The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-12-23
To
Be GIVEN
SPURS
Must Stop Acting and Do
Some Fighting During
Coming Vera
BY DAVIS J. WALSH.

anew AO16A1 OSGs G0s-~- 4 H6
State athletic commission plans
to act today on the challenge OF
Tom Gibbons to Gene Tunney, a
young man who is pleased to call
himself the light heavyweight
champion of America. The re-
sultant showdown, if any, will
produce one Of six new champions
likely to- be crowned during 1925,
# Tunney ever is so ill-advised as
to place himself in one and the
same ring with Gibbons, his reign
will cease automatically.
The trick, of course, is to get
Tunney to defend the title, Just as
is the case with all other cham
pions. They ran around the situa.
ton from one end of 1924 to the
other, and fistic famine was the
result. But the dread day of reck-
Oning Is at hand. Harken to our
Mr.. Richard. who speaks with au.
thority on the subject.
It would be great thing for
boxing II we had q titular house
cleaning in 1926" he said today
As fighters. some Of our cham.
pions are not even good actors.
Something will have to be done
about the sidestepping of our cham
pions, and look for the State ath.
letic commission to take definite &C.
ton soon. Say what you will, a
champion is only champion as
long as he is ready to meet any one
IN the field. When he isn't. his title
becomes a joke"
I'm the opinion Of Richard and
others, Jack Dempsey and Mickey
Walker are the only champions
who figure to stick with the situ-
alton through another year. The
rest OF them. either are passe or
rapidly becoming so.
Starting at the bottom and
working up. as did the hero. in
that literary epic, from boothlack
TO bootlegger, we have Pancho
villa dominating the flyweight
class. Pancho is believed to be
slipping badly and some even go
SO far as to suggest that he hasn't
the slightest intention Of return.
ing to America.
The writer does not hold with
this idea. There is important
money awaiting Pancho here In a
titular frolic with frankie Genaro
and the Filipino is known as Il
collector of rare and well done
coins. When he comes on to
collect, it is the general idea that
Genaro will fall heir to the title.
He has beaten Villa three times.
Eddie Cannonball Martin, the
new bantamweight champion, may
or may not remain with US indie.
tinitely. The division has few
good fighters, Abe Goldstein and
the Cannonball. champions past
and present, being its only really
representative men. Goldstein is
the better of the two and prob
ably would win in return bout.
il any.
Johnny Dundee has forsaken the
featherweight title, leaving it to
the tender mercies Of the young
and new competing in an elm.
nation tourney. The ultimate snr.
vivor will be : of 1925 new
champions and he may not be
long for this life, at that. The
contenders are hardly an encourag-
ing lot. III
Kid Sullivan. OF whom you
may or may not have heard.
happens to be Junior lightweight
champion of some such. He is
supposed to be through and
might lose his title the first time
out, just as though anyone cared.
Our Mr.. Leonard, of course. is
very busy opening and shutting
stage doors but the big money
will get him not later than next
summer. 1t is generally understood
that Benjamin no longer can make
ass pounds and be nonchalant, about
Il. Therefore, It is quite possible
that he will be taken" by either
Sid Terry or Sammy Mandell. He
may step out with Mickey Walker
for the welterweight championship
In which case most Of the wise
money win ride with Walker.
Harry Greb is supposed to be
slipping and the boys seem to feel
that Tiger Flowers Will beat him
IL they can be set down In the
same ring. They also think Flow.
ers can beat Mike McTigue, but !
doubt it. No one can beat Nc.
Tigue, unless they wait for him in
dark alley.
Dempsey seems to be immune
from disturbance, unless like Leon,
ard his life Of ease and refinement
has undermined his vitality. In
this case, Gibbons would outstep
him almost to a certainty and
Harry Willis might outrough him.
MIAMI, Fla, Dec. 23.-"I am
willing to meet Tommy Gibbons at
any time, providing that he chaI.
lenges me In the formal way--that
is, through the New York State
Boxing Commission, Gene Tunney,
light.heavyweight champion of the
United States, declared here today
when informed that the New York
State Athletic Commission would
take the case" up today.
Gibbons has never taken the
trouble to challenge me In. the for
NAL way" declared Tunney, land
SO the match has never been ar.
ranged"
Tunney. with Billy Gibson, his
manager, is spending the winter in
this city. He is said to be interested
in fighting Young Stribling in the
Miami Beach Auditorium this win.
ter. Gibbons has been signed for a
fight here In February against IN
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