The Washington herald., 1907-03-21

- Why is it that fighters so willingly give
up half their earnings to managers who in
nine cases out Of ten are OF no benefit TO
them?
The answer is easy. Most fighters are
marks for grating managers for the
reason that as "a class, they are ignorant
men, who do not know how to take care
Of themselves physically. let alone handle
their own business affairs. They feel
great confidence in their ability TO whip
almost any one IN the ring. but fear TO
take chance with any sort of a dub
club manager when it comes TO sparring
j.. over the amount they are to receive for
whipping some one. This lack of conf
dence gives the ''nervy sport" who lives
by his wits a chance to butt in and man
age the money end of the affair for the
fighter and see that he gets "all that is
coming 10 him." less, of course, the per-
centage deducted for personal services by
this self-appointed manager, who very
likely may in the end become the mana
ger in fact of the fighter. making all his
. matches, debating terms not only as to
= the conditions regulating his fights, but
deciding who he shall and shall not meet.
In some cases this plan works we'll for
both parties but in the large majority
the fighter gets very much the worst of
i, since ia reality he supports a figure
head that is not only useless. but posi-
lively detrimental 10 his success in his
chosen calling. says A. NJ Gillian. of the
Philadelphia Record.
A fighter who has not the making Of a
, champion has no need Of a manager of
any sort, and any except the really clever
managers-thoss who have the ability of
securing for their charges very much the
best of every match made. and by intui-
ton OF judgment know just who their
man can whip and whom it is best 20
dodge-are of no use to a fighter no mat
ter what his class Not that il is moi i'm
portant that a fighter who is successful
enough TO fight for large purses should
have Il representative 10 look after his
interests i'm every contest for is IS, but
this man should be an emplOye, and not
manager. unless the fighter really pre-
feTs TO give Up quarter or half of his
hard even though quickly. earned money.
just for the privilege OF saying that lie
has a manager.
/, Want Half They Make.
Fight managers who get young pugilists
under contract usually demand and get
half the earnings. and sometimes make
the tighter pay ali expenses out Of his end
Of the purse. If manager has TWO OF
three good fighters signed upon this plan
he can cut quite a swell figure among the
sports with good clothes and diamonds, cr
if he is of a saving turn he may in time
= become wealthy enough to buy a hotel
or branch out I'm some other legitimate
line of business. There are lots cf ia
stances where such things have happened,
and history sheWs that more managers OF
fighters than fighters become wealthy II
has only been since the days Of big purses
ana big fight receipts. first brought about
by John L. sullivan. that either fighters
= or managers had a chance for wealth.
since the old-time pugs seldom received
much money for the bruises received. But
the latter-day fighter who is really good
is a veritable gold mine for scme one. and
il seems strange that only about enc in
ten knows enough 10 reap the benefit of
his ability himself The fact that there are
exceptions to the rule makes the others
stand out all the more clearly.
Jack O'Brien's Earnings.
Philadelphia Jack O'Bren Is. perhaps,
one of the very best examples of what
boxer can do in the way of making money
by attending TO all details Of the business
himself According 20 Jacks own fgur-
> ing, and O'Brien is pretty good al figures,
he has made Sis. .l505O at the boxing game
IN eleven years, without the assistance OF
a manager and without being obliged to
whack up with any one. BE has also
e. made about $4,000 in the real estate bust
ness during the last few years without
interfering with boxing, so O'Brien to-day
classes as one of the rich fighters OF the
country. OBrien has never had man
ager He has paid men to look after his
interests on the door and at the box of
fce and has also paid men to represent
him in various cities where something has
Unexpectedly turned up, but a manager
of boxers never got any Of his. Lew
Bailey made "a few matches for O'Bren
when he first started out. and while he
was still new Lew came TO him, Jack
says with a contract in which Bailey
agreed to manage Jack for - per cent
OF his earnings O'Brlen baked at once
and declared that no man should ever
collect any of his money, even if he had
10 quit the boxing business. Bailey as
sisted o Brien in many of his matches
after that. but always as an employe
rather than manager being paid a
stated sum for his services. Walter
Schlchter also represented O'Brieu on
numerous occasions, but he was never
Jacks manager.
When asked 10 give a detailed account
of his winnings by years. OBrien fur
uished the following interesting hot Of
figures.