ST. PAUL DECLARES SEPTEMBER 18 “MIKE & TOMMY GIBBONS DAY” AS NEW BOOK REVIVES FORGOTTEN BOXING LEGENDS
Historic proclamation comes during publication week of The St. Paul Phantom: The Gibbons Brothers’ Fight for Glory,
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St. Paul, Minnesota, Sept. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —
More than a century after brothers Mike and Tommy Gibbons carried Saint Paul’s name into boxing arenas across America and around the world, their hometown is formally honoring them.
The City of Saint Paul has proclaimed Friday, September 18, 2026, “Mike & Tommy Gibbons Day,” a recognition that coincides with publication week for The St. Paul Phantom: The Gibbons Brothers’ Fight for Glory, Volume I, published September 15 by Fight for Glory Press.
Written by Dr. Gerard Gibbons, grandson of heavyweight contender Tommy Gibbons and great-nephew of Mike “The St. Paul Phantom” Gibbons, the book is the product of nearly a decade of archival excavation—family papers, historic newspapers, military records, photographs, fight accounts, and rare period material assembled to bring the brothers’ world back to life in vivid detail.
At the center is Mike Gibbons, internationally famous as “The St. Paul Phantom”—a master of distance, timing, footwork, defense, and deception whose elusive style made him one of the most admired scientific boxers of his age. Beside him is his younger brother Tommy Gibbons, who rose through the heavyweight ranks to become one of the leading contenders of his generation and, on Independence Day 1923, challenged heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey in a legendary 15-round battle staged in the improbable prairie boomtown of Shelby, Montana—a saga continued in Dr. Gibbons’ forthcoming SHELBY 1923: The Dempsey-Gibbons Fight for Glory and a Little Montana Town’s Impossible Dream, publishing October 27.
But The St. Paul Phantom is far more than a boxing biography.
The Gibbons brothers move through an America in upheaval: waves of immigration, racial violence, vaudeville and mass entertainment, newspaper empires, the birth of celebrity culture, World War I, the 1918 influenza pandemic, and the transformation of prizefighting into modern professional sport. Along the way, their story intersects with a remarkable cast of historical figures, including Jack Johnson, Joe Gans, Sam Langford, Jack Dempsey, Harry Greb, Theodore Roosevelt, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Harry Houdini, Nellie Bly, and Grantland Rice.
During the war, both brothers helped prepare American “doughboys” for trench combat, teaching an innovative blend of boxing, physical conditioning, and bayonet fighting.
The result is a story that ranges from smoky fight clubs and crowded city streets to military camps, vaudeville stages, newspaper offices, and national arenas—a family epic unfolding against the making of modern America.
With its mix of intimate drama, deep historical research, and cinematic momentum, The St. Paul Phantom stands in the tradition of Seabiscuit, The Boys in the Boat, Rocky, and Cinderella Man. Self-Publishing Review awarded the book 4½ stars, calling it “an epic American odyssey with unforgettable characters, epic slugfests, and fascinating historical cameos.”
Oscar-nominated Paul Tamasy, writer/producer of The Fighter, called it “the kind of true story Hollywood spends years looking for,” praising its blend of “action, gravitas, heart and soul.” Award-winning musician, actor, and boxing aficionado Frank Stallone called the book “Hard-hitting!” and said it “finally crowns this long-forgotten hero of the ring.”
The critical response has been equally strong. Kirkus Reviews gave the book a “GET IT!” recommendation, citing its “expert pacing and character development” and calling it “a truly engaging family history and celebration of boxing in the early 20th century.” Publishers Weekly praised its “spirited, novelistic life,” describing an “intensely personal and highly entertaining family story” told with a distinctly cinematic feel.
The U.S. Review of Books perhaps captured its larger ambition most succinctly, calling the book “an electrifying and inspiring rendition of the American Dream.”
Saint Paul Honors the Gibbons Brothers
Publication week is being marked by a homecoming celebration in the city where the story began. The City of Saint Paul has proclaimed Friday, September 18, 2026, “Mike & Tommy Gibbons Day.”
A free community celebration at Saint Paul’s Rice Street Old School Boxing Gym will feature archival multimedia, boxing demonstrations, conversation with Dr. Gibbons, audience Q&A and a book signing. The event brings together the Gibbons family, boxing community and local residents to celebrate two athletes whose names were once synonymous with Saint Paul boxing.
About The St. Paul Phantom
The St. Paul Phantom: The Gibbons Brothers’ Fight for Glory, Volume I is the opening volume of a narrative nonfiction trilogy chronicling Mike and Tommy Gibbons against the backdrop of a rapidly changing America. Blending sports history, biography, family saga and literary narrative nonfiction, the book explores brotherhood, ambition, immigration, war, celebrity, sacrifice and the pursuit of the American Dream.
Author: Dr. Gerard Gibbons
Publisher: Fight for Glory Press
Publication Date: September 15, 2026
LINKS:
Books2Read.com/TheStPaulPhantom
FightForGloryStory.com
Media Contact
Todd Aaron Jensen
Fight for Glory Press
ToddAaronJensen@gmail.com
FightForGloryStory.com
High-resolution archival photographs, book-cover art, author images, review copies and interview scheduling are available upon request.
Todd Aaron Jensen ToddAaronJensen (at)gmail.com
