Omaha daily bee., 1916-06-11
B0X GAME IS T0TYERING
New York Fans Tired Of Film Flams
Promoters Are Putting Over
in Gotham.
NIKE GIBBONS GETS PEEvIsH
BY RINGSIDE.

OF boxing is tottering. 1t requires but
few more shoves to be sent into OBJ
livion And all because conniving
promoters, unscrupulous boxers and
solons as straight as corkscrews are
placing their own interests before
those Of the public, which supports the
game and makes boxing possible.
Interest in the game is waning;
there can be no doubt Of that; the dear
public is no longer clamoring for GER
tain matches 1t permits the promoter
to arrange the bouts. and if anyone
cares to witness it he simply walks
up to the box office, pays his money
and walks in. But he has no guaran-
tee that the bout is not pre-arranged
or that the bout will be fought on its
merits He simply takes his chance.
Commercialism has crept into the
game to such an etxent that il is be-
coming detrimental to the existence
of the sport OF the ancients. II q
good match--one that may furnish in
teresting battling-is in sight, the
principals haggle over weight condi-
tions and the bulk of the purse until
the public is weary and loses all in
terest in such meeting. Frank Nor
ans reluctance to meet Jack Dillon is
a notable example.
Then again, there is great demand
for new faces. The old boys are fast
losing their grip on fight adherents
and new material is slow in develop
ing
For a time il seemed that Ever
Hammer, who has been termed the
"Blond Tiger" would grow into a
great drawing card after his defeat
OF Freddie Welsh. II Hammer had
been content to rest on his laurels
gained in this bout he would have
been in position to- demand big
money on the Atlantic seaboard.f Re-
ports OF his clash with Welsh gave the
impression that Hammer was the log
ical successor to Welsh's throne.
Hammer is Foozle.
But week or SO later Hammer
went out and spoiled all his chances Of
ever becoming an attraction in the
east. They induced virtual novice,
Bitter Root Kid by name, to fight
Hammer, and the latter required all
OF seven rounds to defeat the Kid. In
all that period Hammer could not
drop his, unschooled foe. 1t was a
set up" purse and simple, and even
then Hammer failed to impress. All
OF which gives a fair line Of Freddie
Welsh's ability at this advanced stage
in his ring career.
Another recent incident distasteful
to supporters of boxing was the ac-
ton OF the Wisconsin Boxing com
mission in suspending Freddie Welsh,
and the refusal of the New York
State Athletic commission to enforce
the suspension in this state after it
had practically been agreed between
the two bodies to work on mutual
basis. II not being to the advantage
of the local solons, they have stead
fastly refused to uphold the Wiscon-
sin ruling, although, if requested, a
New York ruling would hold goAd in
Wisconsin. Naturally. relations have
been severed, and fighter who dis
appoints the public can suffer only in
one section at one time. whereas If
all commissions recognized suspen-
sions as mutual, the offender would
be cured after being sentenced to lay
off work for about three or four
months.
Alf the game is to thrive, the va
ribus commissions must get together,
and establish universal rules. And
all must pull In the same direction,
for nothing will disdrganize any body
of lawmakers as readily as dissension.
Gibbons Is Sore.
Michael Gibbons is peeved at
Gotham boxing scribes for their crit
icisms of him after his poor showing
against Ted-Kid Lewis several weeks
ago. He even threatens never to fight
here again. Goodi
Gibbons has inflicted himself on
the New York public long enough.
Ever since attaining the trent rank in
pugiiism, Mike has done nothing but
! disappoint Manhattan fight goers. Be-
fore gaining prominence Michael
fought like champion here. But
ssince then he has been failure, inso-
far as his ring performances in New
York are concerned
Recall his affair with Eddie Nc
GoortjI at the Garden1 Mike did not
land three good blows all through the
ten rounds. Then came his disap-
pointing showing with Soldier Bart
field, A. welterWeight. Last year he
permitted Packcy Mcfarland to 20
ten slow rounds with him. Recently
he showed absolutely nothing worth
while against Lewis, who fairly
rushed Gibbons off his feet in the