The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-08-29
Barons Win Sixth Straight Game
Financial Failure of The
Toledo Bout a Great Boon
Fighters Have Acquired Enlarged Ideas of Their Ability
as Drawing Cards-Rickard Broke Just Little Better
Than Even-Fighters May Become Reasonable
b, JAMES J. CoRsErr.

The fact that Tex Richard cleared
only about $4,000 for nearly six
months work on the Willard-Demp-
sey fight is about the best thing that
could have happened to the pugilistic
game-even if it was a keen disap-
pointment to the western promoter.
Richards spectacular offers for the
Nelson-Gans battle in 1906, the John
son-Jeffries affair in 1910, the Will
lard-Moran bout in 1916, coupled with
that fact that he cleared big money"
on each venture despite the great ex-
penses incurred, brought about a sort
of money mad" condition among the
fighting clans. In all ranks of pugil
ism the boys got exaggerated ideas as
to their worth as drawing cards. They
demanded guarantees SO huge that
none of the promoters cared to risk
so much. AS result titular bouts
have become rather rare. The cham
pions have been content to pick
lemons at a few thousand dollars
per night, rather than fight a real
contender for what they term "a paltry
sum-" but which would be considered
a fortune by the old-timers.
If Richard had cleared quarter
million or more on the Toledo fight,
the ringmen in the other divisions
would still be demanding purses far
beyond their worth-purses that no
promoter could afford to put up. But
the fact that Rickard. supported by
an elaborate publicity bureau, and
after working feverishly for many
months, broke just tribe beyond
even, can be used by the other promo
tiers as an argument along these lines:
"Rickard made only $4,000 on that
fight, and he had more prestige than
we've got and a perfect working press
bureau. If he could break just little
better than even, we probably couldn't
have done half as well. So you fell
lows get your minds off fabulous purse
demands, and come down to earth in
your guarantee ideas
LEONARD-T MATCH
An instance of just how highly the
fighters have come to regard their
services was shown in the recent con-
fabbing over the Benny Leonard Lew
Tender match. Dave Mackay, the New
Jersey promoter, offered $4,000 for
the Highland that called for only
eight rounds and no RECESSION. That's
more money than was ever offered for
a no-decision lightweight battle in all
history--and only $1,000 shy of the rec
ord purse which Richard put up in
1906 for Cans and Nelson.
Did the boys snatch at it? Not at
all! They said it wasn't enough. And
Leonard went even farther by turning
down $4,000 guarantee made by Jim
Dougherty of Philadelphia for six
rounds, no decision, against Tender
in the Quaker City
Shades of the gladia.ors of old.
When l fought John l. sullivan in
New Orleans l had to put UP $4,000
side bet. The purse was $25.0Q0--win-
ner take all. Had Ii lost. 1 Wouldn't
have only taken a beating; I'd have
had to pay out my $4,000 for the
privilege.
Bob Fitzsimmons fought score of
battles where his earnings were only
a fraction of the $4,000 that Leonard
told Doughterty isn't enough" And
Bob. mind you. fought most of those
affairs to a finish Kid Mccoy, as
shrewd a fnancier as ever was con-
nected with the ring, would have
fought ten fights early in his youth
for half that sum. Jack Dempsey