The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-12-31
Fighters of Today Draw
DoWn Tremendous Purses
Old Timers Were Willing to Fight for Comparatively
Small Sums-F Fortunes Being Offered Dempsey.
Era of Prosperity for Pugilism
az LANES ). coRnErr

1t makes an old-timer like myself bit
dizzy to read about all these fortunes
being offered to Jack Dempsey ana
Georges Carpenter: sums of money for
one battle greater than was offered for a
score of fights back in the days when
choynski, Sharkcy, Fitz, Sullivan, slayin,
jackson, Mitchell and myself were among
the topnotchers.
Just what the exact size of the purse
will be that Jack and Georges will bat
tie for is still q question. But it wouidn't
surprise me if it ran in the neighborhood
of 100000; single Offering greater than
was made for all the championship bat
ties in Sullivan's career, Fitzsimmons'
Jeffries' excluding the Jack johnson
fighb and mine.
Memory sends me back 30 years to that
day in San Francisco, when the old Cali
| fornia A. c. offered a $4,000, purse for
a fight between Joe Choynski and my
self. Il made the sporting world gasp
for such a purse Offering had been I'M
heard of up to that time for non-chan1-
pionship clash. In that era fighters usually
battled for side bet-and the loser got
nothing but the services of physician.
SULLIVAN,S FAME
John j. Sullivan undoubtedly was the
greatest drawing card pugilism ever knew.
His fame was worldwide; his followers
he appeared John L drew packed house
Yet in 1892, when we met in New Or
leans for the biggest purse obtainah 'e.
the sum was just $25.0o-and because he
lost Sullivan DIDN'T get dollar of it
What a strange-almost weird-contrast
theresis in the remuneration of fighters OF
today compared with a generation ago.
In that period lightweight who was as
sured around $7,10 for finish fight in de-
tense Of his title thought himself fortu-
nate Last April Benny Leonard got over
$4,000 and Willie Richie $4,000 for their
work in Newark. Nowadays non-cham-
pions-boys in the lighter divisions just
graduated from the ham and class :
scor at guarantees that champions OF
long ago would have thought colossal
And as for the CHAMPIONSHIP, Wilde
Herman, Kilbane, Leonard and Britton
would hardly consider putting on glove
even In short and safe contest for less
than $1,000 When they are called upon
to meet a really formidable foe they de-
uland two or three times more pernaTs
.sbecarse Of the risk involved" And the
quaint thing is that they get it
RICHARD RESPONSIBLE
TEX Richard really is responsible for
the great increase in the wages of
ringmen. His huge offer-for the erse-
for the Battling Nelson-Joe Cans fight n
Goldfield in 1905 started the boys TO prod
ding promoters cor larger and stiii iarser
purses. And when the promoters capltu-
lated the public began paying the freigh' !,
for increased rurses meant increase
ticket prices to gain the money Tor the
guarantees 80,
when Richard came through with SILL
600 for the Jenries-J ohnson fight in 1917
he caused another revolution, For that
then record price caused the other llgHt-
ers to increase their demands. In lsls
Rickarl smashed the old mark with ms
purse Offering for the Wlllard-DempseS
affair. And, of cours4 Dempsey, haVlns
gained the crown. figures he is worth iar
more tran the 100000 paid to WIZARD
which he is And he will get it.
Rut even as the purses have mounted
so nave the gate receipts. SO even though
the promoters are paying infinitely more
these davs than ever before to hstic per
formers they are still breaking ahead o.
the game. Why? Oh. because they are
taking in enough through Increased uck-
ct prices to leave comfortable margin
Of profit as their, reward
The 1919 season established many ne"
records in sportdom--but none more re-
markatle than those in boxing receipts
The cate at the Willard-Dempsey aHalS
in Toledo went 10 $4,000. against the old
mark of s270775. Not only did the puohc
pay i.ig prices to see heavyweights. put
If also turned out in volume, despite big
admission fees demanded for clashes
in the other divisions
SOME RECORDS
Here is a list showing receipts at the
important battles of 1919 in the diffet-
ent classes
Heavyweight, $4,000. Jess Willard vs.
Jack Dempsey, Toledo. in July.
Heavyweight. $4,000. Georges Carpen-
tier vs. Joe Beckett. in London in Decem-
Der
Mliddloweight $4,000. Mike Gibbons VS.
Mike O'Dowd. in St. Paul in November
Lightweight. $4,000. Benny Leonard vs.
Willie Richie, in Reward in April