Omaha daily bee., 1914-07-19
MIDDLEWEIGHT UP TO THREE
Championship HOnors Of This Class
Are in Hands Of Trio.
NOW OUT FOR FINAL HoNoRs
Mike Gibbons, Jimmy CInbby and
George Chip Are Topnotcheru
that Must Meet Each
other for Belt.
NJ RINGsInE.

I four years-Or ever since STANLEY hetcnel
was laid low by a slayers hand at Con-
way. Mo, on October l5 l9iO-will shortly
| be In possession OF one who win be uni
versally recognized as the champion Of
l5s-pounders. The field OF contenders is
simmering down. and the number OF
eligibles for the title can now be counted
on the dlgits OF Mordeca1 Browns pitch
! ing hand. And base ball lore tells US
! that the old Cub has three fingers on
that mitt.
So II Is with the middleweight Bitua-
| tion. There are just three men in that
division who are so far superior to the
rest OF the crop OF pretenders that tho
only way to clamp the middewelght
crown down on the head OF the rightful
owner would be to hold a round-robin
Of bouts. the ultimate victor to be pro-
claimed the world DER as the middle
weight champion.
Anyway, the middeweight problem
which has disturbed the flshting element
| for over three years, Is nearer 70 solu-
I tion than II has been In all that time.
There are any number OF fair "middies''.
| but the trio who should be fighting IL
out for final honors are Mike Gibbons.
I
/ bons viii only enter the controversy we
are likely to have an undlsputed cham
I pion in the 15s-pound division bSfore the
current year rolls by II Gibbons could
only be induced 20 tamper with the men
whose displacement is 1863 pounds ho
would have no difficulty in showing to
the world in convincing fashion that no
IL the only and legitimate successor 10
the title vacated by the late lamented
Stanley Ketchell.
Gibbons Taking ~ Easy.
Gibbons has done nothing OF late TO
Btarto the pugilistic realm, but his
record substantially bears out his class
Chip and Clabby demonstrated just
fortnight ago that their pretensions 70
the title must be given due and serious
consideration In faraway Australia,
Clabby took II upon himself to eliminate
the most dangerous man Of his weight In
the world. He beat up Eddie MeGoorty
so handlly for few rounds that MO
Goorty deliberately fouled him in the
eighth The defeat puts Mcooorty out
OF the running for In title he once i'm
posed upon himself, and OF which he
made Australians believe he was the
rightful owner.
At about the time Clabby was showing
up McGoorty, George Chip knocked all
the championship aspirations out OF
Billy Murray in fifteen rounds. Murray
was being looked upon as a second
Stanley KotoheT" when he collded with
Chip. lie proved such for a few rounds
and then the bubble burst. Murray twice
previously had beaten Al Mccoy. who
scored fluke knockout over Chip
Looking over the field again. there Is
still another middleweight whose work
In the past entities him to confederation.
Jack Dillon is the man IN mind. His
defeat on Independence day OF Sailor
Petroskey, who gave Clabby a great fight
for twenty rounds. stamps Dillon as a
Fighter of merit. Dillon is capable OF
giving Gibbons, Chip OF Clabby all they
could handle In fight over the route
Dillon has fought Chip about seven times
ana came out unscathed In his tusslep
with McCioorty, -.oha and Klaus.
Clabby and Gibbons have fought three
times, the verdict going to Clabby once
and the other two bouts being no-decision
affairs The best way to determine the
champion would bo TO stack ClAbby
against Gibbons and the winner OF this
bout against Chip.
Mccoy Would He Champion.
II the law OF the ring were adhered
TO Al Mccoy. tho Brooklyn fourth-rater.
would be the champion OF middleweights
at this writing. The law OF the ring"
is simply this: that when champion dies
the title reverts TO the previous holder.
Thus. when Ketchel was murdered. the
crown shofted back 20 the brow of Billy
Papke. Papke lost 10 Frank Klaus on a
foul In fifteen rounds over in Paris, max
Ing Klaus the champion. Klaus, in turn.
was knocked out twice by George Chin.
who. In his order. succumbed to Al Nc
Coy in punch.
But as long as there was a question
about Papke being the legitimate cham
pion when Ketchel passed away. none OF
his sucoessoEs was looked upon as cham
pion. The manager OF each OF these men.
however, admitted that his charge was
the real champion; but who ever took a
managers word without some saline
sprinklings?
The championship is still ls abeyance.
and the only way to clear the situation
would be TO hold series of elimination
bouts. The one fighting his way through
the mess should then be tho recognized
champion. The International Boxins
Federation would do we'll to insert a hand
In the affair, and sterilize the muddie In
one OF the two divisions that need sterili,
cation, the welterweight class being the
other
The Davis cup committee OF the Ma.
tional Lawn Tennis association win the
coming week be confronted with the ardu,
GUS task OF making its final selection OF
players for the defense OF the trophy EN-,
blematic OF the world supremacy at IN,
nets. The committee must hand In tn,
names on Wednesday. July %
From present indications II looks as 4
Maurice f. Mclaughlin win have TO beai
the brunt OF the attack OF the foreigner
who are seeking the coveted cup. IL is /
certainty that McI.oughlin win be named
1t is possible that r. Lindley Murray, tn,
sensation OF the year, viii find a plaoI
on the team. McIoughlin viii In all prob
ability collaborate with Bundy in the dou
J bles, The fourth member OF the defender
} viii be picked from the cream OF IN,
country's tennis eapertR The lucky I'm
dividual will not be known until officla
announcement is made. The challeng,
round OF cup matches win be played earl,
In August.