The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-02-07
|CORBETT SAYS M'FARLAND
 DOES NOT FEAR GIBBONS
Former Champion Thinks Leach Cross Will Do Better Against Rivers
 Next Time
(By James J. corbett. Former Heavy
 Weight Champion of the World)

By James J. corbett, Former Heavy Weight champion of the Worldo
 Especial to the Evening F'armer) l New York, Feb. 7,-The postpone ment of the Packey McFarland-Miaxe Gibbons bout originally set for next
 Thursday evening at Madison Square | Garden, is big disappointment to | local fight fans Notwithstanding l Matchmaker. Billy Gibson's announce l ment that the match has been put off 1 at his own request the sports have l about given up hope of seeing these I two gladiators settle their differences I in the ring.
 Gibson assures me that the match is, positively "on,' and that Packey and l Mike will meet in a ten round go at | the Garden during the first week in 1 March. He claims the postponenent l will benefit both boys in that it will
 allow them more time to train, and from a financial standpoint it will ] help everybody interested. February I12 Qdncoln's Birthday), the original I date was a sorry choice for the meet ing, Gibson argues. as experience has demonstrated that New Yorkers turn I to other forms of anltlE5ement on sucn days and that in consequence attend 1 ance at boxing events suffers.
 1 Gibson has selected the March date for the reason that the big delega- tions of sporting men from Chicago and other cities will be in New ork at 1 that time to assist in the home-com- 1 ing reception to the worlds touring ball players, chaperoned by Charley, l Comiskey and Johnny McGraw. and figure that the gate receipts will be increased several thousands of dol lars as a result.
 | Despite these optimistic utterances i the sports are peevish and look upon l the s'postponement'' as the equivalent
 to calling the match off for good. | story is in circulation around town that Gibbons lost whatever chance he I had of eettines Packey in the ring I when he used the "k O. walEop on
 big Bob McAIlister, and that the foxy Chicogoan decided then and there
 that a bout with the St. Paul man
 was not anything to banker for
 know Mcfarland pretty well and.
 do not believe he is afraid of Gibbons
 or any other lighter near his weight
 Paclzey has a world of confidence m
 his ability to beat Mike and while he
 is not given to loud boasting also know that he has long felt he is the master of his great rival at the hit,
 stop and getaway game
 Let us hope Matchmaker Gibson Is right and that the bout will take place in March. as he asserts It l would be a. pity is his efforts to bring
 the two greatest boxers in the coun-
 try together should prove to have been wasted.
 Kid williams proved his class by stopping Eddie Campi in twelve
 rounds last week. And the victory 1 leaves him alone in the field of eHgf-
 bles for the championship now held ! by Johnny Coulon. Willioas has done
 everything required or him and is en- titled to a crack at the title.
 Champion Coulon's showing with some youngster recently was greatly } inferior to the form Williams and Campi have displayed in their recent
 contests It is the popular frnpres- to a meeting with Williams and would srather lose the title by default than take a chance with the Baltimore ter I. TOT. inz a long contest. While do not
 agree with the critics who have ex- pressed this opinion, doubt whether } CouIon will ever be able to round into good enough shape to beat the Kid : Jimmy, if wise, will retire-that is, if satisfied in his own mind that his re- cent long illness has robbed him of | the power to recover his old form. 7 Williams must be given a battle if Coulon remains in the game. There l is no lodging him any longer The ? Baltimorean has won his spurs and is l has the right to dispute Coulon's claim to the championship.
 
 Former Lightweight Champion Ad } woIgast made surprisingly good i. showing against Joe Rdvers in Mill l waukee and it looks if the lesson 7 he learned some time ago when he s>t met defeat at the hands of several ? of the second raters has knocked a little sense into the boys head. Ad
 has always entertained q pretty good opinion of his ability and unless a ! great deal was at stake seldom train ' ed as he should have done. But after 2 being olrtpointed by the veteran. Tom ! my Murphy, and one or two lesser
 lights Ad probably came to the con 2 I5cdusfon that if he was to remain; 8 u head line ring attraction it was up tc him to change his system
 l. I had several letters from Milwau-
 kee where Ad trained for the Rivers
 bout, and they told me the former M champion was surprising everybody 2 by the way he lit into the hard work
 And his bout with Rivers proved he is
 pretty close to his best form. Out z side of Ritchie there Is hardly a boy r who could outright Joe in a ter
 round bout.
 Local batchmakers ought to go af Fl ter W'o1gast- He would be big card .H in New York now that he has come M back so strong. A match between the
 ex-champion and Young Joe Shugrut " or Johnny Dundee would pack mos any club house in the town. My congratulations to the former A champion. and may he keep up hi @ good work. Evidently Ad is sincer,
 in his demands for a return matcl
 with Willie Ritchie He will not lacl & | support now that he demonstrated M that he still has the Indian Sign or T Elvers.
 Leach Cross, the New York light
 weight, gets another chance at Jo, N Rivers next Thursday in Los Angeles & This will be the fourth time these boy. H have clashed. Leach and Joe boxed
 two ten round no decision bouts il
 New York, also a twenty round u1atcl Fl in Los Angeles two months ago. zRiv CTS gaining the verdict in the Califor