The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-12-10


Will Gibson managed him after a
fashion. Tunney ran largely to
millionaires. In the end he ran
right out of the fight game into the
laps, as you might say, of the ma
tons n1illionaires. Gibson turned
to fellow named Knute Hansen.
Gibson made this turn advisedly. At
the dinner at which Tunney made
his formal retirement Will Gibson
sat next to Tex Rickard. Rickard
had read in the papers that Will
Gibson was retiring Also.
"YOu don't want to retire." purred
Richard. There are lot of mil :
lionaires behind Hansen. I'll fix il
SO you can be his manager. You
can't go wrong if you string with the
milliOnaires."
60 Gibson did not retire. There
~ was much litigation and num-
erous conferences involving the
managerial rights to Hansen. The
young man took on the Importance
of first rate prize ring character.
He drew space and healines. One
day he would be Will GibSon's fight
er, the next day he would belong to
Messrs. Doe and Roe, named later
in connection with the Rothstein
case. Ultimately Will Gibson was
awarded the child without benefit
of clergy, court, justice or what
have you.
ALL THE WHILE THOSE WHO WE'RE
CLOSE TO THE SITUATION KNEW THAT
WILL GIBSON WAS FRONTING FOR A
NUMBER OF WELL KNOWN MILLION
AIRES. INCLUDING WALTER CHRYSLER
OF THE AUTOMOBILE CHRYsLERs.
Il II
Hansen's first start was to be
against X. o. Christner of Akron,
o. Nobody had ever heard of X. o.
Christner, including Will Gibson.
XXTHAT happened when Han
w sen met Christner is we'll
known. The pride and pet of the
millionaires took one on the chin
and faded right out of the picture.
From potential heavyweight
challenger he was reduced to the
unkempt status of a park bench
bum within the brief space of ten
seconds.
n n
WILL GIBSON DOESN'T CARE A
GREAT DEAL WHETHER HE SEES HAN
SEN AGAIN OR NOT. HE THINKS THE
MILLIONAIRE TOUCH SPOILED HIM.
THAT AND THE RIGHT HAND TO THE
JAW WHICH THE CHRIS1NER FELLOW
LANDED. NOR DOES WILL GIBSON
WANT TO SEE CLEVELAND ANY MORE.
CLEVELAND IS WHERE HANSEN WAS
FLATTENED. GIBSON HAS NEVER HAD
MUCH LUCK IN THAT TOWN.
II II
Some several years back he took
Benny Leonard there to fight Pal
Moran of New Orleans, sOaped-
up lightweight. This was to be a
tune-up fight, for the champion,
who intended to go back east and
light Mickey Walker for the welter-
weight championship.
IT is unnecessary to go into the
i details, Leonard showed moth
ing in the fight and being shrewo
Young man and a devoted son he
announced his retirement from the
ring Immediately thereafter.
II Il
LATER ON WILL GIBSON, SEEKING
TO REPLACE LEONARD. TOOK OVER
THE CONTRACT OF ONE LOUIS KID
KAPLAN, A SAWED OFF. BUSY FISTED
RUSSIAN WHO HAD ONCE HELD THE
FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP AND
HAD OUTGROWN IT. THE KIDS FIRST
FIGHT AS A LIGHTWEIGHT CAME
CLOSE TO BEING THE KIDS LAST
FIGHT.
Gibson took him out to Cleveland
to toy around with Willie Wallace,
who was, on paper, no more for
midable than any other Willie Wall
lace you might think of.
r 4
The fight didn't last any longer
than Will Gibson predicted it would.
1t lasted four or five rounds. But
the finish was little different than
Will Gibson had predicted. The
kid was stiffened. He hasn't been.
worth a last years almanac since.