The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1921-11-23
By FRANK c. MENKE

BY FRANK C. MENKE
1t would seem that a certain set of
fight managers in the New York dis
trict are trying to chop off their sniff
ing organs to spite their own fronus-
pieces.
The boys have combined in a battle
against Tex Rickard, for no real rea-
son at al, and, in their efforts to put
the skids under Rickard, they are
quite likely to bring about a repeal
of the law which legalizes boxing in
the Empire state.
And what then?
Nothing except with the fight game
closed in New York, the fist singers
and their money-mad managers will
have to be content with the $500,
$1,000 and $1,500 purses that ruled
prior to the return of boxing in New
York and Richards staggering offers
even to mediocre talent
The whole thing apparently started
through a tiff between Rickard and
Billy Gibson, who directs Benny Leon
ards pugilistic destiny. 1t perhaps
never would have gone beyond the
discriminatory stage if it hadn't
been for few malcontents-and a
ruling OF the boxing commission. Glib
son said much about Leonard won't
fight again for RickaGd" But that
wasn't taken any too seriously.
Fixed Fair Commission
The commission decided that some
managers, taking advantage of the
business ignorance of the kids who are
/ in o Z h.
golden fleece" on the youngsters by
forcing the boys TO give to them any
where from 33 to so per cent of their
earnings. The commission fixed fair
limit for the managers and-and then
| the fireworks started.
lnaSmuch as the commission de-
manded that all managers and fighters
hereafter submit their contracts to the
commission, the managers who were
gouging their fighters, shrieked to the
/ high heavens in protest over the high
! handed methods of the commission.
And, in the end, a group of managers
got together and formed an associa-
| tion of their own which had for its
announced purpose protecting our
selves presumably from the com.
mission
While the boys were all together
! drinking coffee or something like that
and tossing verbal jocose raspberries
at the commission, some one brought
up the name of Richard Then Glib
son aired his little feelings. Up spoke
Marty Eillilea, manager of Johnny
/ Wilson, who had a grievance of his
own. And, meanwhile, Danny Morgan
manager of Jack BIitton, culled his
memory and found that he had some
sort of grudge against Richard
i Writes Story.
They spoke loudly, did those boys
and an agile newspaper man. harkins
to their laments, wrote a story abou
IT. The boys read it the next day anC
the oftener they conned the para
graphs the better they felt. 1t was the
much valued and treasured publicity
They reckoned, being smart fellows
That they could get a whole lot NOR,
by talking some more-and so the,
talked and talked and very soon folk
began to decide that a battle was ol
between Rickard and the boys.
} Even then the situation wasn't ey
tremely acute. There hadn't been an
actual mud-slanging The boys di,
} say some narsty, narsty things abou
Rlckard, but none was so couche,
that the utterers couldn't have gon
= 10 Richard later and convinced hin
that 1t was all a joke rather than
serious verbal uppercut
But, of sudden, Jack Curley. arcJ
enemy of Rickard. got his name int
Z tne papers as a member of the ou+
lit. And then bitterness develope
8 until crisis has come. Whethe
Z Curley alone has been inflaming tn
ooys against Rickard is, of course.
= little secret within the association
But the fact is certain that unit
Curley began to be numbered anon
those present, there was always tn
chance for love feast.
>. Hidden Motives.
S Just what Curley is doing With
4 an organization that is composed c
4 managers of fighters. is a mild pui
3 zle-to some. He hasn't any fighter
0 in his stable-just a gang of so-calIe
Wrestlers. But, ah! there may be
= hidden motive for Curley's activity
one something along these lines
Stimulation of battle betwee
=. RiCkard and the allied managers ma
s cause the governor to kill the boxin
4 game. If that happens, the state atl
4 letfc association dies automaticall,
9 With its death there no longer wi
9 be organized control of wrestling i
the Empire state. And that. is seem
= is what Jack Curley desires more tha
anything else.
Before the state athletic ccmmi
sion assumed control of wrestlin
Curley dominated the situation. +
p put on as many bouts as he wished
"a put them on in any old fashion tn,
Is he wished. He enthused the publ