El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-27

, was putting the strangle hold on the
LEGAL magnRtes. poor fellows. but after
reading the stuff through I was sur
prised at the nerve Of the fellow who
wrote it.
1t seems Billy Gibson, director Of
the big Garden club, wanted Kiibane
to come here and box either Johnny
Dundee or Young Shugrue and offered
the champion - percent Of the gross
receipts. l<ilbane COR manager, as 2
business man, turned the offer down.
demanding a guarantee or greater
percentage. Which according to my
way of doping the matter out was q
very reasonable request 4 champion
is worth fair part of the money he
draws and . percent is surely no
equitable slice fer the boxer who At
tracts the crowd
Surprising. for example the bout
would draw sI0,000 gross, which IS not
too great an amount TO expect when
Il star of the brillianCy OF our fearh-
erWeiEhr champion is on the bill Kill
bane would receive the sum OF $4,000,
and the club $500 to pay off the cham
piOn's opponent, preliminaries, rent.
advertising and other expenses, in
Guiding the 3 percent exacted by the
state Tor licensing the show. out OF
this amount the club would easily net
$500 and possibly more
Why should the magnates get the
big money and the champion the little
end OF the deal2 II is the star boxer,
not the management, that brings the
dollars to the box office, and the
money getting attraction should be
paid in proportion to his drawing pow
ers. 1t costs as much money in the
way of rent, advertising, help. etc, to
put on an exhibition between mediocre
performs. barring possibly a few
extra items Of expense. as it does TO
conduct a show with a champion as
head liner. That is so far as actual
fixed expenses are concerned
am not by any means trying TO en-
courage Kilbsne or other boxers OF
reputation to try to hold up the pro-
motors. and the fight trust need fear
nothing on that score at the present
time, as the local game is pretty well
cornered- But I believe labOrer
worthy of his hire, and boxer entitled
10 a fair part OF the money he brings
to the door. Certainly IS percent is
not commensurate with a champions
standing in the profession and draw
ing capacity at the box office.
Gothamites who flock to boxing
shows in large numbers are also due
some consideration by the local mana
gers. The public pays big prices and
deserves the best that's going in the
boxing line kilbane is a star local
sports admire very much and there is
no question that his name would draw
an immense crowd anywhere he chOOs-
es to appear. If the matchmakers
could only be made to see it in the
right light. they are biting off their
own noses to spite their faces. one
bout with a champion boxer for top
line attraction would be worth more
to them in cold coin than a cluster
of the sort they have been serving the
past two or three months.
Johnny Kilbane is a popular youth
locally and deservedly so. Manhattan
ties thought Abe Attell invin6ibIe and
his cOnqueror is assured of packed
house any old time he elects to box a
worthy adversary in this neighbor-
hood. KilbaneDund would draw
big. Kilbane and Atten would pack
either the Garden or St. Nicholas rink.
And an international match between
that veteran and classy expert Jem
Driscoll.- champion of England. and the
Cleveland .boy-well, the promoters
could demand the highest scale of
prices and be sure of getting the
money.
The Garden and St. Nicholas people
have done fairly well with their shows