The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-08-06
LIFE OF A BOXER
is NO SOFT SNAP
Earnings of a Pugilist Are
Greatly Overrated
FEW POSSESS FORTUNES
Tommy Ryan Is Reputed to Be the
Richest Boxer, With $4,000,
and Tom sharkey Is Next
With 100000.
FEW POSSESS FORTUNES

From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
The reports that have been circulating
from time to time that boxers earn fab
ulous sums of money in the ring have led
the public to believe that the life of the
pugilist is one of milk and honey, and
that his path is strewn with the tradi-
tIonal roses. These reports are mislead-
ing.
The life of the successful boxer is any
thing but what it is painted
When boxer wins the large end of
purse the statistieians get busy immedi-
ately and figure out how the victor was
enriched so many thousands of dollars for
each minute he was engaged in actual
boxing.
at was an enormous house." they will
say; there must have been fully $4,000
at the gate, and, of course, as Johnny
Blotz won in three rounds, and his share
must have been at least $4,000 he just
cleaned up $4,000 to the round, pretty
nearly $1,000 minute. and we'll bet If the
truth were known and John had been
given a fair count at the gate his bit
would easily have been $4,000 minute.
possibly more
How different from the reality. The
average $4,000 gate when Ii is counted
by the promoters and the representatives
of the boxers, each of whom has anywhere
from one to twelve men, looking out for
my end. dwindled down to probably $685.
600 or $4,000 for arguments sake Seldom
over that.
OF this amount. in the majority of cases,
the club retains 80 per cent, which leaves
$4,000 for the boxers. Here and there the
percentage might vary, but 1t is the ex-
cepton rather than the rule.
Then this $4,000 is to be divided be-
tween the two contestants In many cases
the money is evenly divided; occasionally
1t is split 60 and 40 and sometimes G5
to the winner and 80 to the loser. We will
compute on the last basis.
Sixty-flve per cent of $4,000 Is 5000,
out of which amount the boxers manager
will get anywhere from % to so per cent.
1t has taken probably six weeks of ardu-
Gus training to prepare for the battle,
frightful deprivatons If he is making
weight, and the worry and annoyance that
are incidental to a six weeks pell in the
gymnasium and ON the road
Then an army of trainers, rubers, box
Ing partners and seconds must be paid. OF
course where John trained there are sew
eral menials who must be remembered
with small presents-the one used to
carry water lor johnny, the one dld some
thing else and SO on down the list After
John has settled up in full he is lucky
If his share of the seemingly enormous
purse is $5O00
Then, perhaps John won't get another
battle in six months and I'm the mean time
he is expected to be a good fellow with
his money, dress we'll and always be ready
to pass out bit of change just to show
he isn't a crouch. The popular estimate
OF boxers earnings have been proved
woefully inaccurate so many times that it
is positively amusing to any one who has
given the matter any study.
Few Amass Competency.
One of the best proofs is in the small
number of boxers who have amassed a
competency. While many OF them have
laid aside snug sumo for future refer
ence, it is doubtful If there are over a
half dozen boxers, either active or de-
tired, who are worth $4,000, earned in
the ring.
While 1t is palpably impossible to correct
ly estimate the wealth of any class of peo-
pie, owing to values approaching and de-
preciating, 1t is pretty nearly safe to say
that Tommy Ryan, Tom Sharkey Phil
adelphia Jack o Brien, Jim Jeffries, Terry
McGovern and possibly Jim Corbett and
Jimmy Britt, will reach the half-century
mark. 1t isn't at all likely that any
have been left out
Joe Choynski, Gus Rubin, Jack Root
and several others will always have
something to fall back on, but 1t insnt
likely that they class with the first named
group. Several otner boxers, like Billy
Myer, Jack Frisby and Alex Greggains,
have made large sums of money since re-
firing from the ring, but it was either
as superintendent of race tracks a
restaurateur or politician their re-
spective calllngs. that they made their
money, and not as glovemen
Jnquestionably the richest boxer today
either in the ring or out. and a man who
has generally ueen overlooked when the
computations have been made. is tommy
Ryan. he of the tonsllitis and the keen
business perspicacity. For nineteen long
years he has kept assiduously at his task.
and. while he never captured any very
large purses, he has made up In number
what they lacked in amount Out of all
these battles he has taken the losers end
from but one person, Kid Mccoy.
Ryan was as busy as switch engine
for years. and he has batted as often as
ten times in twelye-month. Nearly seven
years ago the night he boxed Paddy PiIr
tell in Cincinnati at Robinsons opera
house for Colonel Jim Hennessey. he told
the writer 1t was his one hundred and
twenty-seventh bona-1de battle. AS he
has fought thirty-fve times since then
lie iidS tnBuBtu III over lbD encoilntere all
told. An old crony of Ryan said five
years ago that to his own personal knowI-
edge the Syracuse man was worth over
$4,000 in bank deposits, improved nron-
erty and gilt-edgede securities. AZ he
has picked up considerable money since
then. 1t can be seen that Ryan. ALWAYS a
careful ffnancier. is worth anywhere from
s125000 to $4,000.
Second Richest Boxer.
Probably the next richest boxer is Ton,
Sharkey. Tom is another who has AL
ways been careful. and a couple If wears
ago he bought out his partners inter-
est In the wet goods establishment on
Fourteenth street. 1t has always baan
money maker and his proats from The
counter added to what he saved in the
ring will likely foot up near the 100000
mark. '
Jack O'Brien is reputed to be WORRY
about $4,000, we'll invested: Jeffries nrett,,
nearly that much In California pronerrv
while 1t is claimed that Terry McGover.