The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-01-24

take the chance that might have stamped him then and there au the premier niddle-weight of the coun- try.
 Gibbons excuse for his miserable showing was illness. That being the case he should never have fought at all, for it is by their achievements that the public judges fighters, and not by excuses, alibis and the what might have been stuff.
 However, to get down to the pres ent time and situation. Gibbons look ed Sbetter in the McA1lister bout than ever before. And McAllister is g. wonderfully clever boxer and star at avoiding punishment. The manner in which Bob got out of the way Of Bat ting Levinsky, the fast light heavy weight, satisfied New Workers of his ability, but in Gibbons he ran across a student of the game Mike Is not a stick1er for any particular style of boxing. If he finds one style or no avail he shifts his methods entirely. He is a versatile cusS in the ring. He. probably knows more about scientific fighting than any other man in the game, and when he found McAllister did not carry the s.kick'' in his blows waded right in close and would not be denied. It was there that McAl- listers lack of experience counted against him.
 Mike is to box Packey McFarIand shortly. That will be in the nature of a handicap matcI1,t and with such clever experts it is a bit risky to att tempt to forecast the result in a Him. tied round contest. Anyhow the bout while probably the most attractive box office card that could be staged in New York; will have no direct bearing on any class championship.
 But win or lose the popular de- cision with Mcfarland the St. Paul man should lose no time going after that mfddle-weight title.9 T saknoW Mike is anxious to get George. Chip in the ring, and if he succeeds fn that laudabIe ambition, and should beat ought to be comparatively smooth sailing. Possibly he will encounter stiffers opposition from Jimmy Clab- by than anyone else for James is something of the same stytie of fight. er-very clever, but lacking the sting to his punch that Gibbons boasts.
 Gibbons is slowly taking on weight With the increased ipoundagea e.sis. developing more confidence. Lack of that has been his greatest handi- cap. in the past. His best fighting weight has beeneins the neighborhood3 of 16O and the idea of giving eight pounds to the best men in the uaiddle-. weight divisi on did not appeal to Michael at all. sssssss .sss s
 But now he wants to box anybody
  ringside, so he ayers. Mike prefers Chip because George is in the lime light as a result of his double victory over Klaus. and it would be an inn nense boost for Gibbons to put one over on the hard hitting miner.
 r. With McGoorty out of it, I don't know of, any fighter in the middle weight class who can beat Gibbons that is, the, Gibbons who fought AIcAl-s 1 lister. Mike was a wonderfully ina proved fighter that night, and the ex- tra weight gave him a boost in the courage department also. Some one in the class may beat him, but I doubt it.
 Billy Gibson is trying to coax Chip to meet Gibbons in a ten round bout at the Garden. Tom McCarey and Jim aConroth are endeavoring to bring about a Clabby- Gibbons match-for twenty rounds-on the coast sometime next month. After he gets through with the Mcfarland bout-wtich means big money to. him = Gibbons says he will take on either or both, and is not particular as to distance. Mike is after the coin and the best offer always appeals to him.
 r Yes, with Gibbons showing such marvellous form the vexed question of middle-weight supremacy may be set tied to everyone's satisfaction within the next few months.
 The dark horse of the class is Jack Dillon, the Indianapolis boxer. If Dillon is a legitimate middle-weigl1t. which many doubt, he may be the party the winner of a Gibbons-Clabby- Chip series will have to fight to final ly determine the championship. JAS. J. CORBETT.