The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-10-01
GEORGE DIXON
DOWN AND OUT
Passing of One of Worlds Greatest
Little Pugilists.
CHOCOLATE WAS POPULAR
HIS RING CAREER WITNESSED
MANY GREAT BATTLES.

Those who sat around the ringside at
the National Athletic club a week ago
and saw George Dixon, the once peer
OF all featherweights. make such fee
BILE effort to defend himself against the
bulldog-like rushes of Tommy Murphy
could scarcely subdue a pang of regret.
In discussing the merits of Dixon all
racial prejudice must be buried. De
spite his color he was a credit to the
ring. There are hundreds'of white box
ers. who could We'll profit by the exam
pie set by the little BOstonian. He was
"A perfect combination of tighter ana
a boxer, and in all the twelve years he
defended the llS-pOund championship
of the world against all corners, beating
over 400 Willlug-tO-Dc champions, he
Nas never guilty Of one disgracetul act.
With Dixon Il peculiar condition exist
ed. Although a mulatto he was the
idol of spurtsmen, ana Wherever ana
whenever he fought men high in pOlit-
real. social and professional life would
flock TO the arena to see him perform
He was always on the level and they
we'll knew, TO use the Vernacuiar OF the
ring, that they would set run FOR
their money"
Good Drawing Card.
Even after he was beaten BY Terry
McGovern for the championship, ON
Jan. g. 1900, at the old Broadway Ath-
letic club in New York, he continued To
be a drawing card. While his recent
trip 10 England was d failure financial
~, vet he attracted great crowds wher-
ever he exhibited. His career abroad.
however, was an in-and-out one, as de
throned champions rarely recover their
form. Wednesday night was his first
appearance after his return 10 this
country. Even with his Indifferent sue
cess abroad his popularity had not
Waned. New York sent over Specldl
train with 600 clubmen aboard TO greet
the once peer of featherweights. The
building was crowded. He received a
perfect ovation, but he was physically
unable 10 give meritOriOus exhibition.
Even the shadow Of the Dixon of old
was not there. His blows lacked force,
His ring strategy was absent anu that
superb defense which withstOod the as
saults of the great GrtfTo tor thlrty-l
rounds in three contests could not Keep
Murphy at bay. with the result that
he was simply beaten down In less than
two rounds Dixon needed the money.
The losers end was considerable
sum, because i'm this city, where the law
is strict regarding boxing contests, the
men are paid a splendid sum whether
they win or lose.
Won Quarter of Million.
Like thousands Of other successful
professional pugilists, Dixon made
small fortune while he was in the ring
under the management of Tom
O'ROurke Ii is roughly estimated that
his winnings aggregated over S2dO,OOO
and yet Wednesday nights bout was
arranged for him because The was
broke" The lesson is obvious. Many
estimates have been made as to the
amount of money divided up by
O'Rourke and Dixon IA the twelve
years the latter was champion Of the
world. but few people have any idea OF
how much the little wonder made with
the gloves. Unless O'Rourke cares TO
tell. no one viii ever know what The
prohts were on the theatrical shows
which they took out for several sea
sons, but a conservative estimate would
place the sum at 100000 for the entire
time. II was la the fights that most
money was cleaned up, however, the
pair splitting $4,000 between them.
At first thought this may seem a great
~ exaggerated amount, but when a
glance is taken at DlXOn'S record the
figures are not SO surprising. At the
beginning of his career at Boston III
1887. he started off with purse OF $50.
This was gradually increased for the
next two years until in 1889 he had won
a $3.50 purse by lighting Hank Bren-
nan at Boston. Two months later he
knocked out Eugene H0rnbacher for a
lS5O0 purse and $3.50 a side, this being
the biggest amount he had won up 10
that time. Six weeks afteTWard he re-
ceived $500 for fighting a draw with Cal
Mccarthy, and i'm June, 1890, he won
s. 900 by beating Nunc Wallace in Eng
land.
Defeats Many Men.
Coming back to the United States,
Dixon won $500 and a side bet of $4,000
by knocking out Cal Mccarthy, aud
lust four months later he cleaned up
Sf.e50 by stopping Abe Willis Of Aus
tralia in San Francisco. Then he
toured the country, meeting all corners
for eleven months. He took in $4,000
through his victory over Fred Johnson
OF England at Coney Island. and ten
weeks afterWard he Won $4,000 by beat
ing Jack Skelly in New Orleans. An
other tour followed, aud Sl,5O0 went to
his credit list by a victory over George
Siddons. Fights with Eddie Pierce.
Billy Plimmer Solly Smith and Jack
Dowuey Melted $4,000, and after that
came big battles with Critic three
times). Johnny Griffin, Frank Erne
0hree times). Pedlar PALMER, Martin
Flaherty. Tommy White, Jack Dowuey,
Dial Hawkins, Solly Smith, Tommy
White, Eddie Santry, Ben Jordan, Dave
Sullivan. Oscar Gardner. Kid Broad.
Joe Bernstein, VIII Curley, and then
NTcGOyern. All these fights were biz