with the great Philadelphia Jack O’Brien, who to this day is regarded as one of the greatest light heavyweights that ever lived. O’Brien’s experience proved too much for Burns, who was still learning on the job, and Burns suffered his second career defeat, once again in a competitive decision loss.

In 1905, Burns would fight middleweight great Jack “Twin Sullivan” to a twenty round draw. In May, he beat Dave Barry by decision over 20 rounds, and gained recognition as the middleweight champion of the Pacific Coast. He would draw twice with Hugo Kelly, and beat Barry again in a rematch. In October, he would rematch Jack “Twin” Sullivan, this time with the world middleweight championship at stake. Burns lost a close decision, and would spend the remainder of his career campaigning against much bigger men, for much bigger purses, in the heavyweight division, where it wasn’t uncommon for him to be dwarfed by five inches and twenty pounds.

James J Jeffries, who was widely considered to be the greatest heavyweight of all time up until that point, retired in 1905 as a heavyweight champion who saw no viable challengers remaining after beating nine future hall of famers in just twenty pro contests. The enormous for his day Jeffries, retired to be an alfalfa farmer in Burbank, California, and put his vacant title on the line for a bout between top contenders Marvin Hart and Jack Root in July, a fight which was refereed by Jeffries himself. Hart knocked out Root in the twelfth round to become Jeffries’ successor as world heavyweight champion. Jeffries was a beloved champion, and most fans refused to accept Hart as his successor, despite him holding wins over many top heavyweights including all time great Jack Johnson.

There were many other great black heavyweights of the era, and although Hart and champions before him fought some of them before becoming champions, they would not allow them the chance to fight for the championship, fearing the repercussions from the racist media and fans of the early 1900’s who shuttered at thought of the king of the fighting world being a black man who showed supremacy over a white champion. Jack Johnson was widely regarded as the top contender to challenge for Hart’s title, but not wanting to alienate a fan base that already wouldn’t give him credit as champion, Hart searched for a white challenger and settled on Tommy Burns who was campaigning for shot by way of a front man playing the role of manager, when it was in fact Burns who managed himself his entire career as a shrewd businessman. Burns was actually offered a shot at middleweight champion Tommy Ryan, one of the greatest middleweights of all time, but opted to chase the bigger paydays that would come with holding the heavyweight championship of the world.

Hart and Burns squared off in February of 1906 in Los Angeles. Most felt Burns was in over his head against the bigger man, and the oddsmakers agreed making Hart a heavy favorite. Burns was a clever man, and engaged in psychological batte with opponents prior to fight night long before it was common place. Tommy entered the ring on fight night with an almost comical amount of tape on his hands with hopes of upsetting Hart, so he made sure Hart took notice. Hart was visibly angry, and instantly demanded that Burns have his hands re wrapped. Burns quipped “I didn’t think a big champion like you would mind a little man like me wearing a bit of tape”, a furious Hart took a swing a Burns before the fight had even begun.

When the opening bell rang, Hart was still fuming about the pre fight altercation and abandoned any notion of boxing in favor of trying knock Burns’ head clean off of his shoulders. He made ill calculated rush after rush, as Burns confidently played matador and successfully counterpunched the vast majority of Hart’s attacks. After twenty rounds, the little giant of Hanover was declared the winner by decision, and the new heavyweight champion of the world. Prior to the fight, Hart was so confident of a win that he insisted that the winner be awarded 70 percent of the purse, so Tommy Burns was paid $1,650, a staggering amount of money for a prizefight at the time, for his championship winning effort, while Hart was left with the remaining $750, a damaged reputation, and a sore ego.

