‘Shining knights of the ring’

More than a century ago, Frogtown brothers Mike and Tommy Gibbons made headlines for their boxing prowess. They are remembered in the new book, “The St. Paul Phantom: The Gibbons Brothers’ Fight for Glory, Volume I.”

Their story is told by Dr. Gerard Gibbons. The author is Tommy Gibbons’ grandson and Mike Gibbons’ great-nephew. The book is to be published Sept. 15 and celebrated in a homecoming book launch Sept. 12-19. A series of readings, book signings, presentations and other events are planned.

The book describes the lives and careers of the Gibbons brothers, whose early lives centered on the longtime St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The church was started in 1888 to serve Frogtown’s Irish Catholic community, just four years after the Gibbons family arrived in St. Paul from Ireland.

The Gibbons brothers were part of a storied tradition of athletes from the congregation. The book describes how they were known as the “Shining Knights of the Ring.”

Author Gibbons tells the brothers’ story against the backdrop of local, national and international events that shaped their lives. The Gibbons family came to St. Paul at a time when there was still great prejudice against the Irish.

The author drew on never-before-seen family archives and thousands of historical sources to tell the story. He spent years reconstructing both the brothers’ lives and the St. Paul world that shaped them.

“This isn’t just a sports story. It’s an American story,” said Dr. Gibbons. “It’s about family, faith, reinvention, and the fight to become something greater than your circumstances. Mike and Tommy’s story began in St. Paul, so bringing it home to Minnesota is deeply meaningful to our family.”

The brothers’ development as boxers was shaped by figures including sportswriter George A. Barton, St. Paul firefighter Captain Hugh McFayden, and pioneering Black champions Joe Gans, Jack Johnson and Sam Langford. The book described how the Gibbons brothers rose from the small boxing gyms that dotted neighborhoods to Madison Square Garden, Havana, wartime military camps and boxing’s great arenas.

Mike “The St. Paul Phantom” Gibbons is described as one of boxing’s most cerebral and elusive fighters. Mike Gibbons was known as a boxer who helped perfect a dazzling form of “scientific boxing” based on movement, timing, defense and strategy. That was a unique approach to boxing, which was typically dominated by brute force.

Younger brother Tommy, “the Happy Warrior,” followed Mike Gibbons into the boxing ring. Tommy Gibbons may best be known for a landmark bout with heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey in 1923. That was his biggest fight and came near the end of his boxing career.

Tommy Gibbons took on Dempsey in the small town of Shelby, Montana. The great Dempsey powered through a full 15 rounds before he won by decision. Dempsey was awarded $200,000. Gibbons received expense money.

The side note here is that town leaders had hoped the fight would put Shelby on the map. Instead, the community and local backers went broke.

The Gibbons brothers lived out their lives in St. Paul. Tommy Gibbons won election to four terms as Ramsey County Sheriff. He retired at age 68 and died in 1960 at age 69.

Mike Gibbons retired from the ring due to deteriorating vision. He became a St. Paul businessman. He also became a member of the Minnesota Athletic Commission. He died in 1956 at age 69.

The St. Paul Phantom will be published in all formats on Sept. 15 by Fight for Glory Press, an independent publishing and media company devoted to recovering and sharing the story of Mike and Tommy Gibbons through books, archival research, historical imagery, film, educational programming, and live events.
Learn more at FightForGloryStory.com.