1922-05-06 Mike O'Dowd W-PTS12 Mike Gibbons [Queensboro Athletic Club, Long Island City, NY, USA]

1922-05-07 New-York Tribune (New York, NY) (page 19)

O'Dowd Gains Decision Over Mike Gibbons

Mike O'Dowd was awarded the judges' decision over Mike Gibbons last night in the twelve-round feature bout at the open air show held in the Queensboro A. C. arena. Gibbons weighed 157 pounds and O'Dowd 156.

Sammy Cohen and Terry Miller went to an eight-round draw in the semi-final, and Jim Henry scored a knockout over Al Reduit in the second round.


1922-05-07 The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, NY) (page 2D)

O'Dowd Given Decision Over Mike Gibbons
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"Raspberry" Given to Boxers For Uninteresting Bout At Queensboro A. C.

Mike O'Dowd, former middleweight champion of the world, was awarded the judges' decision over Mike Gibbons in the star 12-round bout last night at the first open air show of the season at the Queensboro A. C. Gibbons did not but pull and maul and showed signs of not being the best of condition.

The encounter was a listless affair and the boxers were given "raspberry" a number of times by the small assemblage.

O'Dowd was the aggressor throughout and got in some nice lefts to the face and rights to the body while Gibbons was on the ropes. Gibbons opened a cut over one of O'Dowd's eyes in the second round and Mike retaliated by cutting Gibbons' nose in the fifth round.

Terry Miller and Sammy Cohen boxed eight slashing rounds to a draw in the semi-final. In another eight-round affair, Jimmy Henry knocked out Albert Rebuit in the third round. Bill Howard stopped Dutch Ketter in the second round of a scheduled six-round bout. George Campbell was given the decision over Young Luciano in the opening four-round bout.


1922-05-07 The Evening Telegram (New York, NY) (page 13)

GIBBONS BEATEN BY MIKE O'DOWD
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"Fighting Harp" Hands St. Paul Phantom Pasting in Twelve Dull Rounds.
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By Frank O'Connell.

Open air boxing was ushered in for the season last night at the Queensboro Athletic Club, with Mike Gibbons and Mike O'Dowd, the headliners, in a twelve round bout. It went the limit, and most of the customers at the finish thought it was the limit. In fact, they expressed that opinion early in the conflict. O'Dowd was given the decision, which was an eminently correct piece of judging. He did all the forcing and handed out quite a nifty pasting to the St. Paul "shadow," who is now but a shadow of the old time Mike. It was a rather chilly evening in more ways than one. The atmosphere was quite frigid and as far as the attendance was concerned the house might have been called somewhat frosty.

The last time this writer saw Gibbons fight was years ago, when he and Packey McFarland fought the "fight of the century" down at Brighton Beach. Those whose memories go back long enough can recall that it was that all right--probably the worst fight in a century. The one last night was not much more thrilling. Gibbons still shows some of his old-time flashiness, but there is little sting to his punches. His pistonlike left was working very accurately and he managed to cut a gash over O'Dowd's right eye in the second round, but the "Fighting Harp" was never in any distress. For the first half of the bout Gibbons looked as if he might be able to roll up enough points to get a decision.

O'Dowd improved as the rounds passed by and when the final bell rang he was as fresh as when he started. Gibbons was pretty tired when the end came. The one time spectre of the ring was apparently fighting more on his innate skill than anything else. He showed that the old time stamina was not present. He did a lot of good dance steps, and that kept him of danger.

O'Dowd did most of the damage by pounding away at the body. He could not land a clean one to the jaw as Gibbons still maintains the faculty of ducking gracefully. Right from the start the crowd began to hoot. It did look as if it was going to be a nice little tea party and predictions were freely made that not only would the bout go the limit but that it would be so evenly worked out that nothing but a draw decision could be made. Gibbons flashed a lot of nifty mitt work in the early stages and O'Dowd could not catch him in the chase around the ring except on infrequent occasions.

O'Dowd managed to get Gibbons up against the ropes after the sixth round, when the Phantom began to fade out, and it was then that he dished out the most effective punishment. In the sixth round a hard right, flush to the nose, caused the blood to trickle down Gibbons' map, and a solid smash to the mouth had him spurting red till the end. Apparently they were fighting hard enough and could do no better, but they gave the impression that as contenders for the middleweight championship they do not belong, even if Johnny Wilson may be considered a terrible title holder.