The evening world., 1889-03-20
THE SPORTS ALL FAVOR 1T.
AND WANT TO ESTABLISH A $1,000 CHAM
PION STAKE.

Tho Kenuy-Gibbons Fight Was n Great
surprise-Kenny Was Heavily Backed,
but Stood No Chance-The Rochester
Police Watched steve Brodie-A Thr.at-
ened Hitch In the McAuliRe-DaIy Fight.
The idea of establishing a o., 900 champion
ship stake 10 creating a great deal of excite
ment in sporting circles and meets with
almost universal commentator. Lovers of
fair play and Of the American principle of
giving every body an equal chance indorse II
unanimously. The autocrats of the prize
ring, those who have made money and don't
care to risk losing it and their regulations, of
course. are not in favor of the plan. Their
argument islthat if q challenger cannot raise
$4,000, he is, as they express it, mo good"
If q champion has 30 poor an opinion Of a
challenger's fighting ability, it seems some-
what paradoxical hat he should be unwill-
ing to meet him in the ring and knock him
out in one round. The following are a few
of the opinions expressed
Mr.. Arthur 7. Lumley, of the New York
Illustrated Ne,os-The idea is a good one and
should be adopted. 1t is according to the
regular rules OF the ring, before the present
system of glove, and what might be called
circus-tighting was introduced, and should
be adhered to.
Billy Edwards-A man who won't fight for
81, 600 is not looking for a fight. That is a
reasonable stake and gives a Door man a
show. Why, how many fighters are there
who can command that amount of cash ?
Very few, comparatively, and the champions
know it, which is why they put their figures
SO high.
Barney Moguire-I think If a man really
wants TO fight he will fight for 81 1000. You
see, the admission fee charged could easily
be made to bring the amount of money to be
won up to the desired sum. The reputation
Of the champion would insure a big price for
the tickets.
John McDonnell-If q champion is chal-
lenged to fight tor ~, 900 he should accept or
forfeit the championship. 1t he is so sure
he can win, he could make a good deal of
money betting 10 to 1 on himself. Besides,
there is always the purse, and this could be
brought to a good round sum by e~xacting big
admission money.
The much talked-of and: eagerly antici-
pated fight between Jack Kenny and Austin
Gibbons, which occurred last night, was q
surprise to many. The betting before the
fight was two and three to one on Kenny.
Gibbons had his man beaten from the start.
He greatly overmatched Kenny, being a
couple of inches taller and weighing twelve
pounds more. He was in the very pink of
condition, and at the close of the fight
looked as if he could have stayed in the
bbH bhIOO bOuIb IL ubCtbbhTHs hDOuJ Iu6
sixth round Kenny saw he stood no earthly
chance, and tried to lose on a foul. He sue
ceeded in the tenth round, but only by hit
ting Gibbons after the latter had extended
his arms horizontally when commanded to
break by the referee.
TIL sympathies of the crowd. and also, by
the way, of the referee, were plainly OF Ken
ny's side. But Kenny's style of fighting is
vicious. He will not break awav in a clinch;
He did not fight the square straight and
manly way Gibbons did. But then. as he
was 80 much smaller, this may be excused
perhaps. The little chap was pretty badly
punished, too. The claret dripped in q
steady stream from his nose to his chest, and
he had q great welt under each eye. Glib
bons showed but one mark, and that on the
left side of his chest. He told a friend just
before the fight that he was too much for
Kenny, and that he would tire him out and
then sail in. Kenny wac not in good condi-
ton. 1t was Gibbons's first fight with skin
gloves. and he used his hands as if they had
on boxing gloves, He cannot might at all,
but with more practice his wonderful cool
ness should render him q formidable light
weight.
When the intention was announced Of pit
ting the winner of the Kenny Gibbons fight
thought, of course, this would be Kenny. II
will be impossible to match Gibbons against
the Spider, as the latter is even lighter than
Kenny.
Steve Brodie spent twelve hours of his stay
with relatives" in Rochester attired in his
swimm ing, or rather jumping, suit. There
were fifteen policemen detailed expressly Ia
act as a body guard to the distinguished visi.
tor. and everywhere that Brodie went the
coppers were sure to go. They stuck to him
closer than his =" relatives" Steve did not
get q chance TO test the wetness of the
Genesee Falls. He returned to New York