“HOW I BEAT THEM ALL.”

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1312, 17 June 1915, Page 32

“HOW I BEAT THEM ALL.”

? MIKE GIBBONS’ LITTLE DISCOURSE.

Mike Gibbons, who has proved himself the cleverest middleweight in the world (and his claim to the now vacant list. 41b.-61b. throne has much more to support it than that of any other boxer with a similar ambition), recently wrote some words of advice, under the heading of “How I Beat Them All.” There is much in Gibbons’ short article which young boxers —aye, and many old ones —in Australia might read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest with advantage to themselves. Says he: — When a man learns enough and is good enough physically to beat everybody in his class he generally becomes a champion, does he not? Now, I have beaten most everybody jp my class, yet I am not a champion,

they say. But I’m willing to go right along, and inside of a year I am sure it will be shown that nay first idea was the correct one.

Now, then, how do I beat them all? That’s a big question, but I can answer it in a very few words. That tough fellow, the slugger who is willing to tear at you and take a chance, must be made to back up. The clever fellow who is anxious to stand off at long range and exchange his “Long Toms” with you, must be made to come into you. That’s all there is to the Mike Gibbons system of beating ’em all. And it needs little further explanation. The really great boxer is the fellow who can make his opponent do exactly what he should not do. When I’m boxing a slugger, the man who is after you all the time, I try to minimise his power -by taking it right away from him. In other words, I do the forcing. Hence, if I can get him backing up on his heels the whole fighting force is gone, and he is no longer dangerous.

If I find I am not doing well with a clever fellow at long range, I must see to it that he comes in to me so that I can hang a crushing punch on him. Get the idea? It’s all in making an opponent do what he hadn’t intended doing. And that, in other words, is the biggest asset of a skilled boxer. I had it instinctively, because I never took a lesson in my life. It was all there when I first drew a boxing glove on my hands. Much in boxing—successful boxing professionally, I mean —depends upon the instincts. I’ve been asked why it is I can do better with a man the second time I’ve boxed him. Here is the way I figure it out. We’ll take Jack Denning, of New York, for instance. The first time I met him he was a really great foe for me, and before I could get him figured out the 10 rounds were over, and I was left flat.

We were matched again a year or so later. While I was training for him I was figuring on what happened

before, and unconsciously I worked out successfully every problem that he had put up to me. When we met the second time he couldn’t fool me with anything he had, and he was as much surprised as I was. Thinking things over in training is a good way of reaching many a solution.

Just a word before I close about training. The successful fighter must train. He must never yield to the impulse of procrastination. You’d be surprised at how often, when I have started out in the morning to do some roadwork, that little voice inside of me kept saying: “What’s the use, Mike, do it to-mor-row. Let’s rest up to-day.” And more than once I have been right on the point, of yielding. But I never did, and I’m mighty glad of it. To day is the day to do everything. If there is roadwork to do, do it right now. If you feel that you need boxing, go into the gymnasium and do it.

The boxer who loafs gets along only for a little while.