The Detroit times., 1912-10-04
Often Clever Manager Boosts a
Mediocre Fighter Away Up
Higher Than His Class
BALLYHOO LETTERHEADS
ARE MUCH FAVORED
Champions Themselves Usually
Have the Quieter Kind of
Stationery, However


beatings. the tragedies and glories
OF the ring, but boxing as business
is an unknown quantity to most peo-
pie. Yet boxing is a business and a
big business. In many respects IL Is
like any other commercial pursuit.
Punches are stock on sale rather than
cigars, furniture. clothing or other
mercantile lines. There is quite as
much OF a demand for them as for
any staple article on the market.
Punches are sold similarly TO the
way cigars are sold First the bill
posters are sent out Invariably
these state, with great blotches OF red
ink. or, In many cases, a fine mixture
OF colors, giving regular rainbow
effect, who Knockout Soandso has
beaten. Never Is the promoter or
buyer told who has whipped Mr.. So
andso Oftentimes. however, Soand'
so, on paper, has dispensed whole
sale lacing TO some opponent who,
beyond question, put Soandso 10 rout.
But there are so many fighters that
promoters would be forced to take
the rest cure on the average OF once
a month il they tried TO keep track
of them ALL SO IL is not TO be won
dered at II Soandsos manager writes
a few astute lies. glossing them over
with a sandpaper finish, and Mr.. Pro
moter agrees to give up good money
to give his clientele an opportunity
10 see Soandso in a live battle.
Along with the posters; in fact.
under the screaming headlines and
paint, Is Soandso's record. Most al
ways a grand one and no mistake! |!
All one can make out are the big let
ters "K'' and W. and perhaps a
compile of "Ds." These letters are
separately attached to a name-one
name to a line of print and the more
lines there are the better.
The *" stands for Knockout and
the W. for won. And TO a boxer
they are the sweetest letters In the
alphabet. A good second rate man
ager sees 10 1t that the printer uses
nothing else In description of the re-
suit OF his boys fights. They are not
only good to look at. but often I'm
press promoters and sporting writer's.
ID doesn't count for as much az
TX" or W." but 1t Is useful now and
then II Soandso happens to lose. AS
he can never lose-on paper--he cred
its himself with a draw. Also II Is
good for another reason. II wouldn't
do to make promoters think Soandso
was too great bearcat-they might
grow suspicious and call of negotia-
tons. After the manager INDUCES In
enough praise Of his lighters ability
he appoints an agent In various towns
to call on the promoters. The agent
is supposed to continue the good talk.
In the fighting business there are
few thousand Letterhead Cham
pions They either claim some sort
OF a championship or they are Com
ing Champions" Fighters of remote
ability generally are managed by men
who are strong for the 1o-20-3o bally-
hoo. Many fighters who manage
themselves, or try TO, will tell any
kind of a story to get a 800 match.
Their letterheads are three-quarters
big type with billboard atmosphere.
Real good boxers. with capable
managers. do not advertise so fla
grantly. but yet they do not overlook
chance for boost They are more
careful TO have the correct record,
too, but a mistake now and then ID
to be pardoned. But even they have
to lie now and then about one thing
or another to- secure bouts. There
are many business angles that must
be taken care of.
Grover Hayes, the Columbus boxer
who Is now on his way TO Australia
for contests, has a choice letterhead.
The background Is a stage curtain OF
cheap theater. The curtain Is Grim;
son in color. Grover did not overlook
any favorable points when he had
these heads printed.
Monte Attell, Ray Bronson. Yankee
Schwartz, Paul Sikora, the Sullivan
twins, offer letterheads that tell the
story of their great deeds in the ring.
Bronson and the Sullivans, however.
were more dignified than some others.
Anyway, their paper is good advertis-
Ing and a sample OF the paper that
comes from boxers OF note.
Mike Gibbons has a good letterhead
II Is simple and effective, although II
is OF the bill poster style to some de-
gree. II is made up OF a picture OF
Mike in citizens clothes; one of his
manager, Eddie Reddy. who is also
wearing a collar and his best suit, and
fighting pose of Gibbons.
Kid Graves. Johnny Dohan. Tommy
Devlin and Billie Adams calm the
world and all in their advertising
matter Adams heads are done up
In green with cuts OF himself and
manager, also run through emerald
ink. He uses purple ribbon on his
typewriter Altogether IL is quite a
hit
AS a contrast 10 the letterheads OF
various fighters is the stationery OF
Jimmy Dunn. Jim managers Johnny
Kilbane. featherweight champion;
Paul Kohler. who is close TO the well
ter championship, and Cal Delaney. a
very good boy. One would think he
would have some cause for flow OF
language. records, etc. But not so.
Across the top of the paper are the
names of the three boxers, set in
eightpoint type. The simple words.