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.