New Britain herald., 1919-02-06
RICHARD To BUILD
Big SPORTING CLUB
Promoter Plans Structure Greater
Than Madison Square Garden

New Ork, Feb. 6.--Regard less OF
the Willard Dempsey contest or where
it will take place, Tex Richard
will erect a large arena here in New
York exclusively for sporting enter-
tainments provided the Gibbs boxing
bill now before the Legislature be-
comes a law. He plans q greater and
larger Madison Square Garden.
Despite the extra labor thrust upon
him in tse promotion of the big fight
Tex still finds a little time to inspect
various sites for the proposed build
ing. This would not be necessary
were it not for the expiration of the
option he held on land at 130th street
and Hudson river whereon he ori-
sinally had planned to locate his big
sporting enterprise.
Richard gave out this information
at the Biltmorc yesterday in between
poses for the moving picture men.
who wish to flash upon the screen
throughout the country the likeness
of the man who has offered the big
gest purse in boxing history.
Shortly after the Willard Moran
fight in Madison Square Garden Rick
ard organized a company for the pur-
pose of erecting a big arena here
and promoting sporting enterprises.
Just when the project was we'll ad-
vanced and an option had been OBJ
tanned on the 130th street plot the
Pollock Wenck controversy took
place. which resulted in the repeal of
the Frawley law.
Upset His Plans.
THE repeal of the Frawley law"
SAYS Rickard temporarily upset my
nj me
sidered boxing as the most renumer-
ative sport and the one that takes the
greatest hold on New Workers we
could not very we'll go ahead with the
proposition. Now that it looks as If
boxing is going to be restored in
New York our plan once again be-
comes feasible. If boxing again is
made legal here we will erect a spaci-
Gus amphitheater which will seat
about 10000 persons and in which we
will promote sporting attractions of
all kinds,
THE building will be suitable for
automobile shows, six day bike races,
athletic meets and other attractions in
addition to boxing, The amphi
theater, however, primarily will be
erected to suit the needs of boxing.
My asso ciates and / believe the ring
game is eventually destined to become
Americas national pastime. A vast
amount of added interest has been
created through army participation in
sport.
ION account of the expiration OF
my option on the piece of land at
130th street and Hudson River we
must look elsewhere for a site. We
also had in view the plot of land near
count Of failure to get permission to
erect a bridge across the tracks we
cannot consider it. We hope to find
a site shortly, however"
When asked whether he was plan
ming to hold the Wil1ard-Dempsey
fight in the proposed structure should
the Legislature pass the Gibbs fight
bill, Richard said:
Not for Big Fight.
mo, I am not. In the first place,
if it is possible, VIC want Willard and
Dempsey to meet in a bout of at least
twenty rounds duration, which will
not be possible under the Gibbs bill
unless amended. Then even if we wero
forced to come here to New York the
type of building we are planning could
not be completed by July. If by any
chance the Willard Dempsey bout is
held in New York it will have to be
in a temporary structure erected es-
pecially for it"
Rickard, however, does not deny
that the big July fight may have to be
an eight. ten or fifteen round bout
without a referees decision. He says
he knows that it is the publics wish
that Willard defend his title in bout
that would give Dempsey a clear
chance for the championship, and
that all things considered, a bigger
gate would result in such match.
| Where such a bout can be staged is
problematical.
Here is what I'm up against" de-
clares Tex. There are at present, as
[ understand it. only three states in
which bouts of twenty rounds are per-
mitted, Louisiana, Colorado and Con-
necticut. Boxing is run on local op-
ton plan in the last named state"
IRVING NARCOTICS DIES.