The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-12-07

IL Is True tHeIc hIc SOiIie uhuCcis
would help the sport. 1t is true tn
better off If they parted with
matchmaking.
This, however. is by no means gen
eral, and 1t is difficult to dovetail the
suggestion of the commission with the
history of boxing.
In the majority Of cases a boxer
without a manager would be like q
ship without a rudder. He would
plunge ahead to his doom and elm.
mate himself In short time.
Nearly All Fail.
Nearly every fighter who has tried
to manage himself failed. When jess
Willard won the title from Jack John
son he had a manager. After gaining
first honors one of his first moves was
to drop his manager. Then he arranG.
ed fight with Jack Dempsey. He
managed himself On this occasion. He
failed to have proper trainers, sparring
partners, or advisers and everybody
knows what the result was.
After several years OF managing
himself, Mike Gibbons realized the mis-
take he had made after Mike Collins
began gathering in money In bales
for him.
Int VI a. ooANi hdS n oNAAh-
lite field. He must know what others
are doing in boxing. He must fly
around the country and watch the
boxers who are in his mans class.
Often he will size up weaknesses In a
fighter that will be of immense ad-
vantage to his boy should they ever
meet.
The manager must have a good bust
ness head, know where the money IL
and try to arrange as advantageous
terms as possible for his fighter. He
must be able to harangue opposing
managers and promoters and show
backbone and spirit when discussing
terms. He must know the kind Of
match that will attract the public and
be careful to pick opponents.
Few fighters there are who would
be able to get anywhere II they elect
ed to do the talking. The average
scrapper believes he can lick anybody
In his division in one or two punches.
The wise manager handling a fight.
er in course Of development knows the
fighters to avoid until his boy has had
proper experience.
Managers Absorb Grief.
Then, after the articles of agree.
ment are signed there are endless
worries that require the attention of
q manager. In the Dempsey -Carpen.
tier fight Dempsey would have been a
nervous wreck IL he had had to ad-
dress himself to the never-ending per.
plexities and vexations that took place
at his training camp. They were
almost too much for Jack Kearns, but,
of course, he was a match for all
worries without distracting Dempsey
from his training routine
One fighter who never needed q
manager was Philadelphia Jack
O'Brien, but the latter was one Of the
best business men in the sport, and
was an exception. Not even O'Brien
could train and stay in the box office
at the same time watching the ticket
| sale
Many a fighter was made by his
manager. Dempsey was rushed quick.
ly into the championship because q
man Of vision handled him. in the
person Of Jack Kearns. Kearns de-
serves big share of credit for Demp.
sey's rise.
Billy Nolan made fortune for Bat.
Ting Nelson because he made demands
and never receded an inch from them.
Before the Nelson era Sam Harris de.
veloped Terry McGovern with rare
Judgment. Harris brains and Terry's
lists were equally concerned In the
making of a fortune for both. Poor
Terry blew his bankroll, but Harris
saved his, and is now one of the lead.
Ing theatrical figures in the country.
1t was William Brady who dominat.
ed the heavyweight situation In the
greater part of the nineties. Brady
saw championship possibilities in
James J. Corbett and matched him
with John L. Sullivan. Brady was
the pioneer Of the modern school OF
managers.
When Corbett began to slip, Brady
looked around for another, and picked
Jim Jeffries, who was n sparring part.
ner In Corbett's camp when Jim was
training to meet Fitzsimmons. Cor.
bett dropped his title to Fitz, hut the
| Brady camp regained TIE crown when