The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1913-10-28
SIDE BETS IN BIG
FIGHTS OUT OF DEBT
(By T. S. Andrews

Milwaukee, Oct. 28-Side bets for
big fights seem to be almost a thing
of the past. The other day while talk
ing fight an old sporting auth GRITTY
was larnenting the fact that the old
fashioned contest for side bets was
dying out, and he regretted the same,
claiming that the side bet had much
to do with putting the men more on
their metal. For e, great many years
no boxing bout of any Importance was
considered gendine unless each of the
boys put up q. side bet, either his own
money or that of an enthusiastic adj
mirer. The system originated in the
old days of bare knuckIe fighting,
when gate money was unknown and
when a fighter had no earthly chance
of becoming champion unless he
could find a wealthy patron to put up
money for him. In those days there
was a great deal more betting on the
result of boxing bouts than there is
at the present time and many of the
sporting Corinthians-as they were
called in the old days"made and lost
vast fortunes by means of wagerS on
fighters. When glove fighting super
seeded the knOckle game, the practice
of side bets was continued and it has
obtained to a less extent down to the
present year of grace. OF late side
bets have not been so much to the
fore, mainly owing to the big gates at
most of the chief centers of boxing,
but occasionally we have a battle be-
ween two boys of quite moderate abi1-
ity battling for a side wager out of
all proportion to their worth. Quite
recently Johnny Hughes and Bill Bey-
non,- the present bantam champion in
England, fought 20 rounds at pri-
vate house before about SO wealthy
sports. The side wager was $4,000
each, the money being put up by sup
porters of the boys. The winner got
share of the money he won for his
patron and the boys divided a sum
collected for them from the few privi-
legged spectators. OF course all of the
advertised side bet contests are not
genuine affairs. but those that take
place at the London National Sporting
club are. Every contender for a title
must put up a side bet of $5O0-$1,-
600 in the case of weights-and
holders of championship belts must
put up a similar amount. The Wells
Carpenter battle will be for a side bet
in addition to the purse. The Scotch
bantam champion, Alec Iafferty, has
issued a defiance to all boys at 116
pounds in which he declares himself
willing to box anyone at the weight
for a purse and a side wager, the win
ner to take all. This notion of win
ner take all is not a good one and
moreover is very rarely acted upon.
Packey Mcfarland wanted to box
FREDDY Welsh in 1910 on this basis,
but the club declined the proposal.
They do not care how the purse is
split. 1t can be 80 per cent to the
winner and 10 per cent. to the loser
if the boys agree, but the club man
agement insists upon a losers end.
There was supposed to be a big side
wager between johnson and Jeffries,
but nothing was ever heard of it af-
forwards. John L. Sullivan and
James J. Corbett fought at New Or
leans for the really last big side bet,
the amount being $4,000 involved
and it was real, too. Bat Nelson and
Joe Cans fought for a good sized side
bet but few lightweight battles since
then have been for a side wager
There is always lots of talk about side
bets, etc, but seldom is any real coin
put up, especially by the fighters