The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-14

cipaIs Are to Contest on Percent
age Basis-ChampiOns Prefer to
Pose in Theaters Instead of De-
Tending Title-Tnke on Men Who
Have No Call for Recognition.
There is a movement on foot in New
York that forebodes no good to pro-
motors of boxing. Gov. Roosevelt has
asked the legislature of that state to re-
peal the Horton boxing law, and the
chairman of the Republican state COM
mittee has announced himself as favoring
the proposition of the governor. The lat
ter individual goes so far as to assert
that the average boxing match in New
York is a fake and to claim that Dixon
could have won from McGovern had 1t
not been arranged in advance that Nc
Govern should win. Judging by reports
of that battle the charge is unfounded,
and yet it demonstrates what is certain
to come out of the methods employed by
the men who manage these affairs. For
instance, 1t was announced that Dixon
and McGovern were to battle for purse
of $4,000, whereas the men were to re-
ceive a percentage of the gate receipts.
There was no reason in such a move 1t
was madness to invite ugly insinuations
by stating one thing and doing another.
The match would have been every bit as
good a drawing card had the truth been
told as to the percentage arrangement.
LOSER GETTING MONEY.
Another mistake In boxing was the ar
rangement whereby the winner of the
battle in which Fitzsimmons and Jeffries
were the principles received less than did
the loser. The battle was upon it's mer-
its, but that a loser should receive a
greater amount than a winner is not COM
patibIe with fairness in sporting event.
1t causes the public to question the sin
certify of the men engaged. Sullivan was
often tempted with such offers In his
palmy days, but he Indignantly refused
to become a party to anything that was
not strictly, as he put It, ION the level"
To that Is largely due his tremendous
popularity, and the fact that the word
fake was never applied to match in
which Sullivan engaged And Sullivan
made more money in the ring and before
the public than has any one man since
his retirement.
CHAMPIONS WHO DODGE.
Another reprehensible feature of the
modern prize ring is the Discrimination of
champions to fight. So soon as they win
a battle of any note they hasten to an
nounce that they will not again enter
q the ring until they have rested" And
that means that they will fight no more
until forced to do so by public clamor.
1t was not so in the days of Sullivan but
Of hn INV
Corbett there has been a wave of desire
Tor peace shown by champions. Corbett
was first to inaugurate the lodging act.
lie would listen to no one. He was chal-
lenged by a dozen earnest ambitious as
pirants for ring honors, many of whom
were willing to wager big money on
their chances. Corbett's invariable an
swer was for his challenger to 'go and
make reputation He lodged Peter
Jackson, Peter Maher, Joe Goddard,
Frank Slavin and other heavyweights,
and took Charley Mitchell, a middle
weight, whose only claim to considera-
ton was that he had caught John l.. Sui
Ivan Off his guard and made as good as
a draw with the big one in London rule
battle.
BRADY WAS RESPONSIBLE
1t is generally conceded that Billy
Brady was responsible for Corbetts
methods. He was manager and mouth
piece for the man who defeated Sulli-
van at New Orleans, and Brady once adj
mitted to the writer that he did not pro-
pose to permit Corbett to fight every
man who came along with a challenge.
AS a result Corbett soon lost caste with
the faithful, and was forced by public
opinion to enter into a match with Bob
Fitzsimmons, by whom he was defeated
1t cannot be said that Fitzsimmons was
the artful dodger that Corbett was. Fitz
gave battle to any legitimate aspirant
He even took on men he had previously
defeated, when he thought there was any
money in it. He went out to the coast
and sought a match with Sharkey. and
after getting the worst of the decision
was not averse to a second go with the
sturdy sailorman. He offered Sharkey
first chance when the match with JEFF
fries was under consideration. For some
reason Sharkey was not ready at that
, time to again face FitZ, and Jeifries got
the match and the championship. Brady
became manager of the new champion,
and the announcement was at once made
that Jeffries did not propose to fight
every day. The show business did not
pan out, and the match with Sharkey
was made
WORST BREAK OF ALL.
Then came the most disastrous break
of all. so far as boxing was concerned.
Jeffries, or, rather, Brady, for Jeffries,
announced that the champion would
rest for one year. And that after
a questionable decision over Sharkey. II
was only by sheer good luck that JEFF
fries escaped defeat or draw at the
hands of the sailor, and when the pic
lures came out the mistake of Siler was
made so evident that the public lost
faith in the new champion, and he was
forced to do something to regain prestige
He entered into a most queer arrange
ment with Jim Corbett, the man Brady
had previously managed and for whom
Jeffries had acted as foil 1t looked very
much like family affair" scheme te