Evening journal., 1916-02-17
NCKARD convinced
OF FIGHTS PROFIT
Willard-Moran Fracas Mana
ger Smiles at
Doubt
TEX is A BIG
PROMOTION GENIUS

Tex Rickard, the "Man Who Never
Lost finds that very few New York
ers shade his present confidence that
he viii make money through the stag
ing OF the Willard-Moran fracas book
ed for March %. in New York City
The bout will be a monoy-maker." J."
asserts Rickard. in face Of the fact
that it will cost him about $4,000 TO
stage t.
Now that Madison Square Garden
has been decided upon definitely as
the place for holding the bout. Rick
ard and Sam McCrackon. associated
with him in the promotion OF the af-
fair, are busily engaged trying to de-
wise ways and means Of increasing the
seating capacity OF the arena.
Madison Square Garden normally
can seat about 5000 Rickard is hope
ful that he can push up that capacity
to $1,000 or 1900 by building a sort
OF bleachers on the floor, instead of
using the chair system.
IN we can seat l2,O00 I can see day
light ahead" said Rickard THAT will
mean that we will have to average
only $3.50 per scat. TO clear expenses.
We are hopeful OF averaging 80 per
scat and probably $40. If VIC averaged
the latter figure. our would be a
Sl20.00O house. which would give us a
profit around $4,000 on our venture" "
Rickard has not decided definitely on
the prices hc viii charge, but il is likely
hat he will demand $50 for the first
row OF seats cnclrcling the ring, S2j Ton
the next five or six rows and tAcn scale
down TO $40 for. the poorest loo' seat e.
The range of prices for the 900 gal
lcry seats will be So, 50. 500 and $40.
according TO present plans.
liickard is the man who has startled
the pugilistic world on several other oc.
casions by Offering huge guarantees to
iiehtcrs--thcn startled it "A bit by max.
'ng good.
When he guaranteed BAT Nelson
.2O0OO and Joe Cans Sl0.OOO for thcii
fight in Goldhold some years ago every
one thought he was what is commonl,
called a "nut." The opinion hccam
general when he gave Nelson 50 800 AM
Cans 81 600 extra as n bonus making
thc total pay for the lighters S33 ,50C
But Rickard merely smiled at the snccr.
staged the hout. and took in SGa. ~;
ili, own profit in that deal was la th
uciehhorlood of $4,000, including moy
ing picture profits.
In 1910 when Rickard guaranteed
Si0l 600 purse and later added 500.
ooo bonus for the johnson .lciIrics bat
lc. he almost was alone n the belle
That the bout would make money fol
him. lie went ahead and built $50
000 arcna in California and then hac
10 abandon Il because the law barred M,
staging of the act there
rndaunted. and taking tho $50 0OC
loss in matter OF fact way. Rickard
went 10 Reno. built an arena there
incurred heavy expenses. CisregarGe,
Tho scoiIing OF the wise ones" ant
put on the fight Tho gate" amount
cd to S270,776 Deduciing all expenses
Richards net profit was S1S0O0O. o
This amount $4,000 came from NOV
Ing picture profit and the other $40. 90
from the gate receipts.
And now. whilc the experts" ar
declaring that Rickard is going 10 rc
ceive a husky financial jolt throug
this Willard-Moran affair. the MA
Who Never Lost refuses TO be dis
turbed refuses TO have shaken hi
superb confidence that he will clear q
least $4,000 on the affair
81 went into this thing with my eye
open declared Richard. 81 realiz
that the expenses will be great. hay
guaranteed Willard $4,000 and Mora
$4,000. II will cost me probably $50
GOO more TO put on the fight. Tha
makes 100000. But I took all that int
consideration before ] went after tn
fight 7 wanted it--and got it.
II don't think I paid too high. Afte
IL is over there probably viii be som
noonle WIN agrno with me-