The Washington herald., 1922-02-05
BY ROBERT EDGREN.

as HiNHCy 60AtCISp
ayers OF champions were hardly in
the same class with the modern
bunch. But in the old days money
And in the old days boxing matches
didn't draw such immense crowds.
and people didn't dream Of paying
$50 for ringside seats. -. r.
The highest price / remember
was at the Corbett- Fitzsimmons
fight, where seats In the ringside
boxes were sold at $40. This was
for the most advertised heavy
weight championship match in
many years. Today fight fans pay
as much or more for box seatss
even when little fellows meet for
the minor titles.
Modern gate receipts for any
championship fight run anywhere
from 100000 to s1,S23,000.
In the old times the gate re-
ceipts for the Jeffries- -Sharkey
Tight broke all records. The gate
was sss,3oo and the fighters share
was s3s.4S5. split 1875. -.-
Champions didn't demand all the
money in those days. They were
satisfied to fight winner take all. or
for a winners and losers percent
age. usually 1925 or 65-36. .#
Imagine a modern champion,
even among the lightweights. being
immensely pleased with himself be-
cause he won rs per cent OF q
s3s,465 purse-or s27,34s.
That was what Jeffries, the
greatest champion of twenty years
ago, received for beating Tom
Shsrkey in twenty-five rounds of
the hardest fighting Of his whole
career.
remember meeting Jeffries q
few days after that Aght, and in
smiling pride over his prosperity
Jim pulled a bank book out Of his
pocket and showed me the deposit
made just after the fght, and his
balance.
Modern managers would look on
that S27.34s as chicken feed.
There were some smooth birds
in the game in the old days. Tom
O'Rourke, now boxing commits
sioner in New York, not only man
aged George Dixon and Joe Wal
colt, two black champions whose
fighting ability may have been
equalled but never has been sur
passed, but In addition ran a big
boxing club and had all the other
champs fighting for him. O'Rourke
managed Tom Sharkey, too.
While he was given to driving
hard bargain, IT was said Of
ORourke that his word was good,
and that he always paid just what
he had agreed to pay. with or with
out a contract. When O'Rourke
had Walcott fighting Kid Lavigne.
Walcott grew weary and much dis
couraged.
1T amt no use. Mr.. O'Rourke."
said Walcott, near the end OF the
fight, II can't do nothin' with this
white boy"
Joe" said o'Rourke, Don't you
quit. II you do, remember that
you're going to settle with me-"
Walcott took one look at
ORourke apd went out to fight.
Being walloped by Lavigne was
soft beside what he might expect
from o'Rourke. o..
Delaney Developed Jeffries. .
Billy Delaney was one of the
greatest old-time managers. He
went to New Orleans with Jim
Corbett, and 1t was under his
coaching that Corbett whipped
Sullivan.
Afterwards Delaney had Corbett
in the fight with Fit.simmons at
Carson. Delaney .; had brought
Young Jim Jeffries, q novice, but
giant in physique, UP to Carson to
be one of Corbett's sparring part
ners. The night after Corbett lost
the championship Delaney proposed
to Jeffries that under Delaney's
coaching he might be the one to
wrest the honors from ,Fitx. -
Delaney matched Jeffries with
Van Buskirk. with Gus Rubin, and
with Tom sharkey, and Jeftries
won his fights. Then he took big
Jim to New York, where Jeffries
broke his hand in defeating big
Bob Armstrong and dropped out
of sight by returning to California.
But a year or SO later Delaney
had Jerries back again, Billy
Brady having engineered q nsht
with Fitzsimmons, and this time
Jeff made good and won the world
championship.
Deianey handed Jeff in ali his
fights until Jim retired. Years
later the two. quarrelied because
Jeffries refused TO return to the
ring to heht Bill Squires. when
Jeffres was forced out Of retire.
ment after six years, by the pub,
lies demand that he come back
and light Jack johnson. Delaney al
lowed his bitterness to turn him
against .Jef. He Joined Johnsou's
camp as coach, and no doubt his
close knowledge Of Jeffries' boxing
methods helped johnson to win.