Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-17
BY JANE j. CORBETT

Copyright, 1922. by Hing featurs service
The guarantee purse system, IN
vogue just a few years ago in fistic
circles, is becoming more or less passe,
because promoters have found it
somewhat akin to ruinous-and it
is almost a certainty that the bat
tiers of the future will do all of their
stuff on the percentage basis.
Harry A. Hyams, who controls the
arena in East Chicago, was about the
first to back away from the guarantee
system. There was 4 reason. IIyams
had tried it and found through bitter
experience. that it was unfair and
quite faulty from the promoters view
point.
During the outdoor season of 1921
Hyums put on n half dozen shows IN
his stadium. In each instance he
had to pay guarantees. In several
eases the fighters, at the last minute,
demanded money beyond the contract
price, threatening to call off the tight
unless Hyams delivered in keeping
with their newer demands.
Hyams paid-rather than cancel the
bout.
II had trouble with some Of the
fighters all through the summer he
related-and his story is typical of
that of many other promoters. The
men promised when | signed them up
to report at the battle-ground at least
five days before the fight o place.
7 wanted them there so that their
presence would give some added pub
lefty to the bout.
Reported at Leisure
4fBBtst these fellows reported when it
| suited them. Some didn't arrive until
the afternoon or the evening of the
| fight, AS a result, the prospective pat
rons weren't sure whether they would
! arrive at all. And many stayed away
from the arena who otherwise would
| have beer there. : As a result, the re-
CENTS were infinitely less than they
would have been if the fighters had
| kept faith,
IF the fighters had been working
on n percentage basis. where every
new customer meant added revenue for
them, they probably would have re-
| ported on schedule time. They'd have
| helped to excite interest in the fight
because by SO doing they would have
| heen benefiting themselves and fatten-
| ing their own share of money from it,
But because they were working on
a guarantee. and were certain to get Il
fixed sum of money, no matter if we
| took in $40 or $4,000, they didn't
+, care. They suited their little selves,
showed up when they wanted and, in
| stead of trying to help make the fight
n financial success. they did about ev-
erything they could to make it Il fail
ure."
After his 1921 experience, IIyams
decided that in 1922 every man who
fought in his East Chicago stadium
would do so on a percentage basis-or
not ut MI.
Percentage or No Fight
Managers from all parts OF the
country tried through 1922 to get me
to put on their .men and give them
guarantees added Hyans. MY an
swer to all of them was that | had
finished guaranteeing purses--that the
bows would fight for me on percent
age or not at all. That didn't suit them
They demanded guarantees-they
wanted to play the sure thing game
for themselves and force me, as pro
moter, to do all the gambling. And sc
my East Chicago arena remained clos
ed all during 1922
The wisdom of Hyams' move Is
shown in the disasters encountered BY
Floyd Fitzsimmons and Jim Mullins
When those promoters found that
Hyams meant to stand pat on his de
claration to fighters you'll fight fol
me on percentage or not at an they
got busy and grabbed off matches
which Hyams might have made-ano
they submitted to the guarantee de-
mands Of the fighters.
The result was that Mullins, who
had nm arena in Aurora, ILL.,, very
shortly ran into "a mess of trouble
Fighters treated him much the same
as they had treated Hyams in 1921
When they got their guarantees, they
didn't ARE what happened to Mullins
They didn't try to help him make the
fight a success.
And. as q consequence, MuuinS los