Omaha daily bee., 1918-03-03

ALMOST UNKNOWN.
Unknown except to the four round
game on the Pacific coast, when he
came east two months ago, Dempsey
has leaped into the limelight with an
agility that is remarkable. Before he
had fought a battle in this section
sports scribes were lauding him as
a prospective champion.
After Dempsey dumped over Homer
Smith, promising heavyweight from
Michigan, newspaper men WED in
coming new phrases to extol his
prowess. Scribes OF the far east
began to wake up when he trimmed
Carl Morris. Then Dempsey returned
to Chicago and put the skids under
Jim Flynn. After that he just about
owned the newspapers.
While all this was going on Demp-
sey began a series of assaults in.
tended to bring Jess Willard into the
open and into championship match.
His efforts by no means curtailed the
publicity accorded him. On the other
hand it probably had some effect on
Willard, for the champion for the
first time in months began to talk
as though he intended to defend his
title.
Kearns on Job.
One reason Dempsey hit the news
papers So hard was because he had
Jack Kearns, who knows the game,
for a press agent and manager. An
other was that he was the refreshing
type of scrapper who showed no re-
luctance to enter the ring. Dempsey
proved it by accepting every match
offered him.
After his first appearance Dempsey
was lauded as fighting man. He
is not yet a champion, by any means,
but there are competent sports critics
who predict he will make things live
ly for Jess Willard, Fred Fulton and
all of the top-notch heavies.
Ed Smith, who referred the Demp-
sey-Flynn battle, has been one Of
Dempsey's ardent supporters. Smith
characterized Dempsey "the Stanley
Ketchel of the heavyweights." He
predicts Jack will come nearer upset
ting Willard than any man in sight
today.
Two Viewpoints.
Tom Jones, who was thrown over
by Willard a few months ago, and
Jack Curley, who once piloted Viii.
lard's affairs, have given free ex-
preston to their opinions of the Utah
lad.
Dempsey is the man to beat Will
lard" Jack Curley said. "I have
watched him carefully and he showed
me enough in his bout with Carl
Morris at Buffalo to convince me-"
Dempsey never saw the day and
he never will that he could beat a
man of the Willard type" declared
Tom Jones. Dempsey never would
get near enough to Willard to land
one Of his punches"
King Kicks Up Fuss.
Mick King, Australian middle
weight, who has been hailed as the
successor of Les Darcy. is kicking up
quite fuss among the battlers Of
the Pacific coast.
After fighting with considerable
success around San Francisco, King
moved north to Seattle, and already
has put the crusher on two of the
leading scrappefs of that section.
Both men were heavyweights, but
that made no difference to the Aus
tralan.
Kings first victim in Seattle was
Steve Reynolds, a city fireman, her
aided as possessing robust wallop,
but very little boxing skill. King put
him away in less than four rounds.
Then he knocked out Chet Mcintyre,
heavyweight champion of the north
west, in three rounds. Mcintyre, who
is a clever boxer, but not an excep-
tionally hard hitter, had been ruling
the roost in the northwest ior several
months when King stopped him.
Dan Salt, the fstic impressario of
Seattle, has taken King in tow and
expects to send him east after battles
with Mike ODowd and other top
notchers in the middleweight division.
Gibbons Makes Hit.
Mike Gibbons, the St. Paul phan-
tom, is making such big hit as box
ing instructor at Camp Dodge, Des
Moines, that other army cantonments
are anxious to try out the Gibbons
methods.
A few nights ago Gibbons took a
team of boxers to Camp Grant, Rock
ford, ILL.,, where enlisted men have
been looking after the boxing instruc-
ton, and the Camp Dodge boys
cleaned up in great style. They won
three out of six bouts, got draws in
two and lost only one decision.
The boxers from Camp Dodge
showed themselves to be adopts at
Mikes shifty style of fighting, and
outclassed their opponents by wide
margin.
Chagrined over the showing made
by their men the Camp Grant sports
men decided to try for a more capable
boxing instructor. They are after
Packey Mcfarland and if they cannot
get him they may offer the job to
Tommy Gibbons, brother of the ia
nous Mike, and by many critics be-
lieved to be his equal as boxer and
fighting man.