The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-24
Dempsey-Willard Bout May Be Staged
 on Michigan Soil
ny JAMES J. CoRBETT

The possibility now exists that Jack Dempsey will give a return battle to Jess Willard on Michigan soil. Present articles call for the fight in Madison Square Garden. New York, un- der the promotion of Tex Rickard. But there's no positive assurance that orig inal plans will be carried out. The whole situation is "up in the air. since the boxing commission fixed $15 as the top price for seats. If $l5 is the most which Rickard can charge, the bout would not produce much beyond $100 900, even if the I house is packed.
 And $l00.000 is not enough to warrant Rickard in staging such a fight, in as much as the guarantees to the battlers and incidental expenses undoubtedly would go well beyond that figure. Rick ard certainly wouldn't go ahead with the fight if it was to be certain loser HASN'T GIVEN UP IDEA However, Rickard has not given up the idea of putting on the fight and is said to be hopeful of getting a ruling from tho commission that prices beyond s15 can be charged. It is the intention that the match was made before the com mission made it's new regulation and Rickard hopes that the commission will not attempt to enforce it's sl5 price reg ulat upon this contest, but will per init the scale to run up to $25 or $S5
 Should the commission stand pat that no bouts in the future, no matter when the match was made, can assess patrons more than $l5, it means one or two things: Rickard will probably abandon the idea of putting on the show at Mad
 son Square Garden. or try to have the date moved along so that it can be put on at some place in New York where the seating capacity is sufficient to net a gate well beyond expenses.
 ANOTHER POSSIBILITY
 If Rickard decides not to put on this match. Floyd Fitzsimmons of Benton Harbor will attempt to open negotiations with the gladiators He is said to have Dempseys promise and Willards per mission would be easy.
 Fitzsimmons staged the Leonard-White fight in the little Michigan city on July and put on the DempseyMiske bout there on Labor Day. But 1t is under stood that he plans putting on the bout in Detroit and not in Benton Harbor, providing of course. that it is an indoor show.
 I~ltzsimmons tas an option on m arena in Detroit which will seat more than. 10000 and if he is not handicapped by any Sl5 price rule can so schedule ticket prices that he will more than clear expenses with a big arena provided the demands made on. him by the fighters are no greater than they made on Rick ard.
 DEMPSEY VS. MEEHAN
 Fitzsimmons originally planned to match Dempsey and Willie Meehan for an affair in Detroit during February, but has temporarily abandoned this pro- gramme, waiting until there is some def mite action taken with reference to the Dempsey Willard match in New York. If Rickard decides to go on with the show anyway. Fitzsimmons will go ahead with negotiations for another battle between the champion and his 'jnx."
 Meehan the roly-poly of the prize ring, has been a stumbling block for Dempsey. He is the only man in the game today who has been able to stand up before the cyclonic attacks of Dempsey and remain on his feet to the finish. Meehan. who won decision victory over Dempsey just prior to Dempsey's match with Full ton, continues to insist that even though Dempsey can whip every other man, he has Dempsey's number and can beat him any time they start,
 Detroit fans meanwhile. are waiting Richards decision with reference to the Dempsey Willard match, feeling that no matter what transpires they are going to have look at the Utah mauler before the winter season is much farther along. They prefer the Dempsey-Willard match but they won't be greatly disappointed if Meehan is his foeman.
 Copyright 1921 by King Features Syn
 dicate, Inc)