St. Thomas Academy

By ME Gibbons

Following post from Tim Gibbons, Tom Gibbons grandson:

Grandfather Tom Gibbons is being honored by St. Thomas Academy on 10/14/16 where Grandpa Tom attended high school per the message that I received below. I see that it's the same day as the MN Boxing HOF banquet.

Hi Tim--

I am writing as Chairman of the Selection Committee for the Saint Thomas Academy Athletic Hall of Fame; the purpose of this note is to inform you of your Grandfather Tom Gibbon’s induction into this prestigious group.

This selection is not by accident and occurs after lengthy vetting and great scrutiny by a committee of 12 alumni and former coaches following strict criteria and a voting process.

Tom joins an elite group of about 60 that comprise the best in athletics from the entire 130 year history of the school; It is a well-deserved honor for which you should be proud.

The induction ceremony will take place at the school Friday afternoon October 14, 2016. An opportunity will be available for you to share some thoughts about Tom and we all look forward to that.

A dinner will follow along with an STA football game; recognition of you on behalf of Tom and the other inductees will occur at halftime at the 50 yard line.

More details will follow but please do set aside the date of 10/14/16.

This selection is not by accident and occurs after lengthy vetting and great scrutiny by a committee of 12 alumni and former coaches following strict criteria and a voting process.

Tom joins an elite group of about 60 that comprise the best in athletics from the entire 130 year history of the school; It is a well-deserved honor for which you should be proud.

The induction ceremony will take place at the school Friday afternoon October 14, 2016. An opportunity will be available for you to share some thoughts about Tom and we all look forward to that.

A dinner will follow along with an STA football game; recognition of you on behalf of Tom and the other inductees will occur at halftime at the 50 yard line.

More details will follow but please do set aside the date of 10/14/16.

**Tim Gibbons: In a 1940's Fight Stories article, Grandpa Tom talks about his early boxing influences. Along with his older brothers, Grandpa Tom mentions a priest at St. Thomas Academy:

" Because our older brother, Jack had been quite an amateur wrestler, Mike first tried the mat sport. Boy-like, I imitated him and when he turned to the ring it was only natural that he chose me for his backyard sparring partner. I was big and awkward for my age and Mike used to get disgusted with me in our early practice sessions. But I made such a swell target that he didn't discourage me too much.

One man who really encouraged me a great deal in those days was the Reverend John Dunphy, who was dean of St. Thomas Academy then. Father Dunphy might have become a great ringman if he chose, but he selected a greater field. He loved boys and he loved boxing. When he had to punish a youngster, he did it by putting on the gloves with him. I don't remember if he ever boxed me for punishment but we often engaged in sparring matches for exercise. He encouraged me to keep it up, to train and live right." -Tom Gibbons

St. Patrick's Day ~ Then and Now

By ME Gibbons

http://www.thegirlcreative.com/irish-blessing-subway-art/

http://www.amomstake.com/2014/02/irish-blessing-printable-art/

Category: grandchildren, Irish, Mike, Tom 0 comments

Thomas Gibbons Fast Facts

By ME Gibbons

BIRTH NAME: Thomas Joseph Gibbons
NAME FACTS: Shared his name with an older brother Thomas John, who died before he was born.
NICKNAMES: Tommy, The Iron Man

BORN: March 22nd, 1891
BIRTH PLACE: St. Paul MN
DIED: November 19, 1960
DEATH PLACE: St. Paul, Minnesota
BURIAL PLACE: Calgary Cemetery, St. Paul, Minnesota

CLASS: Heavyweight
HEIGHT: 6'1/2"
WEIGHT: 174
REACH: 77 inches
STANCE: Catholic

OCCUPATIONS: He began work at the Great Northern rail yard for $1.10 a day, of which he was allowed to keep 10 cents. He gave the rest of the money to help his mother and father support the family. He accompanied his brother, Mike to some of his boxing matches. When their father saw that they could earn much more money boxing, than they could ever earn at the rail yard, he allowed them to go into boxing full time. After retiring from boxing at age 34, he sold insurance very successfully and was a member of the $100,000 Club in the 1920’s. His friends convinced him to run for Sheriff of Ramsey County in Minnesota, Which included the capital city of St. Paul. He won for six consecutive four year terms before retiring at the age of 68.
SIBLINGS: 4 brothers and 3 sisters, including boxer Mike Gibbons

FILMS/PLAYS: His second wife Josephine wrote a book called “Fifteen Rounds with Tommy Gibbons”, that a Hollywood producer was interested in making into a movie. The only catch was that Tommy was to be involved in an affair with a blonde and a boxing scandal. Tommy states, “I would never do anything to tarnish my good name and the good name of my family.” So the movie was never made.

