Salt Lake Telegram | 1907-08-01 | Page 9 | Sailor Burke is Only White Man to Issue Challenge to Johnson

SAILOR BURKE IS ONLY WHITE MAN TO ISSUE CHALLENGE TO JOHNSON NEW YORK YOKE A Aug g. g 1 Sailor I-Sailor Sailor Burke is it th the the only white pugilist to challenge Jack Johnson It is hard to tell just which class Burke is in He sometimes claims to be a welter-weight welter at other times he is a middle weight middle weight and now he branches forth as a heavy weight For a a. while it was thought that Burke might make a good opponent for Joe Thomas the clever Californian Maybe he would from Thomas' Thomas point of view view Still Burke is to be congratulated congratulated con con- on his his nerve nene If he meets Johnson he may last a few rounds if he is lucky but it is not altogether probable that he will be lucky It was once rumored that Burke and Fitzsimmons had fought but when Fitz saw the article in the papers he wrote a a. letter in which he asserted that he be had never met Burke but would be bIl pleased to do so Burke did not meet Fitz But since the challenge from Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons mons Burke has been improving rapidly rapidly rap rap- idly and is now recognized as one of the best fighters in this city The sail sailor r has been meeting good men in the bouts at the local clubs and has invariably been successful in defeating his nent Burke probably weighs at least pounds at present but if he secures the match with Johnson he could easily train up to pounds Johnson weighs about but among big men ten pounds does not Dot make much difference And inasmuch as the other heavyweights heavyweights heavy heavy- weights are not falling over themselves to get into the ring with Johnson it looks as if Burke might get et a chance He may also fight Willie Lewis in this city and if he does it will be one of the fiercest battles ever held beld here The Themen Themen Themen men love each other as a a. cat loves wa wa- ter