BOXING.

Grey River Argus, 25 June 1925, Page 2

BOXING.

PURDY MATCHED AT SYDNEY (Received June 23 at 7.-15 p.m.) (Aus. and N.Z. Cable Association.) SY DN EY, J one 23 . Purdy, tlie New Zealand boxer, has been matched to meet Jimmv Allen -it Sydney ou July 4. TOM G.BBONS KNOCKED OU'i'. AGE 'TELLS ITS TALE. - * Tom Gibbons has been knocked out -■<,f tt:c Inst time in his caieer. Gene Tummy sialing I2sl Ellb !o GibboiH w_sl ii..ib, stopped him in lhe tweilth • ouml, of what lias been termed in the Arncim-mi Press. ;i batik- i-<r the light-heavy weight <-ha mpioiishi p. 'The light took place on I’riday in N.-w York, ami drew the biggest i row d since the Dempsey v. l-irpo light. Gibbons had been guaranteed £2o,oo<i by the promotor, who stood on Ihe velvet. ■The opening rounds were slow ami easy, both being \cry war wary in the i-rst and second. Tunney c.ime to light in tin- third round with a few lefts to the chin. in the fourth he hit (•!•>- boils on lhe .jaw with a weighty right. The tight was rarely thrilling, with ‘'mine-, the more rugged and impres. sive. Gibbons livened in the eighth round, ami landing a right to the jaw 1 loiib'ed 'Tunney. Bill afier this Gibbons fough! de • ■ .;-i vely mid did well, though he com. pmim-d about being Lit |ow. in the tenth ami (-h-venlh roiimls Gibbons tired, and Tunney punished was much stronger ul this stage, and in the I2ih pul Gilliums do\. u with a .- giit i>» llu- jaw, ,‘iud he was coimicd out. By this lime 'Tunney lias probably qim|i;ied for a light with Jack i>emp_ suy for the world’s he;: \ y\> cigiil •lei mpion.ship. i ’rex ions 1 o i lie c a usi a t-.-iblc was received from lhe iilie holder, who is in Berlin, staling his willingness lo meet lhe winner. This, !u spile ol ;he Now Y-U’k (dm m iss .(> a will l ii had ilisqtia 11 !ie< I lhe champimi lor not accepting Harry Wills’ dial, icagc. Il i.inst mean that the coloured boxer is not yet old enough for .Dempsey to risk his title against him. 'The Gibbons T’unm-y tight was billed . i w..‘ light he' yweight championhip, wiii-h makes queer reading in view of the fad that oiilv a week pre- ' lously, and at lhe same convincing place, Paul B< rlciibadi was ci'ctlileo witii winning that title from the previous holder. Mike McTigue. 'Though second in impoilam-e only to a heavyw eight championship i-ontc.-t, fuiiiii y_Gildmns affair was cvidently not a great light. In the sixth round lhe contestants were hooted. At that period "f the light both were frc« ly. and near corners the old ’uii. G ibbons, was sorely 11 • • ui>!«•.• when his jaw came into violent contact will) a heavy right. In his endeavour to win by lhe short cut route it would appear r Gibbons spent all his remainin' 1 , strength in the eiglitii and ninth ses--is. Jn each he did the be-• He was then compelled to ad on the (’efensj>. (>. This, however, availed him nothing. In lhe twelfth he was down ibr seven, ami after regaining his feet great difticull y, was beaten to ■ tr- .'-•inv.us. ami counted out more from (xlimisiion than anything else. WINNER’S UAR'EER. Tminey was born in New York on M-iy 25. ix-is :ird has. therefore, jus! ' ■I Imt, not having commenced boxing until he had readied his 21st year he may have many more useful mars ahead of him. He stands 6ft ,'in. As his initial attempts took place in Paris in 19.19, we can take it for granted that he remained behind after the war to indulge in the Int er_A lli.-d (la mes. In the gay city he was very successful. winning all four contests, and lo <i-ile has ne'er iieeii beaten, wit'e th' l exception of when, in 1922. after beating Levinsky for the light heavy weight diampicnsh’p of America, lie was dethroned in the same year by Harry Grebb. In 1923 he regained his title and on two subsequent oec; 1 . sions that year he defeated GreLb whom he also trounced a short time back. He has ligurml in over 50 contests, and, with such signal success that he 1 Ed '••• r< pirded as Dempsey’s logi. cal contender; that is, if we are to exclude Harry Wills entirely from the picture. ALMOST “THROUGH.' ’ Tom Gibbons was born at St. Pauls jin 1889, and is, therefore, well on the 38 mark. Though he was within a couple of pounds of being as Jieavy as Tunney, he was 10 years old<’r, and three indies shorter. During his 12 busy years ar the game he is said to have made ni’.ieu money. Eight years ago he fought George Chip many lO.round contests, and our own unfortunate Mick King went 15 rounds with him. On July of 1923, he fought Jack Dempsey 15 rounds. What a pity Les Darcy did not live, tor a man who could not beat Mick King inside 15 rounds would noi have had a chance against him! The Tunney-Gibbons fight was really for the light heavy.weight champion, ship of America.