Salt Lake Tribune | 1907-07-21 | Page 22 | No Color Line

NO COLOR LINE. Tommy Burns Is Willing to Meot Any Living Man in Ring. Tribune Special Sporting Service. NEW YOKK, .Tuly 20. Tommy Burnn lias publicly declared that he Is not disposed dis-posed to raise the color lino any longer and that If any negro pugilist thinks ho has a claim on the heavyweight, chant -plonahlp he can come forward with a challenge In tho regular way. "Jack" Johnson intimated the day after tho Burna-Squlrcs fight that he would like to take Tommy's" measure, and no ono doubts that he will be heard from without with-out much delay. It would, consequently, appear that the next big flgln will tako place between Burns and JoluiBon, but the probabllltlca aro that several months will elapse before the men can get together. to-gether. Johnson la the only big man who Is entitled to contest with Burns for tho heavyweight Huprcmacy, and there Is ito reason In the world why tho conquoror of tho Australian should not givo Jack a chance. All the others have noon given an opportunity to show the public what they aro worth. But as aoon as Joint-son's Joint-son's name has been mentioned tho color barrier has been raised and tho alleged champions have rushed for tho cyclono cellarn. A fight between, Burns and Johnson would be watched with great Interest by oports all over the country, but, of course, Burns will have to moet others and he will be a busy pug for tho next year or two. Buitib, it Is understood, has a very poor opinion of Johnson's real lighting ability and ho fully expects to, make nhort work of him If ho evor gets him Into a ring.