Norwich bulletin., 1915-05-05

ous attention who have shown class enough and who can make the gene rally accepted weight, 15S pounds ringside. Jimmy Clabby. Young Ahearn, Leo Houck and Jeff Smith are a quartet who can make the weight and be in possession of all their vigor after stepping off the scales.
 One naturally would expect Clabby to be in the front rank next to Gib- bons. In fact, prior to their meet ing over the 10-round route in the West, Clabby was regarded as the premier middleweight of America He showed a weak defense at intervals in the Gibbons bout; his blows lacked force and snap and his judgment of distance was faulty. These defects spelled defeat, and after the contest was over the St. Paul wonder was &C., claimed a victor by popular opinion. The usual excuse of Tack Of condi- tion," of in his training followed Clabby's manager. Barney Lichten- stein, sought return match over a longer route. Gibbons is no mara thon boxer. He is of the thorough bred types and believes he can beat any man in the world in a limited number of rounds up to 20. After that limit, Gibbons says it purely becomes a question of endurance, to which even skill ofttimeS must bow.
 When Promoter Elegin received Gib- bons consent to box any three men In the world, Clabby was first named Then came Young Ahearn. The fashy Lancashire middleweight, who is now making Brooklyn his home, has per formed some rare feats in the ring. Stripped Ahearn weighs 154 pounds in perfect physical condition. He has met middleweights, light t-heavyweights and even men scaling 30 pounds more than himself and yet he has boxed rings around them. He made Jack Dillon, rated as the best light-heavy- weight in the world, look like a novice in a six round bout. Ahearns skill dexterity, ring artifice and speed in ponnents on both sides of the Att lantic.
 Ahearn is as clever with his hands faster on his feet, but cannot hit as hard as Gibbons. He, however, is not invincible, as was proven in a recent bout with Leo Houck at the Irving Athletic club New York. Houck had Ahearn in bad shape in the ninth and tend rounds of their contest having | dropped the elusive for a count of nine It was this bout that brought HoucI | in the limelight again as a middle | weight contender
 Four years ago in a Paris ring | Houck fought 20 of the most sensa- | tional rounds ever witnessed at the l French capital. He received the re- feree's decision over Harry Lewis, who | was then the premier middleweight ot
 Europe. The French public acclaimed Houck as the best man of his weight | in the world. They were willing tC back their judgment, too, for they 1 offered the young Lancaster boxer z
 purse of $10,O0O if he would remain il | Paris and defend the title.
 Houck was homesick, however Ht | longed for home and mother. Int quiet country life of Lancaster Coun. | ty appealed more to him than tht
 bright lights of Paris. It seemed nc
 amount of money could lure him from | his purpose. In the ring you would | call it stubbornness. For the onc' 1 Houck was stubborn and returned | home. Then followed a busy cam. l paign. In turn he met every middle. weight of any reputation in America
 with varying success. He had twt 1 reverses. Both were eXcusable. Jacl
 Dillon broke two of Leo's ribs in bout January 1, 1912, in Indianapolis which was stopped in the sixth rount l because Houck was physically unabl,
 to raise one of his arms. Again, Feb
 ruary 23, 1914. Houck lost to Bill! Murray in San Francisco in the 14tl round. Houck had taken the bout or | a few days notice, travelled acros the continent and fought with bu little training. Murray is a slugge
 pure and simple and has little class 1OT AS WdS subsequently knocked Ou twice in short order by George Chin
 Houck has a wonderful straight lief and, la Willard and Jack Johnson possesses a deadly right-hand upper l cut. His heart is as stout as hi body is strong, and he should be re garded as serious contender for thu title.
 Jeff Smith, an American boy who ii
 making ring history in Australia where he is recognized as the middle | weight title holder, expects to return to this country before the snow flies His manager, Al Lippe, says tha
 Smith will be right in line for Glib | bons or any other 15S-pound man wht I'disputes his claim.
 Smith has met with only two re lTerses in his entire ring career. H, lost 2O-round decision to George Carpenter in Paris before going t, Australia and one of 20 rounds to Ed die McGoorty in Sydney. Since thel
 he beat Pat Bradley by the knockou route in -16 rounds for the Australian
 championship and received a 2O-roun,
 decision over Jimmy Clabby at Sydney
 June 6, of last year, for the title.
 This is the array of boxers who ar
 Tn Mike Gibbons pathway toward tn, middleweight crown. Clabby is 2 years old; Ahearn is 23; Houck 26 Smith A and Gibbons, who has beer nominated to defend the title, is 27
 So they all possess the recuperatiy, powers of youth and the mental bal
 ance of men. All are temperate il
 their habits, and each is a credit t,
 the ring sport.