The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-01-04
FeW Marks on Jeff Smith
After Ten Year Campaign
Through Three Continents
'Thunderbolt Has Bearing of
Gentleman, and, Like John
ny Buff, Is Proud Father;
Trio of Husky Boys Call
Him Dad
By y A. BRfDGEwATER

by B A. BRTDGEwATER
When II was announced That Jeff
Smith, the mlddleweight mauler OF
Bayonne. N. j.. veteran OF hundreds
OF ring battles in this country, Aus
tralia and Europe, had been
matched to box Is rounds with Kid
Palmor on Wednesday night, Jan
uary 4, what was your first idea?
obably-unleEs you already
knew Smith or had seen him in the
hemped arena--you instantly con-
ceived mental picture OF "a battle
Scared, knotty-muscled. beetle
proved pug-ugly, "A rough and
tough. thick -headed man-hanaler.
What more natural II you chanced
To know that he had boxed no less
than nine times with Harry Greb,
four with Mike Gibbons. two with
Les Darcy and had met Jimmy
Clabby, Eddie McGoorty, Georges
Carpenter and others IN 20-round
battles. without ever In his whole
career being knocked from his feet2
Nay. nay; not so. In fact. you
couldn't be further off the track
u you deliberately set about to see
how far you could miss your guess.
He's Almost Unmarked.
Jerome Jefferds Smith. as his
parents christened him. but known
In fistlana as jeff and commonly
called the "Thunderbolt." could he,
with very little stretching of the
Imagination, said to resemble the
well known young man of the collar
ads. That's just one way of say
Ing that he's decidedly good look
/ Ing chap, clean-vlsaged and with n
] lilx a. "a hla nArannalitu hanr-
ing OF gentleman.
That Smith has managed to pull
through a fistic campaign of more
than a decade that has carried him
all over three continents and
brought him up against the toughest
middleweights In the world with a
minimum of marks on his person. is
a real tribute to his ability as a
boxer. He's decidedly clever. as
well as possessing n stir punch.
Ijppc Proud OF Him.
Al Lippe, leading boxing man
ager who took Smith under his
wing In 1911. less than n year after
he started boxing. thinks a whole
as from a business standpoint. He'll
talk by the hour OF his trips over
the world with his protege.
I'VE were In Australia, In the city
of Sydney, when Smiths first child
was born" said Lippc THE sport
ing editor OF one Of the papers
: asked me TO suggest To jeff that the
youngster be named sydney. after
the city we were sojourning in.
!, asked Mrs. Smith instead. and sh,
readily agreed-providing JEFF wal
willing. He was, and that's how
. his oldest boy. n lad of IL years. Sn'
swers T. the name of Sydney. JEFF
now has two other youngsters. both
boys, 9 and 3 years old"
II was In Australia thar Smith
, fought some of his hardest fights
/. He beat Jimmy Clabby and Eddi,
4 McGoorty there In 20-round fight
$ In 1914 and lost a 20-round decision
to Mick King. The next year III
= beat George Chip In Is rounds II
+; Australia and evened the count will
J. Mick King by winning 20-rounI
:. decision. In the rubber. the thirt
!. and last fight with King. Smitl
again won tha decision.
I Sessions with Grcb and Gibbons.
II was In 1917 that Smith met tn
clever Harry Greb Of Pittsburgh 70
the first time. taking him on In tw
, l0-round no-dccision bouts. Alto
= gether he has clashed with Gre
= the bouts have been OF the node
v cislon variety. Smith has capabl
, held-his own with his heavier oppo
nent lie fought Grcb 10 round
>. last Christmas day at Pittsburgh, n
l. decision. and then lost a l0-roun
" decision to Greb on February 20 a
Boston. However. at their neS
t. meeting. and the last to date, whic
l. was at New Orleans on May q
I, 1921, Smith held Greb to dra'
in Is rounds
r Smith has not suffered any in hi
nr quartet OF encounters with tn
L phantom, Mike Gibbons. His la
meeting with Gibbons was on Az
4 gust at Jersey City, l2-round al
le fair. Although no decision wa
y given by tie referee, the newspa
pers gave Gibbons shade on point
= However, in this bout Smith. score
" a knoCkdown on Gibbons an
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