The Washington times., 1922-02-19
CORBETT PICKS
TOM GIBBONS
TO FACE JACK
Former Heavyweight Cham
pion Says St. Paul Man Is
Logical Opponent.
BY JAMES J. CORBETT.

Logical Opponent.
BY JAMES J. CORBETT.
IF Jack Dempsey is anxious to
fight the toughest man among
the aspirants for his crown,
ne ought to give battle to Tom Glib
oons.
All things considered, Gibbons
mas shown mere fighting ability
through the last year than any OF
he men who want to take a crack
It the champion. And certainly
Gibbons, by knocking over some
hing like twenty-one men in his
asst twenty-five starts, has proved
his greatness even to the most
;keptical.
A year ago Harry Wills, the me-
ITO, doomed up as the most formid-
lble of Dempsey's prospective foe
men. But not now. Wills hasn't
accomplished anything remarkable
n the year-and has suffered some
set-backs. His failure to dispose Of
Bill Tate, who was Dempsey's spar
ing partner, brought about q big
slump In the stock Of the burly
negro.
Tate always was soft for Demp-
ssy. The big champion never knew
she day when he couldn't have fiat
tened Tate in any Of their sparring
nhibitions-had he tried. Yet the
same Tate won a decision from
Wills and later went along with
Tim to a draw. Tate is said to
ave had Wills on the floor in the
sitter contest. and many ringlead-
re claim that calling the thing a
iraw was a great injustice to Tate.
But, at any rate, Wills, In falling
o whip a man who was soft stuff"
ior Dempsey. has proved that he
,ither has been overrated for a
.ong while or that he has gone
,ack considerably.
Only One Goes Route.
While Wills was slipping Glib
sons has been coming. And in
spectacular way. No heavyweight
II any era--and that inclu d Ell
Dempsey himself-has accomplished
lnything like Gibbons's knockout
.ecord. Tommy has ducked no one.
he has taken on all who came. He
las gone out of his way to get
lights. And all except BARLEY Mad
len were knocked out.
Sure want to fight Dempsey
declared Gibbons. That's what I've
)een working for. It's true that
he men I've beaten have been, in
he main, just ordinary fighters.
But that's not my fault. I'm ready
o fight any man in the land-but
hey aren't all eager to mix 1t with
ne, except Harry Greb, whom l
ave to face in Madison Square
harden on March IS. ,
I'm ready to tackle Fulton. And
Z Bill Brennan wants fight he
an have it. The same thing goes
or Gene Tunney and anyone else.
was sort of saving some OF my
,fforts for Carpenter, but I've con-
.luded that the Frenchman isn't
,oming here-at least for the pur-
,ose OF fighting me. So I'll gladly
nix II with anyone in the effort to
prove that i am Dempsey's most
ormidable rival"
Gibbons is big enough to fight
my living man. He's a tribe De-
rond six feet In height, and scales
)etween 175 and IT'S pounds. With
n six months he'll probably hit
round $50.
Carries Terrific Punch.
The st. Paul Irishman is fast.
lever, has terrific walloping power
md is a phantom on defense. In
lis last forty fights. no man really
as laid a blow on him-something
hat cannot be said of any other
.istic warrior in the game at present.
A process Of elimination seems to
settle upon Gibbons as the real
ival Of Dempsey-as the one man
4 them all who is really entitled to
,attle the big champion. Consider
hem all:
Fulton-Already knocked out by
Dempsey and Wills, and seemingly
ar removed from AMI greatness
which he may have had.
INTELLECTUALLY overrated at the
Iutset, and not so good now as he
vas.
Brennan-Twice knocked out by
Dempsey, and away from the ring
or nearly year.
Tunney-Cannot be reckoned in
0empsey's class now.
Which leaves Gibbons, victor in
very one of his last twenty-five
Itarts, including twenty-one knock.
tut wins; never knocked out and
iever knocked off his feet; fighting
n more sensational style now than
aver before; fit and ready to battle
my man in the woodland fit and
eady to give a real battle to the
sreatest.
The next fight for Jack Dempsey,
therefore,, should be against Glib
IONS, unless, of course Harry Greb
,hould happen to upset things by
,eating Tommy.
Copyright, 1922. King Feature Syndi-
cate)