OTHER FAST FACTS:

•Owed the Gibbons Brother’s Gym with his boxing brother Mike Gibbons

• He started boxing professionally in 1911.

• Boxed 106 fights, losing only 5 and being stopped only once, by Gene Tunney. He retired after the fight.

• Was the first boxer to go the entire Fifteen rounds with Dempsey during the World Championship Fight in Shelby, Montana on July 4, 1923, where he lost the decision.

Category: Tom 0 comments

Greb vs Gibbons ~~ March 1922

By ME Gibbons

March 14, 1922
Bout Is Stirring From End To End
Both Greb and Gibbons Alert for Openings and Eager to Force Fighting.
St. Paul Boxer Weakens
Narrative of Battle by Rounds Shows Loser Struggling Gamely With Wearied Muscles

Greb and Gibbons entered the ring at Madison Square Garden for their fifteen round battle at 9:50 o'clock last night, and were greeted with a salvo of applause. The weights were announced as 163 1/2 pounds for Greb and 171 for Gibbons.
After the usual announcements from the ring, during which Gene Tunney was introduced, the pair posed in the corner while a battery of camera men got them in fighting posture. Then they were called to the center for instructions, after which the fight began.
ROUND ONE
The men rushed out of their corners at the gong and into a clinch, in the course of which Greb popped away several lefts that landed lightly on Gibbon's chin. Gibbons feinted with his left and ducked under a stiff right. In a clinch in the centre of the ring Greb drove several lefts into Gibbons stomach. Greb landed twice on Gibbons face. Both missed vicous uppercuts. Greb caught Gibbons with several hard punches toward the end of the round, and both were fighting furiously at the gong.
ROUND TWO
The men rushed into close quarters and Gibbons got in several stiff rights to the body. Greb landed a left on Gibbons body, and the latter swung a right to Greb's jaw. The Pittsburgh fighter drove in several lefts to the body and they clinched. Both missed heavy uppercuts. Gibbons drove home the first hard blow of the fight, catching Greb in the stomach, and causing the latter to slow up considerably. Gibbons tried hard to get home a finishing punch, but failed, and they were mixing matters in the centre of the ring at the bell.
continue reading

Category: boxing, Greb, Tom 0 comments

The Irish Heavyweights: A St. Patricks Day Salute

By ME Gibbons

The Irish Heavyweights: A St. Patricks Day Salute

By Dan Boone , Senior Analyst

link to full article

Mar 11, 2009

One of Dempsey toughest fight was against a fellow Irish the wily, hard to hit, Tommy Gibbons who took Dempsey fifteen rounds in the charged atmosphere of Shelby, Montana. Funding the fight would break the Montana town and Dempsey felt the danger in the air.

Dempsey described his ring entrance

"For the first and only time, I was more worried about getting hurt by the crowd than by the guy I was fighting. I got a pretty good blast when introduced. The crowd was hollering and raising hell. I looked around for my bodyguard, a colorful New York character named Wild Bill Lyons, who packed two pearl-handled pistols and used to talk a lot about his days in the West. Wild Bill was under the ring, hiding."

Dempsey, and his crafty manager Tex Rickard, exited Shelby running but his most famous fight, with another fellow Irishman, was in his future.

Gene Tunney parents were Irish immigrants and he honed his fighting style in the Marines during the First World War. His style owed more to Gentleman Jim Corbett then it did to the brawling John L Sullivan. And like Corbett his style would be a perfect matching for the rushing, hard hitting Dempsey.

Tunney, a light weight who had beat Gibbons to earn his shot, out boxed Dempsey and took his crown in a shocking ten round decision in Philadelphia, PA. Afterward the battered Dempsey uttered that famous line, later robbed by Ronald Reagan to describe the assassination attempt on the President, to his wife "Honey, I forgot to duck."

Category: boxing, Dempsey, Dempsey-Gibbons Fight, Irish, Tom 0 comments