Burns would next make history by facing two pugs in the same night, scoring two first round knockouts in what was more of an exhibition than anything. He took several months off to enjoy the spoils of his victory, and didn’t make his first official title defense until October, when he squared off against top contender Fireman Jim Flynn, who would go on to hold a win over one of the greatest fighters who ever lived in Sam Langford, and a shocking first knockout over one of the greatest heavyweights ever in Jack Dempsey. Flynn was a murderous puncher, but the much smaller Tommy Burns, refusing to let his title go, incredibly gave as good as he took until round 15 when he scored a right hand knockout in making his first successful defense as heavyweight champion. This set up a rematch with the great Philadelphia Jack O’Brien, who was now the world champion a division below at light heavyweight, but was still a bigger man than Tommy, who ironically was the new king in a heavier weight class.

Burns versus O’Brien two was set for November of 1906. This time, they battled to a draw, which many observers felt Burns deserved to win. Burns was a fabulous infighter and he regularly worked his way into close quarters using questionable tactics to rough up the classy O’Brien. Burns wanted a win over former conquerer O’Brien so badly that he, amidst complaints from O’Brien that he refused to fight a third time unless Burns agreed to abandon his in fighting and rough housing, agreed to box O’Brien from the outside in their third contest. This, of course, was just a way of getting O’Brien into the ring once more, and it worked. There was no way a fighter could be prevented from any tactic that doesn’t include fouling, and if Burns fouled the ref most definitely could have taken action as it would be preposterous to not allow the smaller man to work his way in close where he was more effective by neutralizing the jab and sharp punching of a set O’Brien.

On the night of the fight, Burns informed the promoter that he would fight as he pleased within the Marquess of Queensberry rules, which prompted the promoter to declare that all bets were off in front of a packed audience in Los Angeles. O’Brien was already in the ring on his stool, waiting for the opening bell, when he heard this announcement. It was another psychological victory for Tommy, that served to unhinge O’Brien so badly he had to be shoved off of his stool into the ring at the fight’s commencement. O’Brien fought like a scared man, and used his fleet footedness to practically run away from Tommy, flicking out the occasional range finding jab. Burns would chase and eventually lay gloves on O’Brien. After twenty rounds of playing cat and mouse, Burns was awarded the referees decision in the third defense of his heavyweight championship.

Two months later, Burns would attempt his fourth title defense against power punching Australian Bill Squires. Squires had quite the reputation, which was bolstered further by favorable write ups by American sports writers that eventually led to a sell out crowd of twenty thousand plus in Coma, California. So convinced were people that Squires was the new king of the big men, that he was actually the betting favorite over the established champion. A lot bets were lost that night as Burns set a new record for quickest knockout in heavyweight history when he felled Squires to the canvass twice with right crosses, then flattened him for the count halfway through the first round in what was the most devastating championship performance ever, up until that point.

Five months later, in December of 1907, Burns would defend for the fifth time, this time taking his show on the road to prove he could beat the best big men all around the world. He traveled to London, England to defend his title against against British heavyweight champion Gunner Moir. Burns wanted to be a legitimate champion of the WORLD, not just champion of the best white North Americans. He made it known that he was the very first champion willing to defend against the best, no matter what continent, race, or religion they belonged to. If he couldn’t beat them all, then he wouldn’t consider himself the true world champion of the heavyweights. He carried Moir in front of his home crowd, then destroyed him in the tenth round of a scheduled twenty.
Burns remained in England through Christmas and New Years, and began 1908 making his sixth title defense against top British contender Jack Palmer, who he knocked out in the fourth round. He then crossed over to Ireland, a month later, and knocked out Irish heavyweight champ Jem Roche in the first round. After easily dispatching the best British and Irish heavyweights with 3 KO’s in four months, he crossed the English Channel to France where he made history in April by being the first champion to face a Jewish challenger when he knocked out Jewy Smith in the fifth round in Paris. In June, also in Paris, he faced Billy Squires again, who was hoping to avenge his embarrassing first round knock out from a year earlier. This time, Squires did a bit better lasting until the eighth round before getting crushed by another Tommy Burns right hand.

