The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1922-12-28
By FRANK G. MENKH

Once he was among the greatest
drawing cards in Kingdom; once he
was among the highest paid men in
the game. He's possessed OF two
championships. Yet today he Is COM
PEELED to fight for purses less than
| $1,000.
The story concerns Johnny Dundee.
A year ago--and for many years be-
| fore-the Italian whirlwind was in de-
mand everywhere. He was able to
name his own price. He was one OF
the biggest box office attractions Mad
ison Square Garden ever had. His ev-
cry fight there netted him $4,000,
s12. .000-and far beyond.
| He whipped George Clancy one
night-and became junior lightweight
champion of the universe. Later he
challenged Johnny kilbane and posted
! the required forfeit of $4,000. Kill
! bane didn't accept-and the New York
State Athletic commission acclaimed
Dundee as featherweight champ OF the
universe.
With two crowns upon his brunette
dome, it looked as il days of prosperity
and affluence were just ahead of Dun
| dee. But, for some inexplicable rea-
son he hasn't been able to get fight
| in the Garden-nor in any big club
around New York
Signs for Battles.
In desperation, Dundee finally signed
up for three battles in small time"
spots. He got $4,000 for mixing i
/ with Alex Hart in Philadelphia-an
| this double barreled champion fought
| that night in a semi-final. Then he
| fought in Newark-and got about S975.
The climax came in his melee with
Gene belmont in Brooklyn where Dun
dee. who scoffed at anything under
$4,000 just a year ago, fought II
i rounds for S525.
Was there ever anything quainter
than the sight of nlan'swho averaged
around $4,000 or $4,000 for his fights
through three seasons, and who, after
gathering in two titles, fights three
times for $500.
Ten of the men who brought fame
and glory to Iowa due to their football
prowess in 1921 and again in 1922 have
played their last game in the Hawkeye
uniform They graduate in June, anl
practically a new team must be weld
ed together before Iowa can take the
field next September.
"That proves conclusively that you
can't believe all you read in the papers
these days" was fandom's comment
over a news item that Connie Mack
yes, Connie of Philadelphia, Pa.-had
paid $4,000 count 'em boys count
'em-for Sammy Hale, the Portland,
Oregon, third sacker.
Thirty-nine years ago there was born
man who thinks he can punch Jack
Dempsey into a mess of cranberry
sauce.
His name is Jess Willard.
He thought the same thing three and
one-half years ago. But he was wrong.
For at the end of the little entertain
mert in Toledo the red and battered
human who was lifted out of the ring
was not Dempsey. 1t was Willard.
1--WE fought the last battle of my
career" mumbled Willard, through
split and swollen lips, as soon as he
had been restored to mental normalcy.
Dempsey whipped me fairly and
squarely.
Three years elapse and here is Will
lard shrieking:
Il want to fight Dempsey"
, Unpleasant Reminder.
Someone cut in upon his waillings
!. about Dempsey is ducking me" and
, reminded him of his complete retire
! ment in July of 1919; of his admission
that "a better man whipped me square
, ly."
: "Ah!" exclaims Willard what
thought then is not what / think now
: t-ah, no, no. For since then | have
come to the conclusion that Dempsey
!, put adhesive tape on his hands which
made them as hard as concrete.
To which Dempsey chuckles reply:
, What a naughty. naughty person
: little Jessie is becomiDg-to say things
like that about me. The little fibber-
! saying ! used adhesive tape! | did nc
: such thing. | used lead pipes, that's :
: what / did and it isn't nice of Jessie
to accuse me of using horrid tape"
!, Mexicans are becoming all frothed
/ up over billiards.
Once upon time--which time was
4 only few years agn-they wouldn't
. have known what you were discussing
y if you mentioned billiards. But now
V -ah!
There are $50 ball and cue parlors ir
d Mexico City alone. One place-Clark'>
: Palace-has SO tables. Another ha:
26. More than score house over Z
dozen tables.
a President Obregon, despite the fac
g that he has only one arm, is an enthus
last. Secretary of Finance Huerta i!