Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-09-02
Tells WOESOF
Fight MAGNATE
in OLD GOTHAM
TBy Latest NALL

NEW YORK.-'Promoting boxing is
not all pleasure and profit" said Billy
/ Gibson, who recently resigned from
| the position of matchmaker at the
Garden A. c., when asked to tell OF
his experience while conducting bouts
at the big arena
! Although Madison Square Garden is
the largest arena licensed under the
Frawley law. 1t has been failure fin-
ancially, notwithstanding the recent
report of the state athletic commission
shows boxing is In a flourishing condi-
ton, In explaining why the club failed
to make money, Gibson disclosed some
thing of the difficulties that confront
the promoter of boxing on a large
scale.
/ BIG Matches Lacking
I'm the first place, there are not
enough big matches to carry a place
like the Garden said the promoter.
There is no profit for the club In the
usual run of bouts. The expenses are
too high. Only matches of champion
ship caliber draw well enough to Offset
/, the extra heavy running expenses. and
! there are not enough of them to be
had. In fact, there are not more than
! a dozen matches In year that stand
! out as real big attractions
at costs about $4,000 to run a fight
lat the Garden. An extra large force
. OF clerks and ushers must be engaged
and the advertising and incidental ex-
! penses are high. A set of tickets alone
adds $3.50 to the total.
During the two years | was con-
nected with the club the total gate re-
cefpts amounted to 100000. roughly
estimated. or this over $250.000 was
paid out to the boxers in the main
events. The preliminary boxers re-
ceived large share of the remainder.
| The Gibbons-BucGo orty bout drew
the largest house. with $4,000. Richie
and Cross came next with $4,000, and
the Wells-P alzer, Jeannette-Langford
bouts each drew $4,000 All Of these
bouts left a fair margin of profit for
!, the club, but we were lucky to break
even with most of the others, and
] many we're run at big loss.
Fighters Want too Much.
4 think in time the excessive de-
mands of the boxers will kill OF all
| the large clubs. The big cIiibs need
| the star boxers to make them pay and
the stars want all the money Il Is
fdfferefG with clubs like the Fairmont
] and other small arenas. Considering
/ the number Of them, they are doing
WELL and this shows that the public is
ready to patronize the shows Any
two boxers of fair ability can always
draw at least $4,000. When you con-
slider that bouts are held every night
: in the week except Sunday 1t must be
admitted that the public likes the
sport, and IL the stars would be more
reasonable in their demands there
would be no cause for complaint.
! Contrary to the general opinion,
Packey Mcfarland is the most reason
able of them all when II comes to ar
ranging terms. We never argued ten
minutes over what his end was to be
! in any of the bouts he fought for me-.
As matter of fact, Mcfarland never
knew Just what he was to get until a
J day or two after the match. He left
It to me to decide what he was worth
and | always paid him what consid-
cred a fair share of the receipts. He
never questioned my Judgment and
twas always satisfied with what gave
! him.
WolqaTt Keen bar9ainer.
| Son the other hand. found AID Vol.
CAST the hardest Of all to satisfy. Just
before Wolgast lost bis title went to
Cadillac. Mich, and signed him to box
Mcfarland. spent the entire day ar
! guing with him and he finally agreed
to box for $4,000 and 81 per cent of,
! the moving pictures. besides $1,000 for
training expenses. Mcfarland consent
ed to take 30 per cent. Two weeks
later Wolgast wired me that he had
injured his hand cranking his auto
mobile and that he would have to get
$4,000 or he would call the match on.
THAT gives you some idea of what
II have been up against. II would have
been necessary to take In $4,000 to
break even IL l had consented. I fig
ured the match would draw $45 900.
but 1t was not worth the gamble. So
EWolgast boxed Richie instead and lost
his title
Another match that would have
drawn well was the Mcfarland Glib
bons affair. Mcfarland was not to
blame because that did not go through.
Packey Is not afraid of Gibbons. He
is too intelligent to make a match that
1 4 N Al