[Cap]

The February IBU Top Ten rankings from Mitt Slingers Magazine...Al Kaufman's drop from the third rung to number 8 after his unexpected loss to Mike Schreck in November allows Sam McVea to fill the spot behind Jeffries and Burns thanks to his win over Al Brown...The retirement of Bob Fitzsimmons shifts Sam Langford and Jim Flynn upwards while the Frenchman Raymond Berenger leaps over Schreck due to his decision over the latter in Montreal last September...At Melbourne Tommy Burns defended his Empire title with a technical knockout of Fred Preston in six rounds...Jack Johnson and Fireman Jim Flynn are in the process of closing their camps before heading to the weigh-in site at Fifth and Olive streets...Most of the best seats for the fight have been sold and it is expected few of the remaining 4,000 at Hazard's Pavilion will be empty come fight time...After much deliberation both camps have agreed on Ed Graney to officiate with his fee coming from a portion of the gate receipts...Johnson is said to have refused to go on before a $10,000 guarantee is deposited with his manager...Aside from his guarantee Johnson should take another 70% of the $15,000 purse as the odds-on favourite to win while Flynn will take home a cut of the gate receipts along with the loser's end of the purse...As we went to print Johnson was favoured at odds of up to 10 to 1 at some books despite Flynn's impressive record on paper...Only the most virulent anti-Johnson people give Flynn a puncher's chance due to his 16 kayo wins...