CHAMPION HEAVYWEIGHTS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16177, 13 July 1923, Page 9

CHAMPION HEAVYWEIGHTS.

HOW DEMPSEY RETAINED THE TITLE.

VANCOUVER, July 4.—Jack Dempsey, champion heavyweight of tho world, retained his title at Shelby (Montana) to-day by outpointing Tommy Gibbons after 15 rounds. The bull-dog tenacity of the champion was the feature of the bout. He made desperate efforts to knock the elmlelnger, who fought gamely and dodged vicious swings. Dempsey in the last round made, a frantic attempt to lodge a knock-out blow to tho jaw, but again Gibbons’ wonderful boxing skill frustrated the champion’s efforts. Duly 20,009 people gathered in the

Shelby ring that was built for 40,000, mid this turned ibe big light into one of the most remarkable fiascos in boxing

history. This sensational lack of interest among boxing fans sent down the receipts from tickets until tho money taken was barely sufficient to pay Dempsey's £60,000 guarantee. Jack Kearns, Dempsey’s manager, Anally decided to sell tickets for what they would bring. Things for a time looked ugly, and deputies were stationed along the wire fence near the ticket office with revolvers, as crowds struggled and pressed

against the fence with ten-dollar hills in their hands and offering them to the ticket sellers.

Later crowds poured in by special trains and cars, and it was estimated before the big bout that 20,000 people would see the fight, or only about athird of the number it was expected would be seated around the ring.

Braced up by the Montant atmosphere, Dempsey and Gibbons wero in the pink of condition. They were cheered by their Representative followings. A former champion heavyweight of the world, Jim Jeffries, was refereo. There was a serious misnap over the preliminary bouts, the principals stating that the financial arrangements had fallen through. It looked temporarily as though the preliminaries would not be held, but finally Reams announced that ho had placed ” £2OO a s a guarantee. At 2 .30 p.m. it was estimated that not more than 10,000 people wero around tho ring. Jimmy Dougherty told the newspaper men that Major Lane, trustee for tinpromoters, had received £IOOO and £6O ) additional to pay for the preliminaries. A postponement was caused because Lane could not be found. The trouble was settled when Kearns personally of v fered to pay the preliminary fighters. WELCOME FOR DEMPSEY.

Dempsey was given an uproarious reception on entering the ring, lie was wearing white trunks and a fadeij white sweater. \ Kearns and two Chicago detectives occupied tho champion’s corner, and one of them shaded him from the sun’s rays with an umbrella, while the cinema men began to picture the scene.

Gibbons entered to cheers even more deafening than those given Dempsey, and walked over and shook hands with tho champion. While the gloves were being adjusted, the referee stood in the neutral corner. Gibbons was attended by Rape, Jimmy Gorman, and Eddie Kane. As the light started, it was announced that £SOOO had been realised in the last half-hour’s ticket sale.

The principals shook hands at 3.51 Gibbons was smiling and apparently confident. His weight was announced at 12st. and Dempsey’s at 13st. 61b.

In the first round Dempsey landed three rights to the body, and a right to the head, followed by a straight left to Gibbons’ face, as the challenger backed away. Gibbons’ mouth was bleeding. In a clinch, Dempsey jabbed a left, to the jaw, shooting over his right. The referee broke them. Dempsey missed with a right to the head. In the second round, Gibbons came out of the corner starting with a feint, but tho champion refused to lead. Dempsey was preparing to fight at close quarters, and was putting over so many blows in tho clinches that the crowd started to protest. Dempsey landed two hard body blows, and received in return an uppercut to the jaw, and a left to the face which slightly opened his eye. Gibbons landed a left which tho champion countered with a hard right to the jaw. As the bell sounded Dempsey swung. ONE TC GIBBONS’ JAW.

lu the third round, Dempsey drove lights and lefts to the body, while Gibbons clinched. Dempsey repeated the same punches, finally landing on Gibbons’ jaw with a left hook, mid finishing with a clinch. Dempsey attempted to swing Gibbons off liis feet, the latter clinching. Gibbons swung a right to tlio jaw as the bell rang. In round lour, Dempsey hooked to the stomach with liis right, while Die challenger clinched. The champion punched him round tho head with rights and leits at close quarters. Dempsey landed a hit—a left hook—while Die challenger countered with a heavy right. At the bell Dempsoy was bleeding from the nose.

