The Washington herald., 1917-03-11
GIBBONS NOW CLAIMS
MDDLEWEIGHT TITLE
Sporting Fraternity Is Psnnins Darcy
for Dodsing>the Clever BsttIer.

ioI DooStut Nut Nsc'eh Dotuct.
New York. March io-Mchaei Gibbons
doesn't mind being called . phantom. In
fact Miguel rather likes the idea. Tor
there is something suggestive Of Hindoo-
ism In the name and he 10 somewhat of .
Hindu with his mittens-
But Mike has adopted a new moniker.
and henceforth he will insist on being
introduced as the worlds middle-veight
champion Yes. sir; you've eot II right.
for the senior member Of the Gibbons
brothers Is laying q stronger claim 90
the worlds middlevweight crown than
ever before He Is carrying q chip on
weighing l5s pounds ringside 10 try 70
knock II on.
The weight argument is a strong ons
In Gibbons favor. He can make IN
pounds with ease and stands ready %
prove IL, by weighing in at the ringsids
against any tighter In the world.
Mike doesn't take Al Mccoy seriously.
Nobody else does. for that matter. And
as for Les Darcy-vell, Gibbons wants
Just one chance TO show the hstic public
that st. Paul MINI, has something on
Maitland. Australia, as the home OF the
worlds best l5s-pound pug1list.
The sporting fraternity is already pam
ming Darcy for> lodging Gibbons The
Australian boxer has had no less than
six good offers from promoters In all
parts OF the country TO hook up with
Gibbons. What has he done with them7
Turned 'em all down cold, and, further
more. he insists that Gibbons will have
ito wait until he gets ready to meet him
Darcy's long period Of Inaction after
landing in New York lost him much OF
the prestige he held when he srrived in
~ 49, A.
ing Gibbons has led 6stic fans to suspect
that he has something more than a
wholesome respect for the pompadoured
bearcat from st. Paul
But Gibbons will have to wait, and
while he is waiting he VIII push his
claims to the 'middle-veight champion
ship with greater persistency than ever
before. Mike points proudly TO the fact
that he has dlsproven the claims OF some
Of the critics who declared he lacks q
wallop. When he laid the slumber punch
on Young Ahearn he demonstrated that
he can hit, and when he was awarded a
one-sided decision over Jack Dillon he
proved to the sporting public that he
Is the last word in fighting machinery.
To the fair-minded fight fan Gibbons's
claims to the worlds middle-weight title
are more substantial than the claims OF
any other boxer. and Gibbons adds an
additional argument in his favor by point
ing out that when George Chip won his
title he did not do 30 at the 15s-pound
limit Also. when Mccoy swung his
lucky right mitt on Chips lower maxiliary
for a knockout, neither boy could have
held the beam even at 15s pounds
Darcy. powerful and unusually clever
for his size and weight, will ind Gibbons
something more than a phantom when
they meet. according to Mikes manager.
Eddie Kane. Eddie informs US that Mike
has a strong ambition to put an end to
Darcy's position as q dictator by clipping
the Australian on the Jaw with q wallop
that will send him TO dreamland. In
order to hit Darcy hard enough to put
him away Gibbons would have TO clip
him with more effect than he has ever
clipped an opponent. but Mike believes
he can do it Darcy, il will be remem-
bered, maintains that he has never been
burt in the ring: that no punch he has
ever stopped has as much as stung him
But Gibbons's confidence in his ability
is so impressive that all one has to do
Is talk with him for a while to find ones
self just about ready to agree with him
in everything he says. And, believe US,
Steve, that's going some. Further than
this, Gibbons's record. his wonderful
ability as boxer and his legitimate
weight give him the edge on all other
claimants. From our standpoint his con-
tentions are more substantial than those
Of any other boxer and il he is given
the chances he asks for there is little
doubt that he will prove hisSsuperiorfty
over all l5S-pound boys