Tommy Burns business card which reads "compliments of Tommy Burns former world's heavyweight boxing champion a demonstrator of Universal Love" Signed and dated Jan 1/55 accompanied with vintage photo professionally framed and matted.

Price: £445

Tommy Burns was born in Chesley, Ontario. 17th June 1881. Burns, was known as the caretaker champion in between Jefferies and Johnson. He became champion in 1906 by winning on points over 20 rounds against pretender to the throne Marvin Hart. Burns had a sharp brain for business and after losing money in his early career, decided to manage himself. He insisted on receiving his money before any fights. Burns made two defences in nine days against out gunned Australian challengers to drum up interest in the inevitable showdown against Jack Johnson. At a specially designed and built stadium in Rushcutters Bay, Sydney, Burns agreed to fight Johnson in a black versus white Heavyweight title fight. He lost. Burns had five more contests before retiring and made one comeback at the age of forty, but was stopped in the seventh round.