Tho fifth round was featured by close lighting. Gibbons hooked a loft to the jaw. While Dempsey sprang hack Gibbons knocked him on tho ropes with a loft to the jaw, and tho crowd jumped to its feet, yelling frantically. When Gibbons lauded another leib the crowd went hysterical. The champion next rocked Gibbons with a right to the jaw. Gibbons was apparently a favorito. Despite the terrific heat Die men looked fresh. In the sixth round Gibbons was ducking’ beautifully, and continued to gain confidence. Dempsey knocked the challenger between Die ropes with a hard right to the jaw as they emerged from a clinch. Gibbous protested and claimed a foul while Die crowd hissed. Gibbons missed with a left hook, touching Dempsey with a backhander, and then apologising, while Die champion smiled. They were fighting at closo quarters when the round ended.

In the seventh round, Dempsey continued to light at closo quarters, using liis right to tho body and Lis left as a

“rabbit” killer to the neck. Gibbons delivered two hard rights to tho head, causing the champion to step bacn. Dempsey was holding with tlio left and hitting with the right, while the crowd protested angrily. Dempsey now brought blood from Gibbons’ nose with a left hook. Dempsey sent over a hard left to the body, and twice distinctly bit Gibbons below the belt, but the refereo said nothing. In the eighth round, Gibbons missed with two lefts to the ribs, and attempted to hook a left to the chin. Dempsey drove his right to the hotly and liis left to Dio head. Gibbons smashed tlio champion on the jaw witli a left. They clinched and Dempsey landed on Gibbons’ face.

In the ninth round, Gibbons hit, Dempsey on the jaw with a loft. The challenger was distinctly out-boxed by Die champion, but smilingly boro up under severe hotly punishment. Gibbons landed two hard rights to Die jaw, tlio crowd again rising to its feet with

excitement. Gibbons’ nose was bleeding slightly Avlien tho bell sounded. In the tenth Gibbons began to lake much better care of himself in clinches, boxing away from the champion. Dempsey landed several rights to the jaw in a clinch, Gibbons countering with a right to tho body. .Dempsey tried two lefts to the jaw, but Gibbons blocked them neatly. Gibbons landed a stiff blow to the head, and then a left hook, putting file champion on his heels.

In the eleventh round Gibbons landed a light to the jaw, and followed with a hard right to the face. Dempsey got. in close, holding with his right, while beating Gibbons with liis left. Dempsey missed with a right swing to the jaiv, and Gibbons got over a swift right to the face. Dempsey swung with the right as tho referee intervened, the crowd yelling angrily. Dempsey was still trying to get in close and found the body, but Gibbons was boxing away as Die round ended.

Dempsey caught Gibbons around the neck in the twelfth round, and beat him on the back of the head with a borage of rights. Dempsey “roughed” Gibbons all over the ring, but the challenger covered up well. Gibbons walked into a right uppercut, but it skidded off" Ids temple, and they clinched. The crowd shrieked when Dempsey hit the challenger below the bolt. They were boxing as the round ended. GIBBONS AS A STAYER. As Gibbons came from his corner for tho thirteenth round, ho went on record as the boxer staying longest with Dempsey since the latter won tho championship. Gibbons sent three left hooks tot lie jaw, Slid followed them up with a tight. Dempsey got in a left to the jaw, but missed with a tcrriffic uppercut.

For the remainder of the round neither appeared willing to lead. They boxed round the ring until the bell rang. Li the fourteentli round Dempsey seemed loss fresh when he came from his corner. Ho missed with a right lead. Gibbons, boxing on the defensive, was heating the champion by a wide margin. Dempsey was missing so much from the distance (.hat lie tried .to do all his fighting at close quarters. They were clinching at the time of the bell.

The cheering was tumultous as the contenders shook hands at the beginning of the last round. Dempsey missed with a heavy left to tlio hotly, but landed a hard right to the head.

Having been warned by tho referee, Gibbons was now fighting strongly on the defensive, while the champion tried desperately for a knock-out. Gibbons tired, but, was able to keep away from bis opponent, while Dempsey failed in an attempt to force him into a corner.

