The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-08-05
TOMMY GIBBONS ONLY
ONE RUNC BELOW TOP
By Henry Farrell, <l
Omitted Press staff Corresponding

New OK, aug. 0.--AICef one Oh
the hardest struggles boxer ever
encountered, Tommy Gibbons, the st.
Paul light heavyweight, is just one
run below the top. 1884, ~
Those who know him are sure that
he will take the next step to a cham
pionship when he meets Georges Car
pentier in October.
Many Of those who know him feel
sure that some day he will wear the
heavyweight crown-not soon maybe,
but some day.. IL, a1"<Is.
Gibbons deserves a championship
if boxer ever E1nerited one. His
rise from the handicap Of being
merelya great brothers brother has
been one continuation of trials.
For some strange reason, a certain
element Of the boxing crowd refused
to entertain the st. Paul boy seri-
ously. 1t is to his everlasting credit
that he did not have the support Of
that faction. ->E
Credit for all his victories was
taken away with the claim that he
was a dollhouse plant being nurtured
on 'set-ups."
They camped on his trail incessant-
ly and ridiculed him, charging him
with everything short of crime.
But he finally got there.
At first, the knockers said he was
good boxer, but lacked punch.
Then he developed punch by scien-
tifc study that got him 13 short
knockouts in a row. This even failed
to convince his enemies. Even when
he knocked out Willie Meehan, a feat
that Jack Dempsey failed to do three
times, he got no credit. The cries OF
a "set-up" still persisted.
The writer knows that Tom Glib
boas never sought a 'set-up" in his
life, and he never held out for big
purse. He tried to get Al Roberts,
and failed. Charley Weinert ran
away from him. Finally he got Larry
Williams, big tough fellow, and he
got $500 for knocking him out when
the poorest boxers in New York were
getting three and four thousand dol
lars from Tex Richard. .~..
Tom then signed contract to
meet any opponent the promoters
could get for him for 15-round bout
at Ebbet's Field. The promoters
wired him to write the name of Bart
lev Madden in the contract. When
he arrived in New York he found that
Madden would not sign and that Jack
Clifford, q sparring partner OF the
champion, had been secured. He
had to meet Clifford, and he knocked
him out.
Bill Brennan wanted $4,000 to
meet the st. Paul boy. Leo Flynn
frankly admitted that Brennan stood
for another bout with Dempsey and
chat he wanted big money if the Chi
cago boy was to be knocked off.
The Congratulations match
then looked like a winner to Tex
Richard, because sentiment all over
the country, and especially among the
real fans in New York favored the
match.
Stories were then widely circulated
in New York that Gibbons had the
gall to ask $G5,000. The real fact
of the case is that Gibbons never
asked for cent. Richard asked Ed
die Kane, his manager, how much he
wanted for a match, and Kane told
him that he would not accept a fiat
guarantee and that he would work
only on a percentage basis. The con-
tract was signed on this basis.
| Tommy has never opened his mouth
in protest at the knocks against him.
No doubt he knew that he could get
to the top in spite of the barriers put
up against him and he is there now.