The New York herald., 1921-10-10
WILSON REFUSES TO
MEET MIKE GIBBONS
Bostonian Has Ignored Three
Flattering Purse Offers to
Box With Veteran.
ny CHARLES r. mA1HIsos.

| ny CHARLES r. n A1HIsOy.
| Evidence accumulates that Mike Glib
bons In his efforts to get a match for
the middleweight championship has
boxed unwisely and too we'll. Gibbons
recent knockout of Battling Ortega In
the seventh round apparently has fright
ened Wilson and Downey. the 50 per
cent. champions of the class. Wilson
especially exhibits signs OF fear and
refuses even 10 discuss the question OF
a match with the st. Paul ghost.
Immediately after Gibhons's victory
over Ortega. which was staged in Col
orado Springs, number Of wealthy
sportsmen of that city raised a purse
Of $4,000 for contest between WI.
son and Gibbons. The money was
placed in bank, and q telegram sent
to Marty Killilea. Wilson's manager
asking him how much Wilson would
require for his SHARE
There was no reply to the telegram,
and the syndicate despatched two more
wires to Killilea and Wilson.
Dense silence on the part of Wilson
and Killilea was the only result. which
seems to Indicate that Wilson Is not al
all enthusiastic regarding a match with
the veteran but still virile Gibbons.
| This impression Is strengthened by the
fact that Tom Andrews offered Wilson
| $4,000 last April to box Gibbons de-
cisionless ten round bout In Milwaukee
| and the International Sporting Club dam
gled a $4,000 guaranty before Wilson's
eyes for Gibbons bout at Ebbsts Field
last July. Both Of these offers were
| ignored.
The fact that Wilson has been marked
of Tex Richards eligible list and Is In
bad odor with other promoters BODIES Ill
for Wilson's future as a boxer
There is hardly doubt that Gibbons
would outpoint Wilson In a short bout
and probably stop him In twenty round
contest.
Artie Edwards is conscientious ref
cree and works hard, but he makes the
| mistake common to majority Of third
men In the ring regarding holding. 1t Is
customary with nearly all referees to
yell "Breakw every time the boxers
c'inch and then slap the men on the
| shoulders.
In the contest between Burman and
Smith at the Garden last Friday night
Burman habitually pinned Smiths gloves
nder his arms. Every time Smith, who
rushed In for action Burman ciamped
his arm on Smiths glove and held It
Ill the referee ordered them to break.
Strangely enough the referee usually
slapped Smith on the shoulder or back.
As matter Of fact, Burman should
have been warned early in the bout TO
stop clinchirg and he should have been
renalized In points. It was evident from
Burmans actions that he feared the
result of fair, open fight with Smith
and resorted to clinching in order to
avoid Smiths blows. Smith did no hold
'-g. was the aggressor throughout. did
30 per cent of the leading. and had
! B''rman been properly penafzed for
holding the midget would have got no
worse than decision of draw. II
! -eferees would cease their perrotlike
| yelling Of "Breals I" find out which man
| IS doing the holding and compel him to
! stop, there would be considerable more
| action In many contests and the spec
| IN tors would get a better return FOR
I tNair money.
| Harry stone. formerly an East Side
| lightweight Of fair ability. but who has
| achieved fnme and fortune In the ring
| IN Australia. has received setback.
| Stone won the lightweight championship.
| but II was taken from him by Sid Cod
| frey. w. T. Corbett the Sydney boxing
| authority, thus describes the affair:
"It was a tragedy. 1t was apparently
| a farewell to greatness so far as 1t had
| gone.
Referee Joe Wallis had crowned sid
| Godfrey victor of last Saturday nights
contest at the Stadium for the light
weight championship of Australia and
| the Referee belt.
''Fuliy 1000 people were on their feet.
Il. -I,l~ <txx<x H..
rectness Of the verdict. a few protesting.
"The defeated man. Harry Stone,
stood a moment or two. head bowed,
arms hanging limp at his sides. The
crown of supremacy OF the 80 division
Of Australian boxing had passed from
him. He had fallen. and fallen badly.
Only once or twice did he attempt, or
was he able, to offer any serious oppo-
sitIon to the attack upon his citadel.
But they were mere flashes which pc
tered out quickly directly tho fighting
waxed warm.
mo champion within my ken put forth
less resistance TO his deposition.
"a thousand thoughts must have
passed through Harry stones mind dur
| ing the brief interval OF his standing IN
| the middle of the ring rs one shocked
| at the realizat ation that he was no longer
| the power he had been. And thousand
other thoughts must have followed when,
as he moved toward his corner. at least
| q thousand people hooted him.
But that should not have hurt the
vanquished boxer 1t has been the fate
Of many greater men than he ever was.
and will be the lot OF others till the last
syllable of recorded time.
1T Is not much moro than a year
since wrote n special article regarding
Stone. and referred 10 him as the great
est ring fighter In this part of the world,
because he made no demur concerning
weight. He said. In effect, let em all
come. welterweights. middleweights or
heavyweights made no difference to him.
He was willing to meet any and every
body the promoter chose rather than lie
fallow. And when he did go out of his
poundage class no was either successful
or he left his mark In the minds Of spec
| tators.'