Dempsey landed a heavy right to the jaw, and Gibbons’ corner yelled for the referee to separate (hem. They were still clinched when the bell rang.

Jack Dempsey became heavyweight champion of the world by beating .Jess Willard, but since accomplishing that feat be lias done very little to stamp him as a boxer of exceptional ability. True lie beat Carpontier with comparative ease, but iven so that contest did not impress critics to any appreciable extent. Ho also beat. Willard in a few bits, but his performances against a tenth-rate boxer in Bill Brennan were not of a high-class order. He won both fights with Brennan in 12 and six rounds respectively, but as Brennan was always considered of such an inferior class the least said of these contests the better fox- Dempsey’s boxing reputation.

Dempsey is certainly a heavy hitter, as bis contests have shown, but whether bo has any boxing ability is n thing that has not been tested to any satisfactory degree. Dempsey i s the champion of tile world certainly, and as such his contest with Gibbons, whatever Gibbons’ credentials might bo, is an important matter,, particularly- for Dempsey. Had Dempsey been beaten he would have lost a titlo which cari-ies the prestige of the world’s sporting circles and more than that he would probably lose stage appearances and circuits of tho theatres which are tho main source of revenue to any champion boxer when ho is not engaging in, or preparing for a fight.

Harry Greb was probably the cleverest man Tommy Gibbons lias met, and Greb won after 15 rounds on points. Gibbons beat Billy Miske on a doubtful foul in the tenth round. The other bout with Miske was a ton-rounds no-docision contest. •

The American record books are comparatively silent regarding Gibbons’ performances, anti apart from his battles with Greb and Miske there is no record of his having done anything really alavming.

Tommy Gibbons was born in America of Irish parents, and is 34 years of age. Ho is a cruiser weight and fights from 1651 b to 1701 b. Ho is sft. 9in. high. There is no record of Gibbons’ reach. Dempsey is 28 years of age, and is American-born of Irish and Scotch extraction. Ho fights about 1881 b. and has a reach of 82 inches. GIBBONS’ SHARE—NIL. ANOTHER BOUT? VANCOUVER, July 5. Jack Kearns, Dempsey’s manager, announces that he lias obtained nearly all of the last £20,000 of the guarantee for the Dempsey-Gibbous light. The main bout was begun with only 7(WO persons attending, and Kearns then appointed numerous deputy sheriffs to sell tickets at ten dollars each. They had a busy half-hour, but the receipts mounted rapidly and many of the cheapest seats were told for live dollars. When the selling possibilities were exhausted hundreds rushed the gates and entered free. The main bout was witnessed by 25,000 pcojilo. Gibbons gets nothing for his share. The Mayor of Shelby, Mr. Johnson, the 60-year-old “dynamo” of the town, lost £30,000, but lie and Gibbons own the majority interest in the cinema rights and may recoup part of their losses. The total gate receipts were 201,485 dollars (£-10,207), according to the Inland Revenue Collector. It is announced in Now York that Tex Rickard says he will negotiate for a match between Dempsey and the winner of 1 lie Eirpo-Willard bout at Jerscv City in September or October. “I’LL IVIN NEXT TIME.” I Gibbons wants a return bout with Dempsey. He believes that the knowledge lie obtained of Dempsey’s style equips him to defeat the champion next time. He admits that he did a little holding in several rounds, but had to stive his strength. lie said that Dempsey hit rather low occasionally, but only ono blow—in the thigh —however, really hurt. Gibbons fought a hit-and-run game. Hit showed remarkable defence, ail'd avoided the possibility of a knock-out even in tho final round when Gibbons’ exhaustion invited Dempsey's most savage efforts. Throughout the bout the nearest approach to a knock-down was when Gibbons fell into the ropes, but easily recovered, and was helped to the perpendicular by Dempsey. Gibbons was blooding from the nose and lip. Dempsey’s old eye wound was opened, but otherwise both were unscratched.

OPPONENT FOR DEMPSEY,

BRISTOL POLICEMAN CHOSEN. LONDON. July 4.—The American promoter, Tex O’Rourke, who is searching for a prospective opponent for Jack Dempsey, has selected for training Constable McCran, of Bristol. McCran is 6ft. Sin. high, and weighs 1.51- stone. ______