Tommy Gibbons - How do you rate him??

I'd say top 20 at light-heavyweight, perhaps top 10.

On his best day, he'd be a match for any 175 pound fighter in history. The man was very highly respected by other fighters of the era. Tunney stated that he avoided a prime Gibbons.

 

I think I rate him above his brother.

 

In Moyle's book on Miske you get a real feel for this. Gibbons was on another level with only Greb and Tunney as company. He was crafty as hell and hit hard.

I have him in my top-10.

 

I have Tommy Gibbons in the top echelon of light heavyweights...Along with Tunney, Charles, Moore, etc..We picture him in his last fight with Gene Tunney when he was stopped for the FIRST time in 105 bouts...A shell of himself. Gibbons was good enough to stop Kid Norfolk, a helluva a tough LH. They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
And when I saw a great clear clip of Tommy Gibbons invading London and flattening British heavyweight Jack Bloomfield with devastating combinations only one year before Gibbons retired, I became a believer...I would love ESB posters to see this clear
version of the Gibbons ko of Bloomfield so they too will appreciate Tommy Gibbons...

 

I would love to see this footage.

Also, is there a good book on Gibbons?

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNy9fJbSPZk[/ame]

 

S, there are two versions of the Gibbons ko of Jack Bloomfield, both shown on youtube. The better one I saw about 3 years ago so clear and defined showing Gibbons ko Bloomfield with devastaing punches that astounded me as i thought of Tommy just as a master boxer. I WAS CONVINCED !
The second version was on youtube about 1 year ago,and it was fuzzy and unclear...I appeal to the owner of the superior clip to show it again for ESB posters...
Have never heard of a bio of Tommy Gibbons who became a sherrif after he retired...

 

Excellent stuff. :good

 

Thanks MB. This is a less clear film of the Gibbons/Bloomfield bout, but it shows the punching power of a soon to be retired 34 year old Gibbons..
By the way there was a heavyweight fighter named Marty Burke who fought Gene tunney and sparred with Jack Dempsey. Marty Burke had a son actor on TV named Paul Burke. Are you related somewhat ?

 

Tommy Gibbons was an exceptional fighter.

For his natural weight, he basically had everything.

He was the technician that Gene Tunney aspired to emulate.

His power alone could have made him a top fighter, if he had little else.

He had a chin like an anvil.

It was his misfortune to come along in an era when the LHW title was being held hostage, and Harry Greb was around.

 

that's some really heavy praise. i might have to re-evaluate my ranking of gibbons

 

Someone needs to do the proper research and write a book.

Clay? Adam? Other aspiring scribes?

 

"Someone needs to do the proper research and write a book.

Clay? Adam? Other aspiring scribes? "

It is surprising to me that nobody has written a full-length biograph about Tommy or Mike Gibbons. Someone ought to tackle a book on the pair. But, not likely to be me.