New-York tribune., 1921-12-01
Mike McTigue and Jeff
Smith Look Better Than
the Champion to Many
BY Jack Lawrence

The last exhibition of fisticufrs to be
seen in Madison Square Garden until
after the six-day bike race, starting
Sunday night. will take place this eve
ming, when Mike Mcrigue, who asplres
to the middleweight title. meets jeff
smith, OF bayonne, scrapper who is
also cunning for Johnny Wilson'S
crown.
While McTigue and Smith certainly
do not measure up to what fans have
a right to expect in Il Madison Square
Garden star attraction, it is reasonably
certain that there will be plenty Of ac-
tion. The bout is scheduled to go fif-
teen rounds, but it would not be par
tlcularly surprising il a Knockout wal
lcp ended the proceedings long before
the limit is reached.
Inc winaer, according to boxing
dope that was being disseminated along
the line last night, will be matched
with Harry Greb and the winner of
that battle will camp on the doorstep
of Johnny Wilson, middleweight title
holder and probably the phoniest
worlds champion the universe has ever
been called upon to tolerate.
Public interest in the middleweight
division is decidedly of negative sort,
although there is undoubtedly very
real desire on the part of fight fans to
see Mr.. Wilson of Boston dethroned
There are number Of middleweights
now fighting who should be able to
accomplish this if they could ever force
Johnny into the ring.
Wilson Avoids Real Bouts
Wilson is evidently intent upon hold
Ing his title just as long as possible,
and he wisely figures that the best way
to do this is to keep out of the ring.
He has studiously avoided boxers Of
real ability ever since winning the
title and there seems to be small hope
right now that he could be inveigled
into the ring with any one who might
give him q battle.
The middleweight situation is about
as blurred and confused as it possibly
could be, and, in face Of Wilson'S very
evident disinclination to fight. there
would probably be no seismic disturb
ances if either Jeff Smith, Tom Glib
bons, Mike McTigue or Harry Greb,
after going through a series of elmi-
nation bouts, YVES declared the holder
of the middleweight title
A weird twist is given to the situa-
tion in this division as result Of the
fact that the State of Ohio, from
which Wilson is barred as boxer, has
declared that Bryan Downey is the
middleweight champion of the world
THIS proclamation was made as re-
suit of the DoWney- Wilson scrap in
Cleveland, in which the former accord
ing to the timc-keepers, not only
knocked the champion out once but
had him down twice for the count of
ten and thirteen seconds, respectively
Is bout created widespread con-
troversy and resulted in the fasco at
boyle's Thirty Acres in Jersey City on
Labor Day, when Wilson and Downey
were brought together through the Ell
forts of Tex Richard. This affair re-
suited in miserable draw, the poor
showing of Wilson resulting in his end
Of the purse, amounting to som
thirty yodd thousand dollars, being
withheld by the Jersey boxing commits
sioners
Still Waiting for Purse
He is still waiting for his money and
has brought legal action, now pending,
the purse but when he left here there
was no very great desire on the part
OF local fans to see him in action
again. Fis showing on Labor Day, al
though he evidently was doing his
best, was very mediocre, and there was
a general feeling among the fans who
saw the fight that Mike McTigue, who
fought Panama Joe Cans on the same
bill, could have whipped either Wilson
or Downey.
Both McTigue and Cans exhibited far
more class than did either of the prin-
cipals in the star bout. McTigue beat
Cans on that occasion and fought o
very creditable scrap. Since then he
has done lot of campaigning and
has won the right to be seriously con
sidered as a contender for the middle
weight title.
J.st at this time Harry Greb looks
to be the most form liable middle
weight in the business A bout be-
| tween him and the winner of the scrap
| to night at Madison Square Garden
undoubtedly would attract great deal
Of interest.
Vincent Pepper Martin, Brooklyn's
snappy featnerweight, will meet Jackie
Norman at the Rink Sporting Club in
Brooklyn on Saturday night, their en-.
gagement being scheduled to go fifteen
rounds. In the twelve round semi
final Phil Franch;ni and Johnny Green
will hook up in what should be a
whrlwind affair.
TIE best boxing attraction for next