The Washington times., 1921-06-23


You know" Dempsey said to me
one day. II never used to dream so
much about being champion. Doc
(kearns) was the one who did the
most thinking about that He used
to keep telling me Some day you'll
be champion but / didn't lay awake
nights thinking of It,"
Kearns, of course, knew more than
Dempsey the meaning and value OF
the championship. Kearns knew
that properly handled the title was
worth q fortune. Kearns, and his
ideas, have produced the real big
money era of pugilism. perhaps the
biggest era in that respect the game
will ever know.
Tommy Burns, the Canadian. who
held q sort of synthetic title to the
heavyweight championship through
defeating Jeffries' heir Marvin Hart
set the price of the title at $4,000.
He demanded that much money. win.
lose or draw. when he met Jack
johnson In Australia
johnson got about $4,000 for his
end out OF that battle, and with II
the championship, and then along
came George (Tex) Rickard. of Ne
vada. with his offer OF 100000 for
the Johnson-Jeffries battle. OF this
sum. Jeff got $4,000 for losing, a
bonus of $4,000 and sss.sss for the
picture privileges total. S117,oss.
johnson probably did not get as
much a. Jeffriss. but he drew down
a small fortune. The hstic world
gasped at Rickard's temerity. but 1t
was only the beginning of Ricksrd's .
big money ventures for championship
matches.
johnson got $4,000 for his tight
with willard at Havana when he lost
the title, and willard got practical
ly nothing. when Joss next appeared
in the ring. - wever. which was when
ne boxed Frank Moran at Madison
sousre Garden in New York. 1t is be-
lieved ne got close to 100000. Mean
time, too, he had been collecting
money in carload lots through cir
Gus engagement
willard apparently decided that
800, 900 was as much money as could
be put in one lump, and this was the
amount he demanded and received for
meeting Jack Dempsey at Toledo.
Conditions have changed to such an
extent by now that even a contender
was deemed worthy Of his hire, even
though he got \ crack at the cham
pfonship. Moran got big money for
anu lytfpHtT
paid 1900 for his share at Toledo.
This was perhaps the largest
amount Jack had taken down for
single engagement up to that time,
but even before he met willard, he
was making plenty OF money, He had
become a good card, and Kearns was
an .astute financial agent. He got
fair purses whenever Dempsey APP
pesred, and In addition to that he had
Dempsey out in several shows.
They ran an expensive training
camp at Toledo. and this expense
came out OF theiv share along with
the $1,000 Dempsey gave Auerbsch, so
Il is doubtful II Dempsey and Kesrns
had much to show for Toledo save the
title. Kcarns Immediately proceeded
to capitalize that.
DOC kept saying to me, Well, now
we're in the big money" says Demp-
sey, but don't think realised the
Ahange right away. I was glad I won,
OF course. because after all that was
what ia been working for. but the
nrst thought struck me as sat In my
dressing room after the hsht was
not so much the championship, as of
going home to Utah to sec my mother,
and take a good rest.
Training IL pretty hard work for
me- the champion continued. ~Its
the same old grind day In and day