Archives West Finding Aid

The Dempsey-Gibbons heavyweight championship fight was held in Shelby, Montana, on July 4, 1923. James W. Johnson and Mel McCutcheon of Shelby, were responsible for the bid that brought the fight to this town with a population of only 537. Jack Dempsey arrived in Montana on May 16, 1923 and set up camp in Great Falls, Montana. Tommy Gibbons set up camp in Shelby, where he became popular among the locals. Preparation included the construction of a $82,000 wooden arena to accommodate 40,000 people, on a hill outside of Shelby. More than a million feet of lumber, all cut and milled in Montana, went into the arena's construction. Preparation also included the expansion of the Great Northern depot with eight miles of sidings to handle the trains that were expected. The citizens of Shelby were reportedly behind Tommy Gibbons, but Gibbons only prevailed in four of the fifteen rounds and Dempsey won an easy decision.