Evening star., 1915-01-31
BY T. S. ANDREWS.


MILWAUKEE, Wis, January So
There are many angles to the middle
weight question just now and many
claimants to the title. For the past SIX
months most writer's Of boxing have
recognized Jimmy Clabby as American
champion (not world champion). and as
such he has been ready at any time to
defend the same against all comers over
the short or marathon route. The Aus
tralian title is held by Mick King, now
conner to the ranks over there, although
reports at hand say that Jeff Smith Won
on points over Mick. after having been
defeated by King. However, the title
would still rest with King, according to
the Australian boxing law.
Some time ago Johnny Summers. the
British melterwelght champion. was in
Australia. and lost to Tom McCormick,
also of England, the latter claiming the
title, but it was not recognized In Eng
land because he had not defeated SUM
mers there. In order to get the title and
belt, Mccormick would have to win over
Summers before the National Sporting
Club of London. 1t happens. too, that
Matt Wells beat Summers, but he Will
have to win over him in England to get
the Lonsdale championship belt. When
Clabby was in Australia the last time
he lost a point decision to jeff Smith
There was some dispute over the verdict
at the time, but that matters little, for
the decision was given, and it stands.
However, there was really no recognized
champion of America at that time.
1Clabby, Smith, Dillon, McGoorty. Chip.
| Mccoy and Ahearn all claimed the title.
Klaus had been credited by some as
champion. but he never won the title at
weight, and Chip could not claim it right
fully when he beat Klaus, neither could
| Mccoy claim it for his knockout Of Chip.
Writer'S the country over had watched
the work of all the men and only
toward the end of the 1914 season did
lClabby come in for general recogni-
the California promoter. Jim Coffrcth.
proposed q title match for Clabby and
Chip. C,abDy won and claimed the
championship of America (not the
World), and stands ready 10 defend 1t.
jeff Smith can honestly boast Of a
Victory over ClabDy, but it was not
scored in the states, and for that rea-
ison he will have q better claim than
iauy one else to demand match for
the title from Clabby ,Ehen he returns
unless in the meantime some one
| should defeat Jimmy.
| The contest of ten rounds between
ICIabby and Mike Gibbons before the
Cream City A. c. OF Milwaukee last
week was not q cha IN pionshiD affair
lalthough all the papers gave Gibbons
credit for > victory. 1t was no
decision affair, and viii stand such
| in the records. 1t does mean, however
THAT Gibbons will demand Z twenty
!round battle from Claoby for the title,
and he is certainly right in asking for
lit at once Mike made such q wonder
! full showing against Jimmy that he
feels confident he can defeat him. and
middleweight champion and all the
easy things that go with it.
| There is only one place in the states
where such {; bout can be held-New
,Orleans-and it lis hoped that the two
will be brought together for a real
title match. In their slam in Mil
waukee Clabby did not show his best
form. He appeared to be overturned.
for. after the third round, he showed
signs of tiring. Such a thing would
not happen il he was right, for mara
thon bouts have been Jimmy's long
suit. 1t was a marvellous contest be-
tween middleweights. No bantam
weight nor featherweisht ever shove
more science than these TWO middle
| weights. and at times their speed was
wonderful. Jim Corbe,t, in his prime,
| would have had nothing on either ol
them. and il anything James might have
had reason to feel Bit envious. All the
! boxing art known to man was displa yed
between the two, and 1t surely was a
treat. The day following the show