The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-05
BADLY MAILED, TOM STAYS TILL LAST, ONLY TO HEAR THE REFEREE GIVE JACK VERDICT
Gibbons Boxes Way To Fame By Staging Limit With Slug ging Champion, Although He Finishes In Weakened Condition


 SHELBY, Mont, July 4.-(By As sociated Press )-The whole sporting world was wrong-with the exception of that courteous, smiling individual, Tommy Gibbons of St. Paul.
 The challenger, to the astonish- mont of the 25,000 spectators in the sun baked arena on the edge of this little oil boom. town, was on his feet. still fighting at the end of his sched uIed 15-round heavyweight champion ship battle today with Jack Demp- sey when almost everybody expected him to be knocked out in six CT seven rounds. Dempsey, the cham pion, an overwhelming favorite to win by a knockout early in the battle.
 Referee Jimmy Dougherty of Phil adelphia awarded Dempsey the deci- sion when the gong changed ending the fifteenth round, but Gibbons, who die not get a penny for fighting the champion. left the ring with a moral victory It was the first time that any fighter had managed to face Dempsey and still be en his feet at the finish since he became champion. Gibbons has a reputation, made in S6 fights, of having never been knocked off his feet. That reputa- tion is still good. Dempsey had him dizzy and weary, probably half. a
  knock him out.
 The fight had an entirely differ ert ending from any the spectators expected. Even the enthusiastic pro- tagonists, whoopins encouragement to their fighter, had not the faintest idea he would last more than seven or eight rounds. In fact, it was the co ncensus of opinion that four or five rounds would find Tommy on the floor, knocked out.
 Tummy's GeneraIishp.
 Tommy a master boxer, and con- stantly watching for the knock out blow, danced and hop stepped around the ring. occasionally slipping a right or left to Dempsey's face and then eluding danger by clinching or step ping backward. Toward the last Gib- g0ns seemed to be fading fast and repeatedly went into clinches with the champion. In the last round it appeared that his defenses were fail ing and many expected Dempsey to administer the expected knockout. The champion, seeing the condition of the challenger, slashed savagely at his head and body but Tommy hung on and clinched and side stepped until the saving grace of the final bell.
 Dempsey was never in danger in a round of the fight. Although Gib- bons cut and slightly blackened the champions right eye in the opening round and Dempsey brought blood once or twice from the challenger, neither was marked greatly.
 Most of the newspaper experts al the ringside gave Gibbons a shade in the fifth, eleventh and thirteenth rounds, the remaining twelve bein 2 accorded Dempsey without argument While neither the championr norI the challenger were ever off their feet n1I rtert ,F-IN fn1 through the ropes and was helped back by Dempsey.
 Didn't Protest Decision.
 Although Gibbons was assuredly } the favorite of the crowd, not word of protest was heard over Referee Dougherty's decision. It had pre- viously been trumored that if. by any chance, the fight went to the limit there would be riot if the decision went to Dempsey. State and local police and many deputy sheriffs were on hand, but there was. no disturb ance at any time.
 Referee Dougherty did not hesitate an instant after the bell of the if teenth round sounded in raising Dempsey's hand; Gibbons, his face somewhat blood -smeared and lips and nose bruised, smilingly extended his hand to Dempsey. Then he trot- ted to his corner. where he received a deafening ovation, and the crowds of Gibbons admirers rushed toward did not attempt to interfere.
 Elbowing his way through the cheering spectators, Chief Curley Bear of the Blackfeet Indians clim bed into the ring. The Indians recently adopted Tommy as a brother of the tribe.
 War Bonnet To Gibbons.
 The tall chief. resplendent in feath- els of rainbow hues, lifted his eagle tipped war bonnet from his head and placed it on that of Gibbons, while the crowd yelled itself hoarse..
 The wife of Mayor Jim Johnson of Shelby hurried to the ring and threw her arms around the challenger Hundreds tried to shake hands with him. He smiled broadly at the dem onstration while his seconds removed his gloves.
 While the championship battle was q surprise to the fight fans, it was more than amazing to Jack Kearns Dempsey's manager Kearns was stunned after the first five or six rounds had demonstrated that the champion was unable to hit Gibbons effectively. The manager, as well as every member of the champion's camp, were sure Dempsey would whip over a knockout in four or five rounds. Gibbons played a hit-and- run game, fighting remarkable de fensive fight throughout.
 He never gave Dempsey much of an opportunity to land the sleeping punch. In some rounds he switched his tactics and surprised the cham pion by carrying the fighting to him and even outboxing him in spots. :5,OO0 Crowded In. r
 While there were barely eight thousand persons in the arena at the beginning of the championship bat approximately 25,O00 were crowded as near as they could get to the rfneside, The reason was that the spectators would not pay the price asked and just before the fight Kearns decided to cut the price of the pest seats more than 50 per cent. The crowds on the outside of the fence cheered the announcement and immediately began handing in s1t bills through the wires for the higher priced tickets. Later even the cheaper tickets were sold at much less than half price, and when the fight was well started the crowd "nloneyless," crashed the gates, and rushed into the vacant seats of the arena.
 Earlier in the proceedings, the spectators, who occupied the cheap
 
 took the higher priced seats The officials evidently believed the crowd was as large as it would get and offered no objection to the changing of seats.
 While the championship fight was scheduled to start promptly at D nl it was almost o'clock before the first bell sounded. Dempsey was the first to enter the arena. stepping into the ring shortly after 3:30 p. m. As he climbed through the ropes he was given an uproarous reception. He