Noah Brusso

1881 - 1955  (73 years)

• Name	Noah Brusso
  Born	17 Jun 1881	Hanover, Bentinck Twp., Grey Co., Ontario, Canada   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Interesting	sports, boxing
  Name	Tommy Burns
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-130169
  Died	10 May 1955	Vancouver, , British Columbia, Canada   [1]
  Buried	Ocean View Burial Park, Burnaby, , British Columbia, Canada   [1]
  Person ID	I130169	Generations
  Last Modified	6 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	Frederick Brusso,   b. 30 Apr 1846, , Prussia, Germany ,   d. 9 Jan 1895  (Age 48 years)
  Mother	Sophia Catherine Dankert,   b. 9 Apr 1853, Sullivan Twp, Grey Co., Ontario, Canada ,   d. 11 Oct 1913, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 60 years)
  Married	23 Jan 1870	Hanover, Bentinck Twp., Grey Co., Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Family ID	F252392	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  Brusso,Noah-TommyBurns-0001-postcard.JPG

  
  

• Notes

  When Tommy Burns Lost The Title Back on Dec. 26, 1908, fighting before the greatest throng that ever witnessed a boxing contest in Australia, Jack Johnson, the heavyweight title challenger, beat Tommy Burns, the champion, in such a ferocious and one-sided battle that Sidney police had to stop the fight and save the champ from his gigantic Negro opponent. Thus Johnson became the first Negro to wear the heavyweight crown, a giant taking his place among giants that preceded him -Sullivan, Corbett, Fitzsimmons and Jeffries. Burns' only asset in the fight was his gameness, and it was the old story of a good little man being defeated by a better and bigger opponent. Strong- hearted and courageous, the Canadian pugilist went down before the superior skill, strength and prowess of a competitor who outclassed him in every physical respect. Out-weighed by twenty-five pounds and shorter by six inches than his opponent Burns was never able to stand off the onslaughts of the Negro. Seldom did he get an opportunity to take the offense, and when he did, Johnson's superior sparring ability and lightening-like elusiveness set at naught the bulldog rushes of the chunky Canadian. Johnson was the first to enter the ring accompanied by his seconds. Jack Mullins, Boer Unholz and Bill Lang, and his manager, Sam Fitzpatrick. Burns was accompanied by Pat O'Keefe, Kid Keating, Billy O'Donnell, Burke and Russell. Both fighters received an enthusiastic reception, but Bums' was much louder and longer. John- weighed 192, Burns 168. The Police Gazette's Ringsider reported that "Johnson jumped into an early lead when he sent the champion sprawling after a few moment's sparring in the opening session. The blow was a hard left uppercut to the jaw. Burns went down for eight seconds, then rushed into a clinch. Johnson scored a hard right swing to the head, but Burns retaliated with a similar punch to his opponent's chin. The champion here showed some clever boxing, but the Negro landed an effective left to the head as the bell sounded." Tommy's Mouth Bled "Johnson continued his good work in the second period. Burns rushed in and promptly received a hard right on his chin. His ankle gave way, and he slipped to the floor. Burns was on his feet in a second and rushed into a clinch, both men doing considerable infighting. Johnson was now forcing the fighting continually and drove the Canadian across the ring under a shower of right and left swings. As Burns went to his corner, his left eye was nearly closed, and he was bleeding at the mouth. "The champion showed his fighting ability in the third and scored effectively in the clinches. Johnson, however, pounded the champion's kidneys. The big Negro showed by this time that he clearly outclassed his opponent, and Burns' backers were astounded at Johnson's clever- nes and speed. The men were taunting each other almost incessantly, and it was clearly a grudge battle. "Johnson easily maintaintained his advantage in the fourth, out-pointing the champion with apparent ease. Bums again rushed, only to be stopped by a heavy right swing to the ribs. Both men were now talking wildly and many wide swings were uncorked. At the close, Bums clinched, and the bell found the men in a bear-like embrace. Bums' rush at the opening of the next round availed him nothing, the Ringsider reported, though his eye and mouth were bleeding still more as the fifth closed. The sixth was uneventful, the contestants swapping punches, though the blows little affected the Negro, and he drove Burns across the ring as the bell sounded. "Johnson rushed at the opening of the seventh round," the Ringsider reported, "and showered right and left swings on his opponent. Bums appeared to be losing strength, but gamely stuck to his task, infighting with fair success. In the last minute Burns sank to the floor under a succession of heavy punches to his ribs. He was groggy when he arose, and rushing into a clinch, lasted out the round. Johnson remorseles- ly kept after the champion, and in the next round continued to administer the heavy swings that were playing such havoc with Bums. The champion was fast