The Washington times., 1923-07-04
EAST VIEWS TITLE FIGHT
WITH ATTITUDE OF
COOL INTEREST
By SID MERCER.

ny SAD
NEW YORK, July 4.-No heav
years has been viewed with less
Shelby, Mont.
There are two good reasons t
from Broadway for one thing, a.
questioned comedies Gibbons q CT
In our rambles about the city
son who knows of any New York
to Montana as a mere spectator
out there, but their combined c
probably will not exceed the priC
The fight is a flop" as far as
course, there is considerable sp'
will last.
The Montana promoters over
stepped themselves with their huge
guarantee to Dempsey. Probably
they figured they would draw Gus
Aomers from all over the country
once they. established their attrac'
ton. They forgot, however, that
big guarantees are safe only in
thIckIys settled communities,
Any time Dempsey starts he
promises to be spectacular. Yet de-
spite the fact that many representa-
tives of the metropolitan press are
on the scene and the bout has re.
ceived more publicity than it is
worth, 1t has never gone over
here nor in any other large city.
What chance the promoters had
10 draw ringside customers from
afar was ruined by the uncer-
tainty Of the show taking place
- advertised.
Boxing fans in the East did not
respond to the prospect of paying
several hundred dollars each to take
q long. hot and dusty train ride
with no guarantee of action when
they got there.
Then, too. your New Yorker who
can afford those trips likes to think
ht will enjoy the local color and
Incidental entertainment. Further
more, he desires to be fairly COM
Portable.
Word pictures of Shelby were
anything but reassuring to that
class Of boxing patrons.
Doubtless the promoters believed
the cities would send many special
fight trains. Now it appears that
there will be none, but even from
st. Paul which is Gibbons home
city and not a great distance from
the scene of the fisticuffs on the
Fourth.
Six weeks ago we heard Of
many special trains. One by one
they were cancelled. Then it be.
came a question of getting enough
fans together here to fill Pull
man. That, too, was abandoned.
and at last accounts there is no
record Of a single New Yorker
making the long trip to put down
his money and see the scrap.
Chicago, which was to have fur
nished several special trains. is
strangely Indifferent, and at last ac-
counts all the California specials
have been Cancelled.
Shelby will draw practically all of,
1ts fight customers from Montana
and cities of the Northwest, includ-
ing some across the Canadian line.
Conservative estimates place the
attendance at no more than 90, 200,
and comparatively few of these will
pay toy prices.
The Montana flop is a lesson to
all promoters.
There is evidence close at hand
that the de- of big guarantees and
high prices is rapidly passing even
in New York.
Tom O'Rourke. matchmaker for
Polo Grounds A. c., announced yes
terday that in the future SO would
be the highest price for champion
ship bouts at the Polo Grounds. The
best ringside seats for the Dundee.
Criqui scrap on July 26, will sell for
only a "sawbuck."
II have consulted with the
managers Of Criqui, Dundee, VIII
son, Greb, and Villa, and many
others, who agree that guarantees
clared O'ROurke. Hereafter
boxers will be worth just as much
rs they can draw at the gate and
no more. The directors of the Polo =.
Grounds Club, therefore, have
voted to make $40 the highest
price for tickets"
O'Rourke should know what he is
talking about. Guarantees all out
OF proportion to the drawing powers
OF kilbane and Criqui cost him $780,
600 and his club made practically
nothing on the Wflde-ViIia affair.
The CriQui-Dundee setto should
be one of the best of the season
and 1t should outdraw, in at.
tendance and receipts, the two pre-
ceeding worlds championship bouts
At the Polo Grounds.
Here are just a few opinions on
the Dempsey-Gibbons thing picked
UP around town yesterday. It
would be a waste of space to print
more as Gibbons, though we'll liked
personally, is scarcely given
"look-in
BILLY GIBSON.-Gibbons may
keep away for a few rounds, but
one good smash will make him lose
his boxing form and he should then
be easy for Dempsey.
TEX RICKARD.-It's a good
big man against a smaller man not
90 good. / don't see how Gibbons
can win.
TOM O'ROURKE.-It never did
look like good match. Dempsey
1e bigger and can hit harder. The
Dig man with a punch and who
knows how to use 1t will beat
science every time.
JIMMY JOHNSTON.-We must
admire Gibbons for giving away
weight and facing terrific
puncher with no hope of making
anything out Of the fight unless he
wins. Tom 10 just shooting at the
moon. In my opinion he will begin
20 fade out of the picture just as