Titles: Heavyweight champion from 1906-1908 Record: 46-5-9 (36 K.O's) Born: June 17, 1881 in Chesley Canada Years active: 1900-1920 Nickname: None Burns, the shortest heavyweight champion, was the original globe trotter defending the title all over the world. If for nothing else should be included in a Hall of Fame for not ducking the famed black heavyweight contender Jack Johnson. But it must be said he did so after avoiding him for several years, it was also his downfall. Burns was never a particularly skilled fighter, he possessed a good punch and could take one as well but did not have the hand or foot speed needed to be a great. Burns became champion by outpointing Marvin Hart in a ugly match to say the least. The strange thing was how he even got a title shot, since he had only won 3 of his previous 9 bouts. To make up for his lack of fame he took the title on the road traveling to 4 different countries beaten local fighters. Finally he boxed the 20 pound heavier Jack Johnson and won some recognition for his courage going 14 rounds. In the next 12 years he only fought 6 times and retired after loosing in a English Empire title bout.
1900 ----- Fred Thornton, Delray, Mich............KO 5 1901 ------ Billy Walsh, Detroit...................KO 5 ------ Archie Steele, Detroit.................KO 2 ------ Ed Sholtreau, Detroit..................KO 1 ------ Billy Walsh, Detroit...................KO 6 1902 Jan. 16 Fred Thornton, Delray..................KO 5 Mar. 3 Harry Peppers, Detroit.................KO 2 Mar. 5 George Steele, Detroit.................KO 2 May 16 Ed Sholtreau, Detroit..................W 10 Jun. 27 Dick Smith, Mt. Clemens, Mich..........KO 2 Jul. 9 Dick Smith, Mt. Clemens, Mich..........W 10 Sep. 19 Jack O'Donnell, Butler, Ind............KO 8 Nov. 6 Reddy Phillips, Lansing, Mich..........KO 9 Dec. 26 Tom McCune, Detroit....................KO 7 1903 Jan. 16 Mike Schreck, Detroit...................L 10 Feb. 13 Jim O'Brien, Delray.....................W 10 Mar. 25 Dick Smith, Delray......................KO 2 Mar 25 Reddy Phillips, Delray..................KO 3 Apr. 18 Earl Thompson, Detroit..................KO 3 Sep. 25 Jimmy Duggan, Houghton, Mich............KO 9 Oct. 12 Jack Hammond, S. Ste. Marie, Mich......KO 3 Oct. 25 Billy Moore, Haughton, Mich.............D 10 Nov 8 Jack Butler, S. Ste. Marie..............KO 2 Nov 25 Jack O'Donnell, Evanston................KO 11 Dec. 31 Tom McCune, Detroit....................W 10* 1904 Jan. 28 Ben O'Grady, Detroit....................KO 3 Feb. 26 George Shrosbree, Chicago...............KO 5 Feb. 27 Mike Schreck, Milwaukee.................D 6 Mar. 18 Tony Caponi, Chicago....................D 6 Apr. 9 Tony Caponi, Chicago....................W 6 Jul - Joe Wardinski, Salt Lake City...........KO 1 Aug. 20 Cyclone Kelly, Tacoma, Wash.............KO 4 Sep. 16 Billy Woods, Seattle....................D 15 Oct. 7 "Phila. Jack O'Brien", Milwaukee.......L 6 1905 Jan. 31 "Indian Joe" Schildt, Ballard, Wash.....KO 6 Mar. 7 Jack "Twin" Sullivan, Tacoma............D 20 May 3 Dave Barry, Tacoma......................W 20 Jun. 7 Hugo Kelly, Detroit.....................D 10 Jul. 28 Hugo Kelly, Los Angeles.................D 20 Aug. 31 Dave Barry, San Francisco...............KO 20 Oct. 17 Jack "Twin" Sullivan, Los Angeles.......L 20* 1906 Feb. 23 Marvin Hart, Los Angeles................W 20 (Won Heavyweight Championship) Mar. 28 Jim O'Brien, San Diego..................KO 1 Mar. 28 James J. Walker, San Diego..............KO 1 Although most regard these as exhibition bouts, these two fights both received the only official sanctioning of their day, billing by promoter and newspapers as being for the Title Oct. 2 Fireman Jim Flynn, Los Angeles..........KO 15 (Title Bout) Nov. 28 Phila. Jack O'Brien, Los Angeles.........D 20 (Title Bout) 1907 May 8 Phila. Jack O'Brien, Los Angeles........W 20 (Title Bout) Jul. 4 Bill Squires, Colma.....................KO 1 (Title Bout) Dec. 2 James "Gunner Moir", London, Eng........KO 10 (Title Bout) 1908 Feb. 10 Jack Palmer, London, Eng................KO 4 Mar. 17 Jem Roche, Dublin.......................KO 1 Apr. 18 Jewey Smith, Paris......................KO 5 Jun. 13 Bill Squires, Paris.....................KO 8 Aug. 24 Bill Squires, Sydney, Australia.........KO 13 Sep. 2 Bill Lang, Melbourne....................KO 6 Dec. 26 Jack Johnson, Rushcutter's Bay..........L 14 (Lost World Heavyweight Championship) 1910 Apr. 7 Bill Lang, Sydney, N.S.W...............W 20 (Won British Empire Heavyweight Championshp) 1912 Aug. 8 Bill Rickard, Saskatoon, Sask.................KO 6 1913 Apr. 2 Arthur Pelkey, Calgary, Alberta...............ND 6 1914 Jan. 26 Battling Brant, Taft, Calif...................KO 4 1918 Sep. 19 Tex Foster, Pr. Rupert, B.C............KO 4 1920 Jul. 16 Joe Beckett, London, Eng...............KO by 7