The Washington herald., 1914-08-09
GIBBONS IS NOT
AFTER THE MONEY
St. Paul Wizard One Fighter
Who Follows Profession /
Who's Not After Coin.
SPURNS s25,OOO OFFER
''Phantom" Refuses Contract from
Snowy Baker to Fight Three
Battle. in Australia.

New York. NY, Aug. S-Those en-
gagged in me boxing profession are, TO a
man, too often and-too readily condemned
for their mercenEry proclivities. True.
the game Is conducted purely on a COM
mercial basis. but once In a long while
there appears a fighter who dons tho
gloves solely for the physical benefits
to be derived therefrom.
We are about to expose as such man
who ranks high. exceedingly high, In the
resin game He is Acknowledged the peer
Of pugilists in two divisions. In fact. he
is rated the cleverest boxer in the game
today. We refer tor none other than
Michael Gibbons. anectionateiy termed
the 81. Paul wizard" Ghost" "Phan-
TOM. and other things Of the mystic
realm
It undoubtedly comes as surprise TO
be Informed that Mike Gibbons II not
in the game for the money he can ex-
tract from the guiilibie public by exhibit
ing a pair Of pad-encased gloves IN the
ring. Nevertheless, Gibbons has shown
that he is not q money fighter" That
probably accounts for his many months
Of passiveness during the year.
A Classy Performer.
Gibbons Is such classy performer that
he can get engagements as often e. once
q week, year In and year out. He can
command sums OF from 1900 TO $4,000 a
fight. according to the prowess Of his
opponent. Yet he does not engage In
more than half q dozen Nights during the
season
Il was not, until the other day that
Gibbons revealed his true sentiments re-
garding his ring work. He received an
offer of So, 900 from Australia to engage
in three lights in the Antipodes. Yet he
turned down the proposition with the
IaconIc cabIegram, Cant aecept5 en-
gagements at home prevent"
Dissecting this cablegram. one In led
10 believe that Gibbons has 30 many
fights scheduled In this. country that he
cannot AFFORD TO make trip 70 the other
side Of the world, and clean up tidy
sum. Far from Il, Gibbons really meant
home"
The underlying cause of Gibbons re-
fusal is that he IL a home-loving man.
He cares more for his wife, and their
two '1liddies" than he does for the ring.
To journey all the way TO Australia would
be to Inconvenience the happy little fam
ily; and rather than break up house.
Gibbons has fiatly spurned q neat little
fortune.
So If any of the boxing promoters Of
these United States do not receive fav-
huge sums to appear in the ring. they
will. know the reason for this. They will
know that he prefers TO sit at the fire.
side and spar OF with the tykes than
he does TO endanger a happy fathers
face to the unrelenting blows Of q merci-
less opponent
The queer part of. II all is that Glib
bons 80 far outclasses any one in the
and middIe-weight divis-
Of contests without receiving even a
scratch. Yet he shuns It all to enjoy
domestic life.
Yankee Fighters Returning.
Since the invasion Of Australia by
American fighters there has been an ever
lasting demand on the part Of the An
topodes enthusiasts to see Gibbons in
action. Through the public press they
had learned that Gibbons was a master
boxer, and that he stood at the head OF
both the welter and middle-weight classes.
But the Australians are doomed to dis
appointment in more ways than one.
First, Gibbons will not fight in that
faraway land: secondly, there win be a
rapid exodus Of Yankee ''pugs" from the
Antipodes within two weeks JEFF Smith !
and Harry Stone have arrived home, |
while Jimmy Clabby. Eddie McGoorty. |
Young Shugrue. MfIburn Saylor. and
Joe yelling will leave for these shores |
IN fortnight.
CIabby and McGoorty have fulfilled |
heir contracts with Snowy Baker. and |
will fight no more there this trip Shu-
yrue. Saylor, and yelling each has a |
light on his hands before they can get |
away, and Clabby and McGoorty are Just |
waiting for their comrades to pack up.
Harry Stone, who is a product Of New |
York's East Side, is home after q sue |
sessful stay in Australia, and q tour of |
England. Stone profted rather hand !
,omely on the other side, cleaning up in 1
he neighborhood of $4,000, and coming |
through a series OF bouts without defeat /
he disposed of such good men as Johnny /
summers. Matt Wells. Herb Mccoy, and /
dughie Michigan.
Stone. Immediately upon hitting United
states sod, put in claim for the welter-
weight championship, and is ready to /
iefend 1t against Packey Mcfarland, II
'ackey's young bride has no objection.
Stone admits he is the real owner Of the
tile, for he unblushingly signs picture
Of himself thusly Harry Stone,
champion of the world"
Stone saw Richie go down to defeat
'efore Welsh, and Harry thinks he can
lefeat Richie more easily than Welsh
the task. Stone Is willing
o come down to rs pounds in order TO
ret Ritchie into the ring for, the light
weight championship Of America
Harry Is aiming high these days. and
to smoke big, black, odorous
,igars, as of yore.
The Pittsburgh Gazette rises to re-
mark: III the courts continue to figure