The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-03-20

Tie SpOLugnC as the next logical g
OF his sensational showing again
Firpo voluntarily removing himse
y trio Of gladiators.
One Of them is Tommy Gibbons
fighting ghost of the Twin Cities
The other two are warriors OF
color
Harry Wills, the BLACK Panther
OF the ring. and the gigantic George
Godfrey, Jimmy Dougherty's pugi
listic ace Of spades.
In so far as Tommy Gibbons ~
concerned, his chances for q return
bout with the champion are very re-
mote, as already noted in these
columns. Granting his claims, and
they are strong, 1t is nevertheless
true that KearnS and the champion
himself have something to say
about whom Dempsey will fight
ana they don't crave any more Cd
Gibbons game.
Jack himself admits that he
would rather fight the big fellows
shan the elusive boxers Of less
ROundage, and furthermore a
Dempsey:Wills or Dempsey. God.
frey battle would draw more
money at the gate.
Eliminating Gibbons, then, there
remains only two men in the world
who are in line for a bout with
Dempsey this year One is Harry
Wills, the other George Godfrey
What more logical than to bring
these two dusky warriors together
m the same ring, let them fight il
out, and tha winner be nominated
Tor Labor Day brawl with the
champion?
Wills has long been recognized as
a menace to the supremacy of
Dempsey, and up to this time the
champion has been very shy when
a Wills bout was suggested. It is
also true that Wills has been lust
as shy when asked to meet Godfrey.
AS a matter Of fact, Paddy Mullins,
Harry's manager, refused point
blank to take on Dougherty's gladi-
ator several months ago. He would
undoubtedly reconsider the matter,
however, If assured that the only
way to a Dempsey match was over
Godfrey's prone form.
Make no mistake about Gawge,
OF L1epervilIe. He Is Q dangerous
opponent for either Wills or
Dempsey. Those who saw the big
cOIOred boy box Dempsey i'm the
latter's training camp at Great
Falls, Montana, while the latter
was training for Gibbons, realize
Just how close TO championship
form Godfrey was at that time.
since then Gawge has improved
both Is hitter and q boxer.
Today Godfrey Is a better boxer
than either Wills or Dempsey. Fur
thermore, next to Tommy Gibbons,
he has the soundest defense DOS
sessed by any contemporary heavy
weight in the world, with the excep-
ton Of Tommy Gibbons. No less a
master of defensive tactics than
Jack Johnson himself Undoubtedly
the superior of all other heavy.
weights in this department Of the
pugilistic art) taught Godfrey how
to defend himself.
1t has been said that Godfrey
can't take it. 10 one who saw him
absorb the chat pion's terrific body
punishment at Great Falls day after
day will subscribe to that opinion.
The duslky boxer was the biggest
>epd strongest man in the Montana
capD, and from beginning to end
Dempsey went after him at all
times.
According to the words Of Demp.
Sey himself, the only thing Godfrey
lacked was confidence in himself.
Slowly but surely he has been
power, and today has a sound claim
as a contender for the title held by
Jack Dempsey. Let the two colored
warriors settle the question Of su.
premacy. It is difficult TO see how
the champion can avoid the winner,
Under the circumstances. IL
would be fitting for DOugherty to
match his ace against the best
heavyweight prOcurable, and prove
to the folks hereabOutS Just what
II is all about.
There can be no further objection
In Philadelphia at least, to mixed
bouts. Several have been put on al
the Adelphia arena successfully and
conducted without arousing the first
suggestion Of racial feeling.
AS matter Of fact, Joe Libby, the
colored welterweight, gave an exhi
bition of fine sportsmanship last
Monday night in his match with
Jack Palmer, which was a credit ia
the ring game.
Palmer came into the squared cir.
Gle with his ribs swathed in ban.
dages and a letter from his physician
asserting that he had a possible
fractured tenth rib. The club ply
stefan had been unable to discover
any such injury and so had passed
Palmer - but the fact remained
Palmer had a very sore side.
Did Libby, a terrific body pun.
fisher, drive his right into that In.
jured left side? Nothing like It. For
ten hard-fought rounds he was care.
full not to hit his handicapped op.
ponent on the sore spot, and when
Palmer left the ring at the end OF
the battle the bandage over the dam.
aged side was as clean and white
40 when the bout started,