El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-08-09
b. VI. W. NAUGHTON.

q AN FRANCISCO. Calf, Aug 9.-The
high cost Of fighting continues to
be bone of discomfort among the
promoters out here on the coast and II
the men who handle Queensberry en-
terprises viii stand by their guns as
they threaten TO do, the scale OF prices
viii be revised before she year Is out
Insurrect1on spreads.
There have been muJterlngs for a
long time, but il was the Richie Rivers
contest that precipitated the present in
surrection among the maLchma kerS-
That affair drew SIS, 600 and out of this
Ritchie received $4,000 and others
$1,000 Promoter Graney did not have
enough left to pay rent and running eX-
penses.
The men who conduct the four round
shows are also up in arms. At each one
OF these Friday night entertainments
as many as eight or ten bouts are pro-
Vided, yet some Of the short bout spe-
cialists have been commanding and re-
ceiVing as much as 500 for each ap-
nearance- In consequence there have
been many losing ventures and quite
a number of promoters have gone out
of business Writers are airing Opin-
ions TO the effect that such conditions
are causing the quality Of ring sports
to deteriOrate-
Percentage Plan Favored.
It IS easier of course 10 Suggest re
forms than to inaugurate them and that
is why the promoters shrug their
shoulders when asked what is to pre-
vent return to the old order of things.
Mr.. Fight Fan-and Mr.. Fight Fan is
righr-says there was more spirited
boxing in the years when a set Of ar
ticles called for a winners enc and
losers end. It is pointed out that un~
der the present system OF paying pug
lists fixed sums there is no incentive TO
struggle on once after he begins to see
defeat staring him in the face 'Don'r
you think Joe Rivers would have taken
more interest IN mis- work and have
shown more stomach for IT had he not
known that there was $1,000 waiting for
him in the box officer was a sugges-
tive question asked after the Fourth Of
July bout So as to bring about a new
condition the promoters are talking or
standing together, but whether they
will do so or not is mooted question
What they would like to do IS TO eS-
tablish a custom by which champion
ship fights. which are naturally the
highest priced pugilistic commodities,
do not call for the paying over Of more
than 60 percent of the gate receipts.
But how is such an arrangement TO
be established and what are the chances
of its being lived up to?
Even some OF The promoters are ask
ing this double barreled question and
by the same token are answering it in
such way as to make It appear thar
the situation is in a measure hopeless.
Promoters Want Big Cards.
One of the Queensberry entertainers
discussed the mlaLIer mus WISE
There are promoters and promoters
and a Uniform scale would result in the
most businesslike handler Of glove con-
tests securing all the attractions. The
fighters themselves would so to the
promoters who have the reputation of
being the best money getters-and they
would be sure to do business with them.
This means that a fixed rate for cham
piOnship fights viii work to the detri-
ment Of promoters who are not as smart
as their cOmpeers. And what would be
the resuIt2 Would man who has paid
for a high priced yearly license and
who has a lease on his hands stand by
and see his rival in business get away
with all the plums2 Not on your life.
He would approach the champion or
the champions manager with a side
proposition of some kind and the pres
ent Uniform rate would go glimmering.
Champions Fix Own Price.
Anyhow" said the same wise head.
'you have the champions to reckon /
with before you can establish a per-
centage again The rank and file of
the boxing brigade may be willing
enough to conform to a scheme Of that
kind, but champions are different A
champion is a queer animal He feels
that the world is against him and I
guess he is right You know and I
know that there is more joy in sport
dom over one champion being humbled
than there is over q hundred second rat
ers being knocked cold. The champion
says TO himself they want to see me
licked and they viii have to pay dearly