Damon Runyon

Washington Herald/January 19, 1923

THERE is a character out West by the name of Proposition Red. He wears a frock coat, horn-rimmed goggles and travels about the country with a one-armed crap-shooter doing the best he can.

Proposition Red will “proposition” you on anything. That is to say, he will bet you on the toss of a coin, the turn of a card, or put his money up against yours on any proposition you may care to make.

If you happen to lack an idea for a little gamble, Proposition Red will dig up a proposition for you.

Hence his name.

He has a perfect genius for propositioning people.

Proposition Red has a singular philosophy of games of chance.

He says that any man who is afraid to lose cannot win; and from the point of view of Proposition Red it is interesting to consider the match which has been arranged for Madison Square Garden between Tom Gibbons and Floyd Johnson the Eye-o-Wah Thunderbolt.

Is Johnson afraid to lose?

Is this young man of twenty-one, who in the space of a few months has come flashing out of obscurity to a perch on the tail of pugilistic pre-eminence, lacking in assurance?

Does he believe that he has been over-matched?

WE put the question to young Johnson himself yesterday.

Mr. Johnson didn’t even answer it.

He just smiled.

His smile was exceedingly eloquent.

Young Mr. Johnson, very evidently, is not afraid to lose against even such a stalwart opponent as Gibbons, and on that account among others the writer thinks he has a mighty good chance to win.

In this position we find ourself in accord with other commentators.

W. O. M’GEEHAN, sporting editor of The Herald, discussed the announcement of the match yesterday as follows:

“Now that Floyd Johnson has been matched to box Tom Gibbons, there is considerable apprehension as to Floyd’s future The general opinion is that Johnson is being sent up against too tough a person and that he should be ‘nursed along’ considerably before he is signed up with the brother of Michael Gibbons.

“Let us look back to the bout in which little Harry Greb clawed Mr. Thomas Gibbons so effectively. I recall that Thomas at one time in this bout had the comparatively diminutive Mr. Greb reeling. What did Thomas do then? He peered intently at Greb until the little wildcat recovered and resumed his clawing.

“Johnson has more ring sense already than Gibbons ever had. If Johnson should land a punch that had Mr. Gibbons dizzy, he would not peer intently at Thomas. He would end the thing with considerable abruptness. If Johnson gets by the Gibbons encounter as I believe he will, this Iowa lad will have gathered quite as much logic as any of the ‘logical contenders’ for the chance with the elusive Mr. Dempsey”

CHARLES F. MATHISON, the dean of New York boxing writers, discussing the bout, said:

“It is not unlikely that those who think Johnson needs experience before meeting men like Gibbons or Tunney will have their eyes opened.”

The comment elsewhere among boxing experts was in similar vein, though a few observers expressed the view that Johnson was being rushed along a bit too fast for one of his years.

But this same opinion was expressed when Johnson was matched against Bob Martin, the pride of the A. E. F.

What happened?

Johnson won by a knockout against a man who was believed to be almost impervious to knockout blows.

The same opinion was again expressed when Johnson was matched with Bill Brennan, and once more Johnson showed he was not being rushed along too fast and that he had most emphatically not been “overmatched.”

It is, of course, an unusual procedure to find a boxer fighting preliminary bouts and a few months later find him fighting for an opportunity to meet the champion of his class.

Ordinarily, the skepticism of those who believe Johnson is being rushed along too fast would be justified, but Johnson has definitely proved that he is a most unusual heavyweight. And the fact that Messrs. McMeehan and Mathison, both able and experienced judges of fighters among others, feel the same way it seems to us is excellent rebuttal to the arguments of those excessively cautious critics and well-wishers who believe Johnson should be “nursed along.”

JOHNSON proved their arguments were unsound when he fought Martin. He proved they were wrong when he fought Brennan.

He says with a becoming and sincere show of confidence he will prove they are wrong so far as the Gibbons match is concerned.

He is not afraid to lose.

In the words of Proposition Red, therefore, he has an excellent chance to win.