The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-07-25
TUNNEY 3-TO.1
FAvORITE ON
EVE OF CLASH
Champion and Challenger
Finish Training for
Title Battle.
FAIR WEATHER LIKELY
Rickard Sees Big Show as
Financial FIivver If
Sales Do Not Boom.

BJ UnNeG Press
Rickard, promoter of battles of the
century, was busy today studying
two sets of statistics. One Of them
is a box Office statement, the other
is the United States Government
weather report.
When he read forecast for
Thursday, July 26, generally fair
and not much change in tempera-
ture," he smiled. When he read
advance seat sale for Tunney-
Heeney f1ght-$625, ,000," he groaned.
Sunny skies alone can keep
Rickard from losing money on a
prize fight for the first time in his
career as a promoter. If Thursday
dawns fair and stays that way, the
eleventh-hour ticket sale may bring
the total to 100000, thereby enabl-
ing Rickard to break even.
1t was announced today that sew
eral hundred policemen would be
scattered through Yankee Stadium
tomorrow night to see that fight
ing is confined strictly to the ring.
Odds Grow Longer
In addition, there will be 600
ushers and $50 gat@men, who will
pit their wits against One-Eyed Con-
molly, king of the gate crashers.
The betting began to lengthen
this morning, and it was reported in
Wall Street that to / odds, with
Tunney on the heavy end, were
easy to obtain. Predictions were
made that before nightfall the
champion would be a 4 to favorite.
That doesn't mean anything. John
L. Sullivan was a to l favorite
when he lost the heavyweight cham
pionship to James ]. Corbett; Cor
bett was to when he lost to Bob
Fitzsimmons; Fitzsimmons was 5 to
/ when jim Jeffries whipped him;
Jeffries was to l when he lost to
Jack johnson.
Tunney himself was on the short
end of to l odds the night he out
pointed Jack Dempsey in Phila-
delphia to win the title.
On Scene Thursday Noon
Tunney and Heeney will arrive
around neen tomorrow from their
camps and will go Immediately TO
Madison Square Garden to weigh in.
Heeney will sail from Fair Haven,
N. j., in a yacht and Tunney Will
land beside the Statue Of Liberty
in an amphibian plane. Jim CorbetG
probably gets laugh out Of that.
He used to walk or ride in horse
carriage to his fights.
After protesting that airplanes are
as safe as railroad trains and re-
fusing for three days to take out in
surance, Tunney finally decided to
have a policy. So he paid $75O for
a 100000 policy.
Billy Gibson, the champions man
ager, is due here today to establish
Tunney's headquarters and make
sure that the purple tights, which
the New York State Athletic Com
mission has ordered Tunney to wear,
are the right size.
Heeney will have on a red and
black costume when he enters the
ring.
Tunney Ends Training
The champion completed his
training yesterday in a blaze OF
vicious punching. His lips barred
back in half snarl, Tunney beat
murderous tattoo on the bodies OF
Harold Mays and Billy Vidabeck.
There were moments in the cham
pion's final workout when his style
revived memories of Dempsey
Superbly conditioned after two
months of intensive training in the
foothills of the Adirondack noun
tains, Tunney relaxed today.
The champion spent quiet night
In his isolated hut in the heart of
pine-clad mountain tops with Oren
Mobiles, vagabond painter from Seat
tie, as his only companion.
Up at the break of day, Tunney
took a long walk over a mountain
trail
Heeney also finished his prepara-
tions for the opportunity of his life,
confident that he will leave the ring
champion Of the world Thursday
night.