The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-03-07

baseball park in Pittsburgh, Greb'
Saturday, July 81. 1920.
The last four rounds of that bout
were fought under frightful weather
conditions. The rain poured down In
torrents. lightning flashed and thun.
der crashed, but the fight was not
stopped. The men kept right on
mixing until they had finished the
final second OF the tenth round. Greb
was the winner.
A history of the Greb-Gibbons
meetings is interesting. They first
clashed at St. Paul, Gibbons home
town, back in 1915. At that time
neither was very far advanced In his
chosen profession. Tom was gen.
orally known as Mike Gibbons kid
brother" while Greb was scarcely
known outside his home district. In
fact, this bout was one OF Grebs first
Is a main-bouter away from home.
Greb, considering his inexperience,
gave Tom a good fight. and II was
only In the latter rounds that Glib
bons was able to flash any sort Of
margin in his favor. Gibbons did con-
siderable damage in those closing
sessions, though, and the bout was
the best seasoning Greb could ask.
Following this first meeting Greb
and Gibbons Travelled widely diver
gent paths. Greb became a sensa-
ton as a boxer, who fought early
and often. Sometimes he crowded
as many as three fights into n
week, and he was . cOnsistent
winner.
He fought all the middleweights
and light-heavies and heavyweights
in the country, and none OF them
could do anything with him. He
thrived on work, work and more
work. Gibbons meanwhile went
along slowly. crowding only a few
fights into each year. He did not
believe in fighting often and burn
ing himself out.
In the summer Of 1920, some five
years after he first fought the st.
Paul man, Greb again was matched
with Gibbons, this time in Puts
ten-round no-decision bout from Mike
Gibbons at Forbes Field, and also
had given Mike a hard fight in
Philadelphia before that. 1t was
only natural that the promoters
should bring Tommy on to try to
avenge Mikes setback.
The first Tom Gibbons-Greb bout
in Pittsburgh, their second against
each other, was fought on the eve
ming of May 10, at Forbes Field, and
It was a walkover for Tommy. He
handled Greb with ease and out
pointed and outfought him all the
way.
Instead Of the usual dancing.
whirling, plunging-in Greb, the
spect ,tOrs were confronted for the
first time with the spectacle OF
Harry on the defensive, backing
away and covering up and holding
on. From the time the men put up
their hands at the start OF the first
round. IL was to be seen that Greb
wasn't the Greb he had been in
other bouts.
Without detracting from Gibbons
great showing that night, it must
be said Harry wasn't at his best.
He was slow afoot and couldn't get
out OF his own way. He was a
mark for the cool, master worker,
Gibbons.
Only Greb's pluck and generalship
saved him from a knockout, and
even these assets might not have
availed him had the bout been
scheduled over a longer route.
That was Grebs first serious set
back in several years-in fact, in
all the time since he had become
one of the country's topliners. And
1t ranked within him. He wanted
to get back at Tom, wanted to even
up the score with the man from
st. Paul, who appeared to have his
number, as evidenced by his two
straight victories over him. He
did not have long to wait for his
chance. /
Before fighting Greb in Pitts.
Kane, had made arrangements to
sail for Europe to visit Ireland
and at the same time try to arrange
some matches with the leading
heavies in England.
They didn't get a tumble. for Joe
Beckett. ct al, were well aware of
Toms ability and all gave him the
go-by. So Tom and Eddie returned
to the United States, and when
Greb sought his return match they
did not lose any time accepting
terms.
This set the stage for the great
thunder and lightning spectacle
that Pittsburghers still talk about.
The show on Saturday afternoon
DIRE! the largest gate" in the
history Of boxing in Pittsburgh,
close to the $4,000 mark. and
speculation was rife as to Greb's
chances Of turning the tables. Be.
fore that the Pittsburgh fans al
ways figured Greb a sure win
ner I'm all his bouts.
Dark clouds hung over the base.
ball park when the principals en-.
tered the ring for the main bout,
and preparations were hurried in
fear of the impending storm. Be.
fore the bell sent the men into &C.
ton Greb, with virtually his whole
future at stake. as 1t will be once
more on March 10, was palpably
nervous; however, 1t was not from
fear, but from determination to
make this the fight OF his life
The same feeling was manifest
among his many friends in the
stands and the ringside seats OIL
the field. Gibbons WIS cool and
confident, as usual. showing that
trl J., Iriuh a,allA af III.