weakening, but he clearly showed his nerve by leading continually, although not successfully, and taking without flinching the terrific punishment that the big Negro was inflicting. "Little fighting was done in the ninth round, both men contenting themselves with shouting insults at each other. But in the tenth Johnson resumed his battering tactics and scored frequently on the champion's head and body. Burns landed several punches, but as his blows clearly lacked steam, the Negro only laughed * and bored in. "The next round showed conclusively that the bout would not go full time. Burns fought gamely and essayed many swings, but all were cleverly blocked or sidestepped by the dark-skinned figure that danced tantalizing out of reach and jabbed so cleverly in return. "Johnson refused to let up a bit and pummeled the champion from post to post in the twelfth and thirteenth. Burns, however, was bristling with grit and stood up under the punishment, drawing the admiration of the fans. Johnson sent the Canadian to the floor again in the thirteenth with a hard right swing. Burns was groggy when he went to his corner." At this point police were ready to stop the fight, but Burns told the ref he was all right and the bout was allowed to continue. Then came the fatal fourteenth, "Johnson waded in to end the contest, and, waving his arms like flails, sent blow after blow to the head and body of the now dazed Burns. The champion sank to the mat on a heavy swing to the jaw and took the count of eight. Tottering to his feet, he staggered into a clinch, clinging to the last shred of the title which was being torn from his grasp by the man whom he taunted for many months about his color and boxing ability. Johnson rushed fiercely in to score a clean knockout, but the police moved first, stopping the fight." Referee McIntosh then awarded the decision to Johnson. Thus ended Johnson's two- year-chase of the Canadian, in which he demanded the privilege of fighting for the honors which Burns received in a most unusual and somewhat questionable way. Burns taunted Johnson with his color, demanding that the Negro gain a reputation. Still Johnson persisted and followed Burns from America to England and from England to Australia. Finally, cornered in a far-distant point of the earth Burns made terms the like of which had never figured in a world's championship heavyweight battle in the past - he was to get $30,000 of the $35,000 purse, regardless of the outcome of the battle. The Negro agreed that since Burns was the champion, his terms must be met. And so Johnson gave way, claiming that the outcome would prove his superiority, and his reward would follow, even though Burns was to receive more than three-quarters of the purse. So Johnson was vindicated, and even Burns concealed that he had met a better man. He said after the battle: "I did the best I could. I fought hard, but Johnson was too big for me, and his reach and defense was such that I could not penetrate it and strike a vulnerable point." Burns was really a pitiful sight. Both eyes were blackened, his nose and lips were swollen to almost twice their normal size, and he was stiff and sore in almost every part of his body. While Johnson got but $5,000 and return transportation to America of self and manager, he bet heavily on himself, so he did not fare badly off financially at odds ranging from 7 to 5, to 3 to 2 against him. Johnson's long career had sixteen more years to run, though six years later he lost the heavyweight title to Jess Willard by a knockout in the 26th round in Havana, April 5, 1915. He finally retired after his last bout in 1926 at the age of 48. Johnson died in Raleigh, N.C. June 19, 1946. For Burns, the Johnson match was his last big fight. The courageous French - Canadian (he was born Noah Brusso) fought only six more times, then quit the ring. In July, 1946, at 65, he wed his second wife, Mrs. Nellie Susan Vanderlip, 50, a rich widow prominent in California. He was ordained a minister in Coalinga, Cal., on Dec. 25, 1948, and died May 11, 1955, in Vancouver, B.C., at 74 New Hamburg Independent 5 Oct 1956 __________________ BURNS' WIFE IS ILL DETROIT, March 20 - Mrs. Noah Brusso, wife of the champion heavy weight, 'Tommy Burns, is "critically ill at the home of her mother, in law in Preston, Ont., and Burns has been cabled to return to her bedside with all possible speed. Because of his wife's illness Burns will not be able to make any more matches at present. San Francisco Call, Volume 103, Number 112, 21 March 1908

  
  

• Sources

  [S3231] Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8141/tommy-burns. [S4] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration. Name:Sophia Dawkert Age:17 Birth Year:abt 1853 Birth Place:Germany Marriage Date:23 Jan 1870 Marriage Place:Grey, Ontario, Canada Father:John Dawkert Mother:Dorothy Dawkert Spouse:Frederick Brusso

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 17 Jun 1881 - Hanover, Bentinck Twp., Grey Co., Ontario, Canada Died - 10 May 1955 - Vancouver, , British Columbia, Canada Buried - - Ocean View Burial Park, Burnaby, , British Columbia, Canada  = Link to Google Earth