The Washington times., 1922-05-24


win, lose, or draw, against Joe G
fistic world.
Later came Tommy Burns with q
title, and some said Tommy was or
Presently Tex Rickard Dobbed up
and stunned the land with his offer
OF $101 900 for the Johnson.J effries
battle at Reno. each fighter event
ually realizing more than that
amount from the affair.
johnson took $50, 900. the figure at
which he got the title for turning
It over to Jess Willard at Havana.
then Willard ran 1t up to 100000.
He later got about 1000 for a
ten-round non decision bout with
Frank Moran, which is not as much
as champions in lesser divisions
have received.
Dempsey knocked off two fat
purses in his engagements with Billy
Miske at Benton Harbor, and Bill
Brennan, in Madison Square Garden,
but 1t remained for his match with
Carpenter to produce the top figure
in the history of fistiana.
hedr1lS ASKED SOUU,OUU lOF Dcfnp
sey, and before the fistic world
had recovered from its astonish.
ment, Rickard had agreed 10 pay
it. Moreover he paid Carpenter
$500, 900, a bigger losers end than
any winners end in the previous
history Of boxing.
No one figured Carpenter much
OF a chance against Dempsey, yet
the bout drew over 81 800 900, or
more than a million beyond what the
fighters received.
Many concede Wills a real chance
against the champion. Under the
conditions it is natural for Kearns
to demand more than his fighter got
for meeting a man of admittedly less
ability than Wills.
Kearns probably honestly believes
Dempsey can beat Wills. But kearns
also knows as well as any one else
that Wills is a dangerous fellow, the
most dangerous contender in the
land. If Wills should happen TO
catch Dempsey on one of the cham
pion's off nights, such as the night
he fought Bill Brennan at Madison
Square Garden, another black might
reign on Johnson's old throne.
for less money than he got for heat
ing a comparative set-up. in a matcn
that figures to be as good a drawing
card, what would be said of his man
agerial acumen?
1t would be said that he was a
sucker" for going into the ma|ch
In the first place.
Matchmaking in professional
boxing Is business, governed
largely by public demand, the same
as any other business. IL you have
the elements Of a match that the
public wants to see. you have some
thing worth money.
There Is no use arguing the sports
manship phase Of the proposition,
because when II comes to the tnan-
cial end sportsmanship hasn't ex'
listed in professional boxing for years.
And we doubt if the fistic public
really cares a fig what fighter re-
ceives so long as 1t gets to see
match.
1t may doubt the sincerity OF a
man in seeking a match when he
holds out for an unreasonable sum,
as in the case OF Lew Tender, with
a chance at the lightweight title, but
we doubt that the public Is seriously
concerned about the financial side
of the sport.
Kearns found a promoter willing
and eager to pay his man $3OO,OOO
for one bout. II he can locate an
other promoter willing to pay him
$500. 900 we would say, off hand, that
Il comes under the head of man.
agerial acumen.
Il must be remembered that
while Kearns Is looking out for
Dempsey, II Is also his business
to look out for Kearns.
Better than anything else, boxing
reflects that strange thing called
human nature.
Sixteen years ago Burns drifted
into the heavyweight championship
OF the world. He was a fighter OF
rather ordinary ability, but perhaps
the best of a bunch of white fighters
so poor that James j. Jeffries, the
real titleholder. had retired in dis
gust.
Burns was personally not a bad
fellow. He brought no discredit on
the game. He did his best in the
ring. But the world Of sport knew
that Tommy was not as good a
fighter as Jack Johnson, the negro,
then in his pugilistic prime, and they
"razzed" Burns into a match with
johnson that meant sure defeat.
They had nothing against Tommy,
but he was for the moment the king.
and II was the old human desire to
see the king deposed. After the
chunky Canadian had dropped his
title many who had spoken lightly of