The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-03-02
WHO IS MIDDLE EIGHT CHAMP


Who is na1ddIeWei ght Champion
Mike Gibbons claimed the honor when
he defeated Jimmy Clabby. Al Nc
Coy asserted that he was the only
bona fides hampton when he won his
lucky punch Victory over GEORGE
Chip. omSe six or sixteen other
fighters lay claim to- the honor II
titles are to be won by fighting Prov
ess, the St Paul phantom on the
basis OF. the returns, seems to have
the best case. Technically however,
Al Mccoy has the shade, although the
self styled champion probably would
not stand a chance against Mike in
the ring. -
al Mccoy traces his descent as
champion from the Frank Klaus line.
1t was two years ago this week on
lNGaFch s, I913sethat KLAUS. won on q,
foul from Billy Pap4e III PARIS, ana
laid claim to the worlds middleweigEt
title. The Pennsylvania German had
defeated Georges Carpenter and Mar
Gel Moreau, and was the admitted
champion of Europe. When he re-
turned to the United States later that
| year, Klaus was knocked out by
George Chip in the sixth round at
Pittsburgh, and in return engages
ment Chip again won by a knockouf
! Chip figured that that made him the
rniddelweight champion, and publicly
admitted as much. Then last April
AL Mccoy knocked out Chip in the
first round in New York, and since
then Al has claimed the Leadership
of the division.
So far 50 good. But where dd
Billy Papke get the title he lost
Kluas? Well, when Ketchel was mir
dered in 1910 Papke was recognize
as the best middleweight at largs
and he claimed that the title reverted
to him. He didn't keep it long. how
ever, for late in 1910 he lost to Dave
Smith, the Australian fighter in Sgd
ney. Dave then assumed the honols
which he was entitled to do If the
''reversion'' theory holds good. Smieh
defended the title against Jimmy
C1ajbby and Cyclone Johnny Thomp5
| son, both of whom he defeated 5u
| twenty-round bouts in Sydney.
February, 1911 Papke was whipped
| by Cyclone Johnny Thompson, Wfr
also claimed the title. and in the fol-
| lowing month Billy met Dave Smi Is
again. This time he knocked out this
Australian in the seventh round, and
the reverted title again reverted t.
Papke, although in the meantime he
had been bested by Thompson. TIE
latter soon lost his title to Bands
| man Rice, the English boxer.
In October, 1911. Papke was de-
feated by Bob Moha in Boston. The
/ pudgy Bohemian soon outgrew his
sstftle,'' and, anyway, he was de1eata4
last year by Jack Dillon, who has aIsC
long since outgroWn the naiddleweigne
division.
In 1912 Papke again lost his "title.
I this time to Frank Manteu, the Ger
man niddleweight in a twentN-rOuua
bout in Sacramento. AIanten was Les
ter whipped by Jack Dillon at Pro7A-
| dence, by Tommy Gavigan at ounga-
town, and by Pat O'Keefe at London
among several others.
In spite of the fact that he had
been defeated by Cyclone JOHNNY
| Thompson, Bob Moha and FraHtz
Mantel1, Papke, went over to BuroEE
/ in 1912 still declaring himself to he
the middleweight champion Of the
| world BY defeating Jim Sullivan 70
London and Georges Sarpentier ana
! Marcel Moreau in France, the Illinois
Thunderbolt somewhat bolstered uP
his reputation, but he was distinctly
on the down grade when he fought
| Frank Klaus in Paris two years ag5.
! BY his victory Klaus earned the right
| to claim the European championship
but, in view of the vicissitudes throU elE
which Papke's title had passed, it Is
| difficult to see where Billy then had
| even the shadow of a claim on the
worlds middeIweight cham pionsllip-
McCoys ingenious theory doesn +
fool anybody, probably not even hin-
self, and yet some of the New YOrla
sport writers continue to gravely refer
! to Al as the ''middleweight cham
pion.'' The only way to settle this
niddleweight muddle is to fight 81
out.
Women must be some hnanciera
/ l. etc