Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-19
Some Things You Want to Know
Money in Prize Fighting.

Never has the attention Of the nonsport-
ing public been so keenly brought to bear
upon professional boxing as II has been
since James J. Jeffries. white. the unde-
feated heavyweight champion Of the
world came out OF retirement and signed
articles to fight Jack johnson, the negro
heavyweight from Galveston. Tex, for the
title. What has aroused the interest Of the
general run OF Americans In the contest,
as much as the bout itself. is the enormous
amount Of money at stake for both men, II
is no exaggeration to say that should JET
fries vanouish the huge negro he will be
richer, directly and indirectly, by sS25, 900
for his trouble should Jeffries lose he
will still be better off by a total ranging
from $4,000 to f1sOOOO.
Johnson. as winner. should get out Of the
engagement more than Jeffries would, for
this reason: II Jeffries wins he will prob
ably tour the country for a year with the
atrical troupes and then retire permanently
while johnson win continue to appear in
combat for three or four years more. II
he wins. the prestige OF beating the white
champion will add immensely to his value.
As a loser johnson will make almost as
much as Jeffries will by wlnning-unless
he should be ANONYMOUSLY and decisvely
beaten in very few rounds. There is lit
tie Likelihood that Jeffries will ever fight
again under any circumstances, and the
white man retiring a victor would leave
the defeated negro still the champion de
facto IL not de jure. position be now oc-
cupies, and as such he would continue to
make money long after Jeffres had re-
turned once more to his farm near Los
Angeles.
The figures given above are estimated
thus The men are to meet, according to
the articles, on or before July 4, 1910( for a
bout limited to forty-five rounds, for a
purse Of S101. 900, to be divided rs per cent
to the winner and 25 per cent to the loser.
Each man also bets 5000 on himself Hence
from the purse and bet alone the winner
will receive sS0,750 and the loser will get
$50. ESQ., which ls his share minus the side
bet.
1t has been estimated that the moving
pictures OF the bout II IT is ten rounds
or more, will be worth 10000, OF which
the promoters take one-third and the
fighters the remaining two-thirds, giving
each of the puglists about so6,OOO. But
If their battle is desperate and sensational
than the sum named, and will continue
to draw money throughout the civilized
world for ten years or more, easily bring.
ing their income up to $1,000 each.
Jeffries emerged from retirement last
February and was paid a princely salary
on the vaudeville stage before he went
abroad. In that period he must have
made $S5,OOO possibly double that. Al
present he is filling an engagement OF
one-night stands for which he is to be tn,
gamer by the tidy sum OF $4,000. On
conservative basis this totals up $223 OO
in round figures that Jeffries will max,
out OF preliminary exhibitions, and tn,
fight, If he wins. and $4,000 IL he loses
He cannot help getting this, as much O
1t is already in his hands. After the bat
tie Jeffries can go on the road for a yea
at salaries ranging from 5000 per weel
for the first month down to 5000 or 81, 80
per week for the fag end of the season
He would not have to remain on the stag
twelve months to earn an additional 500,
COO. Most boxers Would undoubtedly d.
this. but 1t remains to be seen whethe
Jeffries will. -
| 1t is hard to estimate Johnsons earn
ings between last February and the comm,
July, but they should not be less thai
$4,000 He has already fought five time
since last. March, and one of the bout
was with Stanley Ketchel for a larg
purse. In fact, It is possible that johnson
will have pocketed 10000 before he goe
against Jeffries. If he wins he will max
more after the fight than the white ma
would have made, and II he loses he vii
continue to enjoy big income, boxing TO
purses Of many thousands OF dollars
Verify, this is worth beating.
Previous to the huge purse Of SlOl 900 OF
fered for Johnson and Jeffries the larg
est was $4,000, hung up for the bout /
which Bob Fitzsimmons Knocked out Jlr
Hall in the fourth round at New Orlean
on March s, 1898. Fitzsimmons receive
very little Of his winnings because of
too abiding faith in human nature. Mex
to the money Fltzsimmons did not q.
the largest purse was $4,000, battled 10
by Joe Cans and Battling Nelson at Gold
field, New Sept. 8. 1905. or this Nelsor
although he lost the decision on a foul
the forty-second round, received S23 OOt
he having forced Cans In advance to sue
a division of the money When James j