The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-01-23
MATCHLESS MANAGER,
LEO P. FLYNN, QUITS
TEX RICHARDS GARDEN
By FRANK c. MENKE


sportive world; tragedy for Tex
Rickard-if it's true in its entirety. !!
For the difference between success
and failure in the conduct of the Gar
den as fight arena, seems to be that
same gray haired, keen eyed, nimble-
Drained Irishman.
Ever since Richard took over the
Garden Flynn stood between him and
horde of sharp-dealing, money-mad
fight managers, whose sole intent was
to slug Richard for his bankroll.
Through all that sweep OF time no
spne ever slipped a thing over on Rick
ard because Flynn, a genius in his
knowledge of the trickery of fighters
! and their managers. ever was the Mad
ison Stuare Garden watchdog
Officially, Flynn wasn't matchmaker
of the Garden; unofficially, he was.
He served as matchmaker in every
way except as the final signer of the
! final papers.
Found Tough Job
! In the earliest days of Garden man
agement, Richard attempted the job
| of doing the matchmaking for his
weekly and semi-monthly shows. Very
! quickly he found that it was just about
/ the toughest job that a man could be
asked to handle. His office was con-
| stantly cluttered with managers and
| fighters; his footsteps were logged:
/ his whole life became something of
/ nightmare
Nature hadn't equipped Rickard for
: such a job.
And then Flynn stepped into the
| breach.
The rules of the State Athletic com
mission plainly stated that no man
could be a matchmaker of the same
| club where his fighters operated.
] Flynn's stable of battlers got into ac-
/ ton occasionally at the Garden. That
j barred him from being the official
/ matchmaker
/ But Flynn, serving as "advisory
counsel for Richard was the match
maker Fighters and their mana ayers
made their Garden dealings through
Flynn. He became the power within
the Garden. He made matches-o7'
rejected them. 1t was FIynn-not
Rickard-who dictated terms, who
; named opponents, who fixed the num-
Der of rounds and the fight conditions.
Just Signed. That's AL
All Richard had to do-except in big
offairs like the Dempsey-Carpenticr
affair-was to sign the agreement
which Flynn had made.
Even the enemies of FLYNN long
have conceded that he knows more
about the inside and the outside OF
: fighters and matchmaking than any
man alive. He is something of e
superman in his knowledge of the
sport. Name any man that has don
ned glove within the last ten years
!, and Flynn can tell you his whole his
tory; the date and number of rounds
and the result of his every fight; his
height age. weight, birthplace, real
name, ring weakness and strength.
everything that's worth while know.
ledge of a fighter.
An enduring monument to the math
making greatness of Flynn is the fact
, that only two of nearly 40 cards which
, he arranged for the Garden ever lost
money; one $4,000 and the Other
$4,000. The profits from any other o.
the SO shows more than wiped out the
loss occasioned by these two.
Rolled Up Profits.
: The Garden, with Flynn as its un
I official matchmaker. never knew {
! bloomer"-and rolled up profits CLOSE
to the 100000 mark
So perfect has been Flynn's match
: ing of fighters that there was not a:
! knockout in the first So or 40 battle
put on in the Garden. Every one wen
o the distance and in practically ever.
r instance the battlers were so easil.
| matched that the crowd was in doub
as to the winner until the judges ap
J. nounced their verdict
+ On II occasions during the first sea
J. son at the Garden, one of the battler
h originally scheduled to appear wa
l. forced to cancel. That put it up t
It Flynn to get substitute. Usually tn
II substitute gets a terrible lacing. Ye
!. Flynn knew the game so well-an
knew the abilities of each fighter s
well-that every one of those elevent
hour substitutes won his battle
Richard SpIurger
4 Richard is shreWd. But Rickar
4 wasn't built by nature to indulge i
an almost daily battle of wits with
hundred different fight managers, eac
IL possessed of a hundred and one diffe,
e ent trickeries in the matter of gettin
n the money. Richard is born splurs
i er; born gambler. Caution, modert
4 ton ana BARGAINING are not IN n
a makeup. He'd rather pay out sum
Le of money seemingly ruinous-and the
e gamble on the slight chance to pu
Is through-than spend hours in squal
g bling over a few thousand dollars.
He needed man like Flynn-a Dor
s. judge of fighters and man of remarl
n able shrewdness in fistic money ma
Is ters-to serve as the balance whee
lie All of Flynn's connections with Ricl
S ard and the Garden-officiaI, unoffici;
e. or whatever they might have been
m are presumed to be severed now. It
n possible that Flynn may continue I
IL advise" Richard from a spot outsiC
e. the Garden. Or he may work throug
IN the newly named official mate
s. maker" In which case alI's we'll.
I'll But If Flynn is through-if he strive
no more for Rickard-it BODIES i'll fl
of Richard and his Garden venture Fl
&c 1t was Flynn who has made it a golde
s, success.
rs Copyright 1921 BY King Features
no Syndicate. Incl
r !