Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-08-26
GIBBONS READY TO
FIGHT FOR CROWN
Brought Out of Retirement by
Criticism; Ready to Step
Next Month.

Stnnr to me quick by the rrequern
criticism of his failure 10 come out
into the open in defense Of the middle
weight championship he has so boldly
seized, Mike Gibbons has finally
vislded TO the pressure OF public opin-
ion and has declared his willingness
to engage / ra match the latter part
of September. Just who will he tho
first opponent OF the Phantom Is hard
TO forecast at this time but IN all prob
ability the winner OF the struggle be-
tween Harry Greb and Jeff Smith,
now fixture for Sept. II, at MIL
waukee. will be selected TO meet the
usurper of the title. Promoters at st.
Paul aid Milwaukee are biddirs
against each other for this fstic plum.
Gibbons the other day issued
formal statement setting forth the
reasons why he should he acknowl-
edged the Legitimate middleweight
champion.
Must Fight for TitIc.
Unfortunately for Gibbons, the prin-
ciplc that ring titles are inherited. or
that there are pugiiistic residuarS
lcgsItees is not well founded. Whe0
Stanley Ketchel fell victim o fan as.
sassin's bullet, n majority OF ling fox
lowers doubtless will agree that Billy
Papke had the most logical claim az
successor to Ketchcl but they will
also agree that at that time there was
10 real champion. Papkc was de-
fcated in Paris by Frank Klaus who
'hercupon claimed the crown. altho
the match was not at the middle-
weight limit and therefore. technically
no title could change hands.
Establishes Formal Claim
This fracas in Paris is the basis for
the middlewcight championship pre-
tensions of AL Mccoy Of Brooklyn, for
Mccoy beat George Chip who had
whipped Frank Klaus. il Is In reply
10 the claims OF Mccoy that Gibbons
has directed his statement. az follows:
There is no real titlcholdcr at
the present time so far as winning the
honor In a single worlds champion
ship battle is concerned. Klaus claim
ed to have won II from Papke IN Par
is but as rirgside weight was not
made 1t was not a worlds champion
ship battle. AS n mDtter OF fact, the
weight mentioned in the rules is 1874
pounds rngside. and Mike Gibbons Is
one Of the few fighters posing as mid
dlcweic hts who can do this weight and
fight at his normal strength.
This low poundage has not been
recognized in American ring history,
former champions having established
the limit at l5S pounds. We are WILL
ing 10 accept this standard.
Gibbons at the weight specified has
beaten every iitlc claimant except
Darcy He defeated McGoorty and
Clatby, both claimants for the title
and beat them so decisively they were
quite willing to agree that they had no
chance at the premier honors of the
class so lorg as Mike was in the ring.
Moreover. we claim that there is little
question OF Mikes ability 10 stop any
man Darcy has ever Knocked out.
Bn'h Cla6by and McGoortY admi1
they had no chance 10 last twenty
rounds with Mike.
mccoy is not champion. Chip ner-
or was champion and Mike Gibbons is,
because he outclasses every middle
weight at present in the ring"
There Is none o fthe modest violet
stuff about Gibbons II one may judge
! hy the above formal stater1ent. How
ever. II Is admitted that the Phantom
has first claim on the title ana will be
y" recognized until Smith. Grcb. or
Mccoy have had chance to demon
strate their superiority.