By this time Burns had defended his title nine times, with seven knockouts, and was recognized around the world as the legitimate world heavyweight champion who, despite his small size, managed to beat many great big men. Jack Johnson, the great black American heavyweight, and widely recognized as the best who had yet to receive a title shot, began to hound Burns for a title shot at every turn. Burns let it be known that he would be the first champion to break the color barrier for a guarantee of $30,000 to fight Johnson, or Sam Langford, which was an incredible amount of money for the day, especially considering his purse of $1,650 against Marvin Hart was already thought to be on the high end. Burns, being the shrewd business man that he was, knew that eventually, as he kept beating the best men around the world, it was a figure it could legitimately command when the only challengers left that anyone figured had a chance against him were the superb black heavyweights of the day.

Continuing his travels around the globe to give fans and fighters everywhere a chance to see the champion in action, Burns went south to Australia. In August, he faced their best heavyweight Bill Squires for the third time, this time in front of Squires’ home fans in Sydney, where Squires figured home advantage would see him lift the title off of Burns. By this time, Squires knew Burns well, having sparred with him extensively and faced him twice before for for the title. This experience, and the home fan support, gave Squires the boost he needed to last longer than in his previous two attempts. He gave a good showing in front of his adoring Aussies, but once again was knocked out by Burns, this time in the thirteenth round of a scheduled twenty. A month later, Burns would travel from Sydney to Melbourne to square off with hometown hero, top contender, and gigantic heavyweight for the time, Billy Lang. Burns would set his record eighth consecutive knockout in defending his title when he dropped the massive Aussie for the count in the sixth round. Burns was the first true international heavyweight champion, and the first heavyweight champion to defend the title outside the United States.

While down south, Burns met Aussie boxing promoter Hugh McIntosh. McIntosh actually offered Burns’ requested $30,000 purse to face the black Jack Johnson in Sydney, and without hesitation Burns accepted the largest purse in history at the time, twice as big as the previous record, while he also, true his word, became the first man to offer a black man a chance to win the world heavyweight championship. Burns drew heavy criticism from the American fight crowd, and especially the conservative media, for allowing a black man a title shot. They sought to tarnish Burns’ impressive reign at every turn in an attempt to discredit a potential Johnson victory. True to his word, Burns would not waiver on his decision, and the fight went down on Boxing Day of 1908 at the Sydney Stadium in Sydney, Australia.

Surprisingly, Burns weighed in at his lowest weight in nearly four years, 168 lbs, against a dangerous and supremely skilled Johnson who was in his prime, five inches taller, and 23 lbs heavier. Rumors had it that Burns’ drastic weight loss, his lowest weight since he won the title, was a result of either jaundice or influenza, but that he’d chosen to go through with the fight anyways with $30,000 on the line, which was ill advisable against a foe as big and formidable as Johnson, who proved to be one of the greatest heavyweights who ever lived. The bout was a massive success at the gate with over 20,000 fans crammed into the Sydney Stadium, and over 30,000 more waiting outside of the stadium with hopes of being the first people besides those inside to catch wind of the result. From the onset, Johnson toyed with the smaller Burns, peppering him with shots, and taunting him the whole way, especially when they clinched. Johnson, frustrated that he’d been frozen out of a title shot for so long, and using some psychological warfare of his own, was overheard saying “Poor little Tommy, who told you you were a fighter?” When Burns landed the rare blow, Johnson laughed and said “Poor, poor, Tommy.

Who taught you to hit? Your mother?” Burns would later claim that in the first round, promoter McIntosh, who was also refereeing the bout with a vested interest in a Johnson victory, took hold of Tommy’s left hand as he was forcing a break from a clinch and maneuvered him towards a Johnson uppercut which felled Tommy for an eight count. Johnson used his massive size advantage, and his defensive genius, to wear Burns down. He used his reach to sting Burns with accurate blows from a distance, then used his strength to push off of Burns in the clinch to sneak in thunderous short punches with all of his weight behind them in close quarters. Burns, still recovering from his illness, gave a valiant effort.

