Tommy Burns (boxer)

Tommy Burns (June 17, 1881 – May 10, 1955), born Noah Brusso, is the only Canadian-born World Heavyweight Champion boxer. The first to travel the globe in defending his title, Tommy made 11 title defences despite often being the underdog due to his size. Burns famously challenged all comers as Heavyweight Champion, leading to a celebrated bout with the American Jack Johnson. According to his biographer, Burns insisted, "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."

Burns was the first heavyweight champion to fight with a Jewish challenger, defeating Joseph 'Jewey' Smith in a fight staged in Paris. He also fought a bout with a Native American on his way to the Championship. According to one biography, he had two black sparring partners and was married for a brief time to a black woman. At a time when most white fighters adhered to the so-called "color-line", refusing to fight African Americans, Burns had half a dozen contests with black boxers prior to his clash with the legendary Jack Johnson.

Thomas Burns

Thomas Burns, Tommy Burns or Tom Burns may refer to:

Politics

Sports

Other persons

Tommy Burns (Australian boxer)

Tommy Burns was the professional name of the Australian boxer Geoffrey Mostyn Murphy (19 May 1922 – 14 February 2011). He was born in Mullumbimby, New South Wales, but spent most of his life in the neighbouring Australian state of Queensland.

Murphy chose his fighting name in honour of the Canadian heavyweight boxer and former world champion, Tommy Burns, who lost his title to Jack Johnson in Australia in 1908.

In 1947, he won the Australian Welterweight Championship and fought many of the best Australian boxers of his era, becoming a crowd favourite. He appeared in the 1949 Charles Chauvel Australian movie Sons of Matthew.

Murphy, as Tommy Burns, was inducted into the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004.

He died on 14 February 2011.

Sources

External links

Tommy Burns (Canadian football)

Tommy Burns was an all-star and Grey Cup champion football player in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union and the Ontario Rugby Football Union, playing from 1931 to 1941.

A hometown boy, coming from the Montreal C.N.R. Juniors, Burns won a Grey Cup with the Montreal AAA Winged Wheelers in 1931, his rookie season. He left home for 4 year stay with the Toronto Argonauts, where he won another Cup in 1933 was selected an all-star in 1934. He then returned to Montreal and played with nearly every team the city had to offer. 1936 and 1937 saw him playing for the Montreal Indians, but in 1938 he left the IRFU for the ORFU and the Montreal Nationals and, in 1939, the Montreal Westmounts. He finished with 2 season playing for the Montreal Bulldogs. He was an all-star in 1937, 38 and 39.

Burns suffered a fatal accident on April 4, 1942. Working for J.P.Porter & Sons, of Montreal, in Nova Scotia at the time, the brake drum of a dredge he was working upon came apart, instantly killing him.