The Washington times., 1929-01-25

But Tex has gone from US. AL
things have changed. The secret
pact that we had made ended with
his tragic passing. My conditiona
promise to fight again so that hi
s might, perhaps. realize his fina
ambition of ''just one more million
dollar gate" is automatically shat
tered by the tragedy that took him
from us.
And so my attitude again is the
same as it was after that Chicago
fight in 1927, when / put Gene Tun
rey on the floor for IA or more sec.
onds and still was unable to regain
the lost crown:
I'm through
No one took me seriously at the
time I mace that announcement
except Tex. Then, because of some
odd twists and strange writings Of
fate. my. pal, who. alone. believed
that / meant to quit the game. be.
came the most insistent of all
humans in the world that l should
once more don the mittens and go
back to the ring wars-as some
thing of a friendly favor to him.
Immediately after / lost the
second decision to Tunney, Tex
asked what my plans were.
tod him was going to retire:
that every Fingman had to quit
sooner or later and, realizing
that my best years were behind
me, ! was going to quit.
Tex made no dissenting remark.
In fact. he agreed that my course
was a sane one; that retirement at
a time when I had all my facul.
ties and all the money might
need was wise.
Proof of how he felt about my
determination is that he dealt me
out Of the picture in 1928. He
knew I meant what. j. said about
quitting; never tried to coax me
back-until after the Tunney.
Heeney financial flop last July.
And then there was a change
mighty one in Tex and his ideas
concerning my future.
That venture was the first real
failure of Tex Richards promo
tional lifetime. 1t hit him jolt;
one much harder than he ever Was
willing to concede. The money
loss meant nothing. The hurt came
to his pride; it hurt him to thank
that, with q worlds champion in
one corner, an international ring
man in another, and with wealthy
New York to draw from, the loss
was about the greatest in mod
ern ring history.
Tex communicated with me al
most Immediately afterward; he
told me he had something mighty
important to talk about. And we
arranged for little pow vow. And
the first words that Tex popped
at me were:
you're going to fight again.
@No, I'm through, said. :.
s.You're going to fight again,
Tex insisted, looking me squarely
in the eye. you've got to fight
AGAIN for my sake
His manner was tense tic.
ssListen here he went on. I'm
tired Of this promoting thing. II
that show CTunnsy and Heeney) had
gone over I might be announcing
NV Gown retirement right now. But
II was a bust-and I'm not quitting
this business with a failure as my
finish. Understand? I've got to
put on another million-dollar show
before I quit And, with you IN one
corner, / can do it.
i started to reiterate that / was
through; that ] didn't care to keep
on until I ran the risk of getting
'.punch drunk" Tex, impatient,
broke in on me:
s.Another dozen fights won't make
YOU punch drunk all I'm ask
Ing Is that you fight one more for
me next year l1929). You've got to
do it,"
s'WIaat do you mean-that
stuff about you're going TO
nuit?" asked, my curiosity
being aroused by that rather
surprising statement.
Tex answered:
"I'm tired of the game-too
much work and worry ana frettin8,
I've got my wad-got enough 20
last 8 lifetime. I'm not as spry as
/ used to be-and not so hoped up
any more about this racket. TN
getting pretty close to 50. "A fel.
ser's got to slow down sometime ,r
other-and I'm going to do that as
soon as can put on another mil
lion-dollar show and shut up those
fellows who are kidding me about
the Tunney-Heeney bloomer."
Tex was never sustained talker
He would go along for a paragraph.
or two and pause and make you
think he was all through. But II
YOU didn't interrupt he would pick
up the story and go on. So / said
nothing. Tex chewed his cigal.
looked out the window at the lighr
sunshine and resumed:
Remember telling me that |
ought to do some playing; take q
rest and get some fun out OF my
money. That's what I figured IN
doing IL that fight had been q sue.
cess. It wasn't. I've got to put
over another winner-then can
n1fif And tell Won I want 70