He refused to stay down, and gave it his all until the very end. He showed the true heart of champion in refusing to relinquish his title, despite taking a hellacious beating from a massive heavyweight while weakened by his ailment. He was still fighting in the fourteenth round when Police rushed into the ring to stop the fight, and prevent the chances of a white audience having to witness the horror of a white champion being knocked out by his black challenger. Burns would have done better had he not been ill and underweight, even for his already small heavyweight frame, but ultimately, Johnson was a superior fighter who would have convincingly bested even the top version of Tommy Burns. Burns protested the stoppage, and insisted he was able to continue fighting, which he likely was, but, nevertheless, it would have resulted in the same victor, only with Tommy taking up to six more rounds of unnecessary punishment. Prior to the bout, it was anticipated that the Police might intervene if it looked like Johnson was on his way to stopping Tommy, so promoter McIntosh put it in the contract that in that event there would be a referee’s decision, his decision since he was also the referee. McIntosh correctly awarded the decision to Johnson, and history had its very first black heavyweight champion, one who would go on to be one of the greatest in history with a career marred by controversy over the color of his skin.

About a week after the fight, one of Johnson’s trainers by the name of Rudy Unholz, said that he and an accomplice actually snuck under the ring and hid there during the course of the fight with the intention of calling out for police intervention if Johnson was winning comfortably, with hopes that the police would mistake it for the referee, one of the corners, or Burns himself calling for aide. Unholz and his accomplice hoped that by doing this, they would be guaranteed return on the massive bets they laid down on Johnson when the fight was stopped, and the decision rendered for the man they laid money on.

Famous author Jack London, who was openly racist, went to Sydney and covered the bout for the New York Herald. He did his very best to discredit Burns’ excellent career as one of an incapable pug, which he hoped would lead to readers dismissing Johnson’s performance and ability. Racism was very common, and London, being a very popular and highly respected novelist, meant that many of the millions who read his words about Burns and Johnson took them as fact in order to validate their own racism. London wrote “”The fight? There was no fight. No Armenian massacre could compare with the hopeless slaughter that took place today. The fight, if fight it could be called, was like that between a pygmy and a colossus….But one thing now remains. Jim Jeffries must emerge from his alfalfa farm and remove the golden smile from Jack Johnson’s face. Jeff, it’s up to you! The White Man must be rescued.”

It wasn’t just London who did his best to slander Burns and Johnson. Many other famous racist writers, sports figures, and celebrities, contributed to the smear campaign. Former champion James J Jeffries, who was the most beloved and thought of as the greatest heavyweight champion ever at the time, wrote “Tommy Burns has his price—$30,000. Burns has sold his pride, the pride of the Caucasian race…The Canadian never will be forgiven by the public for allowing the title of the best physical man in the world to be wrested from his keeping by a member of the African race….I refused time and again to meet Johnson while I was holding the title, even though I knew I could beat him. I would never allow a negro a chance to fight for the world’s championship, and I advise all other champions to follow the same course….All night long I was besieged with telegrams asking me to re-enter the ring. I answer them now as I have answered them hundreds of times: ‘I have fought my last fight.”

Jeffries would come out of retirement to get absolutely thrashed by Johnson in 1910, and Johnson would go on to prove himself a greater champion than Jeffries. Johnson would give Burns credit as a true champion, and the only man who ever gave a black man a chance. In Vancouver, Canada, he spoke to a crowd of Burns’ home countrymen saying “let me say of Mr. Burns, a Canadian and one of yourselves, that he has done what no one else ever did, he gave a black man a chance for the championship. He was beaten, but he was game.”

Burns’ reputation was so damaged, that he didn’t return to the ring until mid 1910, when he won a rematch against Bill Lang, who was now the British Empire, and Australian, heavyweight champion. Burns was now 29 years old, and Lang would be the last top tier opponent of his career. His record was 42-3-8, 31 KO’s. Burns would continue to fight sparingly for another ten years having five more bouts, but none against a highly ranked opponent. He fought his last fight in June of 1920, after a two year layoff, when he faced Joe Becket for the British Empire heavyweight title. A beyond faded Burns could take no more, and the fight was stopped in the seventh round, ending an outstanding career against all odds.

