The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-11-08
FIGHT GAME AFFORDS
CHANCE FOR RICHES

Possibilities the boxing game pro-
vide for willing worker and a goo1
manager are well illustrated in the
case of Willie Jackson, New York light
weight and until very recently prom
inent contended for Benny Leonard's
title.
Jackson's financial success in the
ring was made public recently by
Frank Doc" Bagley, his former MAI
ager when the pair decided to sever
a business relationship that had exist
ed for eight years.
Back in 1914 Jackson was sixteen
year-old stripping, weighing ninety
eight pounds and working as an erran@
boy for the large sum of $6 week.
Like Benny Leonard and many other
prominent boxers, Jackson had a keen
interest in the boxing game and he
used to spend most of his spare time
around the gymnasium and the old
then the garden of New York.
Bagley was then handling a number
of boxers and he saw some promise in
the youngster and after some little
training and tutoring he landed jack
son in a preliminary at the Fairmont,
for which he received SO. His devel.
opme1t was slow but he was carefully
handled and brought along by shrewd
management until 1917 when he be
came headliner by knocking out
Johnny Dundee in two minutes and
thirty-six seconds of a bout in Phila-
delphia. Dundee had never been
knocked out before and he never has
since that time. Jackson naturally
was hailed as prospective champion
and bouts for big purses came-thich
and fast
In the last three. years, Bagley
claims Jackson earned $250,000, Of
which 100000 was brought in in thir
teen months.
He began slipping last winter and
perhaps he is passed the stage where
he can improve, but he is still a good
card and his earning power has by
no means been stopped.
Popularity Valuable
Benny Leonard, Jack Britton, Joe
Lynch and other prominent New Yorl
boxers have become wealthy in thei
business because of a large persona
following of friends that pack thu
house every time they work.
Jackson, never popular. cashed in al
most as much because the house wa
packed every time he showed witt
fans who came in the hope of seeing
him get the WArst of it.
Both Bagley and Jackson knew o
| the feeling against him and instead o
working to overcome it they shrewdl
| played it up so that he became on
/ nf 10 Dire I'd in No
| York.
| How much of an attraction Jackson
was is shown in the figures presente
| by Bagley that in eight bouts in Mad
/ son Square Garden, he and his\oppo
ents drew in excess of sass, 900. On
bout with Dundee brought a gate @
$4,000 from $4,000 spectators at price
of 81 to So. Another bout with Eddi
Fitzsimmons drew $4,000 and mate
with Rocky Kansas brought in $S8, 00(
Bagley claims that their break wa
not caused by ill feeling and that the
are still on good terms. Jackson wan
ed to make trip to Australia and Ell
| gage in some four-rounders in Califo
MIA and Bagley, having a big stabl,
could not afford the time. so he turn
ed over five year contract to Samm
Goldman, manager of Pete Herman
former bantamweight champion.
Herman. by the way, is in bad shap
in New York and is on the verge {
total blindness. Several years ago
cataract developed on one of his eye
but he gamely Stuck to his bushes
against the advice of doctors and tn
results were so serious that the do
tors now fear that they will not b
able to save his eyes.
Herman has done we'll He ha
made lot of money and has investe
it wisely, according to his friends, s
that if he is forced to give up boxin
his wife and two little girls will NJ
be in need.
His wife insists that he shall retil
from the ring if he does recover, bl
little Pete has an idea that he ca
win the bantam title again and NAL
a record of having won a champio
II.