Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-16
GIBBONS is The FAVORITE
St. Paul Phantom is Expected to
Return Victor Over Ahern in
Bout Tuesday.
KnBAEE GETS A TRIMMING
ny RINGsIDE.


NEW YORK. Jan. 15-Michael Gibbons,
the ST. Paul Shroud. and Young Ahearn.
the Phlitting Phantom, are to meet again
in the ring. They will go through the
mystic mazes OF a ten-round bout out
ST. Paul way next Tuesday evening. This
IL Mikes home town. but the environ
ment will have no bearing on the out
come OF the battle.
Ahearn will not knock out Gibbons,
whereas Gibbons may knock out Ahesrn.
Mike has done It once before. so what
Is to prevent a recurrence? IL is the
inexorable law OF the ring that a man who
has once flattened a rival IL more than
likely to repeat when they clash again.
Few are the cases where beaten
boxer reversed the order in a subsequent
meeting. or course. there flashes to mind
the case OF Stanley Ketchel and Billy
Pabke. The Michigan assassin knocked
out Pabke after the latter had stopped
him. But this IL the exception that proves
the rule.
Gibbons' Former Victory.
Mike Gibbons knocked out Ahearn here
on June ], 1918. The bout lasted four
rounds. and Ahearn was quite content
to take the long count. as he was com
pletely outclassed by Gibbons. Some may
contend that Ahearn was novice when
he submitted 60 this licking. To dis
! prove this contention II might be mem
/ toned that at the time OF this bout
Gibbons was in the game five years.
while Ahearn had been battling just one
year less.
A superficial examination Of the rec
ords OF Gibbons and Ahearn reveals some
interesting facts Mike has never been
stopped. while Ahearn has been knocked
out three times. including the setback
at the hands OF Gibbons. Packey McFar-
/ land and Jean Badoud were Ahearn's
other conauerors by the knockout route.
| And Packey never was considered a
knockerout. OF Badoud we know little,
except that he made Ahearn cry quits
in the eighteen rounds.
/ Ahearn's weak Record.
! Ahearn's records show that he has
stopped but four opponents during his
six years In the ring. His victims we're
Henri Piet. whom Ahearn outweighed
many pounds; Soldier Bartfield. who quit
to Ahearn In eight rounds (Ahearn AMI
Bartfield by the way are In the same
stable); sid Burns, who also was stopped
4 by Gibbons. and Pete Braddock. an Bng-
I
fish army man.
Gibbons IL not reputed as a knockout
artist, yet his record Is dotted with
numerous knockouts. Mike never spe-
ciallzed in knockouts, yet whenever the
occasion demanded lat such times when
his popularity was waning) he managed
| 20 put over the punch soporific.
| The return battle between Gibbons and
Ahearn was a long time materializing.
They were scheduled TO meet last month,
but at the last moment the bout was
postponed owing to cold sustained by
Gibbons Mike was under a doctors care
several days before the match was called
off This gave dapper Dan McKetrick,
Ahearns manager, the chance to raise a
hue and cry that Gibbons had developed
case OF cold feet and feared to fight
Ahearn.
Quite some deduction on McKetricks
part, knowing that Gibbons had already
knocked out Ahearn. Fortunately Mike
recovered from his cold sooner than ex-
pected. and ne Immediately had the bout
declared on again. Mike is quite inoensed
at McKetrioks action. and will endeavor
TO take II out on Ahearn Tuesday night.
KiIbane aud the Lights.
Johnny Kilbane has reconsidered his de-
termination to graduate into the light
weight class. The featherweight cham
pion tried his hand with 1s3-pounder.
Richie Mitchell, several days ago and
Jared rather poorly. Mitchell pasted XII
bane all over the ring during the ten
rounds.
Fact is Mitchell hit too hard for Kill
bane. The former started a flow OF car
mine from the champions nose I'm an
early round, and otherwise damaged the
featherweight boss
Young Shugrue, who mas battled all the
top-notch lightwelghts. Is ready TO return
TO the ring. shugrue has been troubled
with weak eyes for over a year. An oper-
alton saved his sight, and now he Is pre-
pared to engage the leading lightweight
again.
Naturally he prefers taking on Freddie
Welsh first. lie has beaten the champion
once and sincerely believes he can do It
once more.