After boxing, Burns had several ventures. He promoted boxing in Calgary, Canada, and New Orleans, Louisiana, and managed the careers of several fighters. He owned and operated a clothing emporium in Calgary, and a Pub in Newcastle on Tyne, England. In 1928, he moved to New York City and ran a speakeasy. Burns was a wealthy man upon retiring from boxing, but was hit hard with the stock market crash of 1929, and the onset of the great depression. With his savings completely dissipated, the one time king of the fighting world had to revert to menial jobs to scrape by, including stints as a security guard, and an insurance salesman. Burns became a man of god and was ordained as a minister in 1948. He died of a heart attack while visiting a church friend in Vancouver, Canada, at age 73 in 1995. Sadly, only four people attended the funeral of Canada’s greatest heavyweight of all time. Perhaps even sadder, he was buried without recognition in an unmarked pauper’s grave. One of the greatest athletes in Canadian history, one the most remarkable fighters of his time, and by all accounts a great man who was kind to fault, was sent off with next to no respect or fanfare. Most were unaware he even died, and the few that were aware were unable to locate his unmarked grave to pay their final respects. Finally, in 1961, Vancouver sports writer Dick Beddoes, saddened by the lack of recognition to one of his countries greatest athletes, raised enough money to commission a proper memorial plaque for Burns’ grave.

The reputation of Burns’ great career never fully recovered from the smear campaign he endured for giving a black man a shot at the heavyweight title. Finally, in 1996 he was given a bit of redemption by being inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame. He was also posthumously inducted into the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame, the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, and the Ontario Sports Hall Of Fame.

Burns is still the only heavyweight in history to defend his title with eight consecutive knockouts, usually as the underdog and always as the smaller man. He racked up an outstanding eleven title defenses, thirteen if you count the time he faced two men consecutively, beating both by early knockouts in the same night in bouts that were advertised by newspapers as title fights, but ones that many historians refuse to acknowledge as legitimate defenses since they were against inexperienced pugs. Even without the two in one night adding to his record, Burns’ eleven title defenses was the record number of heavyweight championship defenses for over 35 years until the greatest heavyweight in history, Joe Louis, surpassed it and went on to hold the record until this very day, over 60 years later. Burns was the first man to travel the globe defending his title against all comers, and against the best heavyweights in all countries where boxing was legal. He set the record for fastest knockout in heavyweight championship history against a bigger man in Squires who was favored to take his title. He is the smallest heavyweight champion in history, a record that is all but guaranteed to last forever as heavyweights continue to grow bigger and bigger through the generations. He revolutionized boxing training, becoming one of the first fitness freaks of the sport, and pioneered training techniques that are still in place today.

Showing one of the best chins in the history of boxing, he fought from lightweight all the way up to heavyweight, and only lost four times, suffering just one knockout, which was in his very last fight as an old man who was inactive, making it an irrelevant statistic. Most famously, he was the first to break the color barrier by granting a black man, and a Jewish man, a world title shot. On his way up, he also fought a native American, and had half a dozen bouts with black men. If he couldn’t beat the best men in the world, regardless of race, country, or religion, than he famously declared that he didn’t deserve to hold the title as he wasn’t trying to be the champion of the whites, or America, his goal was to bring true meaning to holding the championship of the world by proving he’s the best in the world. Tommy actually employed black men as sparring partners and was briefly married to a black woman so it’s doubtful that any of his declarations were made for personal benefit.

A great fighter, a great man, and an early champion for human rights, Burns deserves to be remembered for his fantastic career, his contributions to the sport, and his character, not as the little guy that Jack Johnson beat for the title.

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