The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-12-29

night Will fight his first battle IN Do
Strib started az a bantamweight,
and over a space of little less TIL l
two yeais has advanced through four
classes of ring battling. He won Of
ficia1ly recognized championships in
three of them, and is now making
his bid in the fifth-the middle
weight division.
strib's Trial Horse
Anthony Downey of Cincinnati,
considered one of the first five in
midd1eweight boxing circles, will be
. Stribs trial horse in fast and heavy
company. Downey comes here with
considerable reputation and expert
ence, and the barrier for Stribling to
pass will be a formidable one.
About 81 months ago a youngseer
from Macon entered the ring for his
; first bout. Opposed TO some battler
like himself, an unknown, the Macon
! lad made a nice showing, and was
/ given another fight. From then on
I he waded through Dixie bantam
weights like a mower through field
! of hay. Strib, for It was he, didn't
meet the real top notchers in Dixie
bantamweight circles and was not
considered a real champion IN that
class.
His First Championship
Then Stribling grew heavier. and
began taking on tho featherweights.
His path led to tho throne OF Fred
die Boorde, then in his prime, who
was considered the best feather
weight in Dixie. Stribling won from
Boorde and was awarded the cham
pionship belt, emblematic of the
Dixie championship. He never lost
that belt.
A few months later Stribling was
fighting in the lightweight division.
and victories over such battlers as
Larry Avera, Fearless Ferns, Sailor
Blanque and others won him another
championship belt, the lightweight
trophy.
Won Another Title
And then, few months ago. Strib
defeated Battling Budd, Atlanta's
great battler, and backed 1t up with
victories over Jake Abel, Red Her
ring. and others. And the third
trophy was annexed by the Macon
boy, the welterweight championship.
Now Stribling is hammering at the
door in the middleweight division. His
fighting weight IS 156 pounds, and
Strib is formidable foeman at that
weight. It seems that the Macon boy
is headed for the very top of the pu-
gilistic game-heavywe cham
pionship circles. THE path to the pin
nacle of Kingdoms fame is n long
and hard one, but If Strib continues
to grow and to improve with added
weight, tho big fellows must reckon
with him before a decade has passed.
Tonisht's Offering
Stribling is Is years old. Ten
years from now he will still be a
comparatively young man. and in his
prime he should be terrible foe
man for any battler in the country.
And that's what Dixie has to offer
in tonight's bout, the flower of her
Youth against the experience and
class of the east.
Anthony Downey is only 20 years
old himself, but has been fighting
for three years. He has met the best
of them, and has come off with
wonderful record.
Their Records
Stribling has lost only two de-
cisions during his career as q battier
and has since then redeemed himself
by defeating both of his conuuerors
lin return bouts. Downey has lost
only three fights during his three
years as a fighter Neither boy has
ever been knocked out. and 1t has
been said that neither has ever been
knocked off his feet.
Athletic club officials are strong
in their statements that they con-
slider tonight's bout absolutely the