Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-05-19
BOXING GAME IN
NEW YORK RUINED
BY BAD PROMOTERS
LITTLE REGARD FOR DEMANDS
OF PUBLIC ic GIVEN AS CAUSE
OF HANGING CREPE ON PUoiL.
iSTIC SPORT IN THE EMPIRE
STATE

New York. May IS They're coins
to hang crepe on the boxing game il
New York next November
The chief mourners will be the
boxers, their managers and the pro
motors. They will heaye chesty signs
and shell salty tears as the grand old
game Ia shelved and the lid comes
down with a bang II will mean a
hasty retreat to the free lunch
trenches for many of them if they
continued to bang around these parts.
The boxing fans will also regret to
see the sport so by the boards. but
they will have the consolation of
knowing that it is through no faut
Of their own
Those who want to point finger
Of reproach at the ones who are re-
sponsible for the death of New York
boxing will stick out their digits
toward the promoters, the boxers and
their managers The men who have
been the principal actors in New
York boxing are wholly responsible
for its fate in this state. They have
killed the gosling that laid the golden
egg, and the are regretting it now
regretting when ii is too late
First G all the New YORK BOXING
Commission must shoulder a large
share OF the blame for permitting
conditions to exist which put boxing
in bad with the powers that be. The
commissioners ran their departments
loosely. They did not keep undesir-
ables out Of the game. They permitted
promoters to blk the public they
failed to punish offenders, who be-
came holder as the months passed by.
and they finally reached the point
where they were looked upon as mere
tools Of INSCRIPTIONS parasites of
boxing who placed the dollar above
everything else
The promoters for the most part.
ran their clubs to suit themselves.
They made many cheap matches and
asked exorbtant prices of the fans.
They oversold the seating capacity
Of their clubs and got away with II.
Get the dough at the gate and to
Halifax with the public was their
motto. The boxing fan laid down
three to seven dollars for a seat, only
to find it occupied by some "squatter"
with a lantern jaw who refused to
give 1t up was stung without a chance
to get even. Some gay life for the
promoters. You said 1t.
And the boxers did their bit"
Many boxer was permitted to get
by with weak alibies for non-appear.
ance, The fans who had paid to see
an advertised show had to watch
some clumsy substitute fill in the main
ovent-the substitution often being
announced at the last minute. Other
boxers held up shows until they re,
ceiyed their guarantee. thereby dis.
gushing the fans at the ringside. The
boxers did not trust the promoters
and the promoters did not trust the
boxers. Some class to a situation like
this.
Not a few of the promoters were the
managers of boxers. Some of the
biggest clubs. therefore, offered the
public bills with the same old boxers
on the programme week after week.
They wanted to keep all the money
In the charmed circle, and they sue
ceoded pretty well If boxer went
an On stalled through ten rounds the
ring had him alibied the net dav.
and the old gag about a return match
was pulled through the newspapers.
Petty wrangles between boxers
promoters and the members of the
boxing commission were given wide
publicity One manager finally came
- blows with A member of the com.
mission over the granting of license
ana the game Went from bad to worse
FINALLY Governor Whitman took cor
nlgance OF the situation and demanded
mat the Frawey Law be killed. He
finally succeeded in killing il. and
when ne put that shot over the box.
ing ring was stunned Friends of
boxing did what they could to save
the game to no avail Governor Whit |
man refused to appoint new com /
mission Of competent men who would
run the sport according to law ama
rid It of its undesirables. lie eyl. !
IDENTIFY decided IL was better to throw
boxing out altother So boxing IA
breathing Its last, and though private
Clubs may conduct bouts in the future |
the game viii not flourish as It Nigh,
have done under the law.
The promoters and the boxers have
no one but themselves to blame. They
pu' the curse on boxing and now The, |
must take the consequences. Some
future law maya reinstate boxing IN
New York, but II Il IA ever brought
back II must be run under entirely
different conditions or II will be bound
70 fail 3het d 4 ias failel under III,
ffawley Law. II would seem that q
law permlltjng deciaiona ana ,......,