Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-05-28
PUGILISTS GO TO ARGENTINA
Billy Gibson is Promoting Expedi-
ton of Boxers to Buenos
Ayres.
TWENTY-FIVE WILL MAKE TRIP

New York, May N.-Billy Gibson
who is engineering the venture, has
practically completed arrangements
for the proposed expedition of Amer
lean boxers to Buenos Ayres next
month TO take part in a monster pu-
gilistic carnival which will be one of
the features in the general celebra-
ton of that city's two hundred and
fiftieth anniversary. "Gib" was COM
missioned by a representative of the
Argentine Republic to plan the in
vasion and secure the talent, and he
is now only awaiting the return Of
that agent from Washington, where
he went to confer with the minister
to this country, before announcing
the details Of the project.
Gibson is counting on about TWEEN
ty-hvc men making the twenty-four
day trip from this country. At the
present time he has full score
ribbed up for the journey These
are: Freddie Welsh, worlds light
weight champion; Jack Britton, Bat
Ting Leyinsky, Matt Wells, former
English lightweight champion; Frank
Loughrey, Jim Savage, wild Burt
Kenny, Augie Rather, Knockout Egg
gers, Eddie Campi, Sailor Grande
Harry Palmer, the Pittsburgh ban
tamweight; Billy Fitzsimmons,
frankie DAILY, Harry Wills, Sam Nc
Vey, Tex Kelly and Tommy Robin
son.
The men, with the exception OF
Welsh, will be signed for two
matches, with an option Of two more.
They will all receive fiat guarantee
with first-class transportation and ex-
penses both ways. The guarantees
and transportation, Gibson figures,
will amount to about $l50,000: Most
of the bouts will be staged in the city
of Buenos Ayres. If present facili-
ties are found to be inadequate or
undesirable a special arena will be
built The matches will be fought
during July and August and it is pro-
posed to stage them twice or thrice
a week, each show to consist of two
ffteen-round bouts and one twenty
rounder.
Worlds Championship Bouts.
Two OF the bouts will be world's
championship affairs, Welsh defend
ing his title against White and Brit
ton defending his self-claimed welter-
weight championship against Lewis
The other men will be matched among
themselves or with local talent down
there. There are good, bad and in
different boxers among the invaders.
fha %ff1a. 49, .e EAtn
one.
1--WE couldn't take all first-class
men down." explains Gibson. THE
object of the campaign is to popular.
ize boxing in the Argentine. The ma.
tives have only few sports. The
little boxing they have seen made a
big hit. They have some local talent
but as the game is JUST beginning to
gain a foothold this talent naturally
does not compare with our best
There are few American boxers
living down there, who are looked
upon as champions, but who were
nothing more than mere preliminary
boys up here. If we sent all our good
men there the game would be dead
after they came back, for they would
clean up. The men behind this scheme
wish to develop local. talent"
Gibson Enthusiastic.
Gibson is enthusiastic over the pos.
sibilities of the Welsh-White and
Britton-Lewis trip. He says it is
planned to charge from SIS to $40 fol-
the Welsh-White and Britton-Lewis
bouts. Prices for lesser matches, oil
course, will not be so great Brittor
and Lewis will meet local men before
meeting each other. Some of the
matches Gibson has in mind are lie.
whisky against TroJas or Marchand
the French light-heuvyweight, now
in Buenos Ayres; White against
Wells, McVey against Wills and
Grenda against Bissert The pro
gram, however, will be adjusted after
the arrival Of the Americans.
"The venture is practically sure
thing" declared Gibson. "The only
thing that can possibly gum the
works is the method OF paying the
boxers who make the trip. | intend
to protect the boys in every way, and
the first stipulations | insisted upon
when the matter was preached to me
was that American referees officiate
in the bouts; that the boxing rules
as adopted by the New York State
boxing commission govern all con-
tests; that their purses either be de-
posted in full with me or to my
credit in a New York bank before
they step aboard ship. | have no
doubt that these concessions will be
granted. The men interested in the
promotion OF the trip are most anx-
ious to introduce boxing in the Ar
gentine, and they command backing
Tor an enormous amount. Within
the next few days expect 10 have
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