Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-18
NEW YORK'S BOXING CLUBS
Twenty Of Them Are Putting On Six.
Round Bouts.
NOTABLE REVIVAL OF THE GAME
Possible TO sec Glove Flights There
In solid Comfort, In Contrast
to Experience In oIden
Times.

NEW YORK. Oct. 17.-Boxins In Greater
New York is enjoying a boom just nov
which bios fair to provide many interesting
battles during the oming winter months.
To the sporty New Yorker who wants to
see a glove fight in the roped square the
many athletic clubs here afford a luxury.
There are twenty of these clubs within the
city limits and the membership fees"
range from 80 cents to - per show, for,
according to the provisions Of the law gov
erning boxing contests, every spectator
must become a member before entering
the buildings where the battles take place.
This, however. does not cause inconven-
fence, for each club has a staff of smart
secretaries who collect the nightly dues and
then write out membership tickets" at
lightning speed.
Attending a glove tight in New York
these days il like going to a ~theater, for
some of the clubhouses are decidedly COM
Portable, while everything is carried on in
a prompt and orderly manner. Around the
rings may be seen prominent business men.
doctors. lawyers, actors, politicians, turf
men, and in fact persons in all walks OF
life. The crowds are enthusiastic and good
natured, as we'll as sportsmanlike. every
body apparently drawing large enjoyment
from the struggles between the gladiators.
Among the most active athletic clubs now
giving these boxing shows during each
week are the National Athletic club, the
Roman Athletic club, the Sharkey Athletic
club, the olympic Athletic club. the Man
haitian Athletic club, the Princess Athletic
club, the Paramount Athletic club, the Long
Acre Athletic club, the whirlwind Athletic
club, the Dry Dock Athletic club, the Colin
Athletic club, the National Athletic club OF
Brooklyn. the Bedford Athletic club,
Browns gymnasium, the New Polo Ath-
letic club, the Bay Ridge Athletic club, the
Shamrock Athletic club, the Rockaway Attn
Ietic club. the Termlnsl Athletic club, the
Ridgewood Athletic club and the Northern
Athletic club.
Not All Making Money.
1t cannot be said that all of these clubs
are making money. for some OF them are
hardly on a paying basis. DurinS the last
two years at least a dozen boxing clubs
have tried unsuccessfully to do business
and have gone up in smoke because Of poor
patronage. 1t is no easy matter for the
many matchmaker to secure star attrac-
tions, as the competition in bidding for
fistic top-liners is very brisk, the highest
offer invariably securing the most attract
i've pair OF boxers for the main bouts
Take for example such boxers as Leach
Cross and Willie Fitzgerald. They are de-
mandlng and receiving 20 per cent of the
gross receipts, and at clubs in which they
have appeared recently they have picked
up good money on this basis. In their last
two contests their share was a little more
than 81, 700 each, which was pretty soft for
boxing six three-minute rounds Many a
ligh-clase champion of years ago fought
fifty on a hundred rounds with bare
knuckles-a hard, gruelling battle to a fin
ish-and though beaten to a pulp he was
satisfied IL he received $500 for winning.
while the unfortunate loser had to retire
both a physical and a financial wreck.
Witnessing a prize fight twenty-five years
ago was far different from what that