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ipuraittBcu uj mvV*arMike Gibbons, Best Of Middle weights, Not To Fight AgainiMike Gibbons, recognized as the best middleweight boxer In the country, will never enter the ring for title bat-dlnary fighter. But he felt he could betie again.Mike ie boxing instructor for the fighting soldiers of the Eighty-eighth division at Camp Dodge. He says he is through. As soon as the war is over and his services are no -longer needed in training the soldier athletes Gibbons will return to his home and business interests in St. Paul. He say* he is getting too old to fight.The famous middleweight is acknowledged to have no peer in ringtechnique or generalship, although hedoes not hold the ephemeral vltle of champion. This belong* to Mike O'Dowd, a fellow' townsman of Mllcoand his former pupil.O’Dowd is conceded to be the best of the remaining middlewelghts though having oeaten all others in his class with the exception of Gibbons. Gibbons has no desire for the honor and consequently has never attempted to match with his younger follower.Over Draft Age.Mike Gibbons is more than a year over draft axe. To a correspondent he imore useful to the SJighty-elghth division .is civilian instructor. And heha* proven thla.During the first stx months of organising and drilling the division, Mikeplayed a big part. In addition to hi* work in training the boxing aspirantsto handle the mitts he has been placed In charge of officers* bayonet classes to instruct in bayonet combat footworkand actual boxing.He may well consider the charge of the officers’ classes as one of his biggest “bits during the war. Upon the suggestion of the British officer bayonet instructors Mike was called upou to give :he officers boxing lessons in order to givs them speed of eye and foot. For long weeks iuis past winter Mikekept with themBoxing and bayonet combat have many points in common, the Fort Bnelling graduates found. Mike showed them how the feint in boxing has its counterpart in shoving the long point” to the Hun’s throat. Similarly, the mind made agile by dodging the padded mitt reacted better when anthe assumption of a tensely hating and distorted countenance in battle. Theysaid intimidating your opponent was one-third the battle.O'Dowd Aids ?n Work.Gibbons now ha* siding him In theboxing work at the cantonment his oldtime pupil, Mike O'Dowd, the holder of the middleweight title. The younger battler has beet enlisted for more than a month.Together they hold their weekly athletic shows at the C.imp Dodge Knights of Columbus aud tori urn andthe fights developed prove the equalof any in the larger cities. As a nucleus Gibbons had Paul Steele, Billyfopponent’s steel was transposed.the psychology of intimidating an opponent was taught them by Mike who showed the n his boxing face distorted into ferocity piayed a big partin takinar th« heart for hatrla ant ofRocho, Ole Anderson and half a dozen other recognised fighter* to build up his team.In a match with Clamp Grant boxers at Rockford, 111., several weeks ago, the Dodge boxers cleaned everything before them. Mikes proteges wonpractically every battle in tournaments with Camp Funston, both at Kansas City and at Omaha.Although Mike is positive that he will never engage in another ring battle it is not likely he will be among the forgotten for many years to come. Through his work at Camp Dodge he has made thousands of friends and when the war is over it is certain that real boxers will be springing up hereand who will be Droud to hv thev roteAriPlt;fiiPlt;
Newspaper Details
The Evening Gazette
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US
Wed, Mar 20, 1918
Page 9
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 25 Jun 2019
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