Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-05-17
5000 MANAGERS HAVE
MADE GREAT FIGHTERS
Benny Leonard Gives Billy Gibson
Much Credit for His Rise From
AE Obscurity to Fame.
JONES ESTABLISHED WILLARD
Hundreds OF Thousands Made by
Sullivan i'm His Championship
Days, Due to Business Methods OF
Billy Madden. Corbctt Declares.
BY LANES J. ConnETT.

BY JAMES J. CORDETT.
Benny Leonard. modest and unas-
Stunning. gives 10 Billy Gibson, his man
ager. great portion of the credit for
his ascent from obscurity 20 fame AZ
ono of the greatest l!ehtweiEhts of
all time.
IF Gibson hadn't taken charge OF me
when / was a kid and guided inc along
the puEilistic lanes, the chances are
more than preliminary battles and get
ting nothing but small purses. It's
my manager who has made me-
Leonard's tribute to Gibson merely
bulk of rinSmen who have risen TO
greatness. to fame and TO fortune. owe
1T to their managers. y skilltul man
Ager is just as necessary for an am
bilious rinEman as is knowledge OF
how to fight
John L. Sullivan made million or
more during his championship days.
Billy Madden showed him the way Sui
livan had no business training in his
earliest days. lie would have been a
mark for shrewd individuals. But Mad
den protected his interests. And q was
Madden who conceived the idea Of a
theatrical tour and the stunt OF meet
ing all corners that made sullivan. al
most overnight, the most popular ring
man of all time.
Willard WINS Once Dub.
Jess Willard was dub through the
carly years. No onr took him seri-
ously. And he was g,ad to fight for a
f few hundred dollars In some OF his
managerl he got less than s10o for
his endeavors. Then Tom Jones came
along and soon afterward began the
same fellow who had lifted AID VOL
CAST from the ranks OF preliminary
lighter to the lightweight champion Of
the world. And he had made Billy
charge OF Willard. placed him in the
hands OF excellent handlers, and then
set about , trying to arrange a match
two years. despite terrible discourage
ments. he worked INCREASINGLY toward
that end. At last Jack Johnson agreed
to fight willard, and the rest is his
tory.
Dan Morgan stands out as ono OF
the greatest managers tho game has
known. He took three men from the
unknown, or dub, classes. and made
fortunes for all of them. And two
became champions.
Dan Morgan Set Rritton Right.
Jack Britton was ringman for
nearly dozen Years without ever
achieving much more than 500
purses. One day he dropped into Nor
gans Office and asked Dumb Dan" to
take charge of his affairs and Morgan
fought for bulky purses, and today is
welterweight champion OF the world,
which means big guarantees and as
many fights as. he wants for a long
lime to come.
Battling Levinsky fought with poor
success under the name of Barney Will
linms Then Morgan grabbed him.
Within a few months Levinskv was on
his way to liSht-heavyweight throne,
and when he reached 1t. he found that
his ring earnings, meanwhile, had gone
we'll beyond 100000
Knockout Brown was Morgan's other
discovery. lie took the cross-eyed kid
from factory in Brooklyn and in five
years so engineered things that the
$4,000. Brown. If handling his own
affairs. perhaps. would have considered
himself lucky II he had earned a total
of $4,000 in those five years, because
head for business.
Welsh Renped Golden Harvest.
Freddie Welsh fought around for
many years without arriving anywhere
In particular. He had several mana :
gers, but none was the right kind.
Eventually he made n connection with
Harry Pollock. And the former snort
writer quickly maneuvered fight with
gether, with the championship. For
several years afrrrwaru Welsh reaped
a golden harvest az Il result OF the
prestige which the title gave 10 him
The "Durab bic Dane" vas battling
around without much hope OF getting
crack at the title. And he was fight
inS for insignificant purses Nolan
took charge OF him and quickly made
match with Joe Cans. Nelson won
and annexed fortune before his ring
days were done.
Fred Fulton rose up quickly from
an unknown into Formidable Sc eming
foe for jess Willard while Mike Col,
Inns was Ca,, handling him. Fulton decided
mat collins wasn't necessary. SO he
fired" Collins. And Fulton toaav 10
a discredited ringman.
Ied ohid) Lewis was a nobody" OF
the ring until Jimmy Johnson became
ms manager. Within few months
johnson had press-agentcd Lewis 10 A
point where he was one Of the most
talked-of warriors in the country.
Pat Lewis In Competent Hnndn.
Johnson knew that 10 make good on
Inc splendid things he was telling
about Lewis. il would be necessary fnl
the Nd 10 know whole lot more
ahont boxing that h. had acquired ,,p
10 'nat iiine: so Johnson put Lewis in
INC hands OF competent instructors and
Lewis some time afterward became Tho
welteT"eight championship accumu-
lated fortune Of about 100000. Then
IN moment Of plquc Lewis canned"
johnson and ever since then nothing
put misfortune has been the share Of
Lewis "
Johnny Dundee was a "ham.an"
fighter around New York. Along cane
Scotty Montieth. who said "Tli ,n.nI
age You" He did it so successfuIIv
.nat dundee has ranked for years as
one. OF the kinEpin ligh,weights and
during mat time has become one 81
the wealthiest of fighters.
LACK dempsey was little more than
hobo fighter" until Jack Kcsrn. hn'
came MS manager Under the manare.
ment of kearns, Dempsey devciopsd
mo one 81 the most sensational
heaVy"eiEhts of all time. And nov
he is in line for fight with WillarJ
which carries with il the possih;Iit~ ~
victory and huge fortune afterward
Leonard was right; it's the nanager
who goes a long way toward III. ~ ;,' ~
a. hter'cCopyright: 1913. by King