Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-20
BY TEX RICHARD.
I'm collaboration with Bozemau Bulgero

W HEN Billy Nolan came INTO
Goldfeld with Battling Nell
NM son for training, l had my
first taste of what pro-
moter has to contend with
In the matter Of managers.
/ don't want to give the impression
that all fight managers are bad. Many
Of them are mere parasites, living on
their fighters and causing all sorts OF
irritating troubles just to impress the
fighter with what they consider their
efficiency. There are many otners,
though. who are not only helpful TO
their fighters but do much toward
keeping the fight game on high basis
The success of several fighters has been
due more to the wisdom and Judg-
ment of the manager than OF the
fighter himself.
Bill Nolan was of the irritating, an
noying brand
To begin with, he insisted that all OF
the $4,000 purse was to go to Nelson.
That would have left Joe Cans with
out anything That, however, mace
no difference to Nolan.
when ! wired you that we would
come for a purse of 100000" he said,
ST meant that would be Nelson's price"
Had Written Agreement.
Twas quite certain that Nolan hadn't
understood anything Of the kind. Be-
sides, I had the agreement in writing
Immediately discovered that fight
ing was not exactly on sportsman
like basis when 1t came to money.
We wrangled and wrangled over this
matter until the whole camp was dis
1usted. The newspaper men wrote all
kinds Of roastS Of Nolan. He deserved
them, too. The town people were
strongly aligned against him.
Poor Joe Cans and his manager, NC
Donald, seemed to be up against 1t
every way they turned. Joe was
smart darkey and a. very honorable
one. made up my mind to see that
he got a square deal. There would be
no run-out by Nolan. 1t got through
his head pretty soon that the mining
people would see that he went through
with the fight or make it unhealthy for
him.
BY this time I could see that the
fight was going to be financial sue
cess. 1t was in the air. The home
people had plenty Of money to spend
and were getting more enthusiastic
every day The actual building Of the
arena smoked things up little more.
We could have come out clear on that
fight @~z without the big crowd OF
visi.5sV. Sut We wanted the visitors
to advertise our town. that being the
prime motive in starting the affair.
Finally l agreed to raise the purse
to $33,500. OF this Nolan was to get
$22,500 for Nelson and Cans was to
get $1,000. Anything did seemed to
satisfy Cans. Nolan then saw the writ
ing on the wall and also agreed.
Nolan Adds to Trouble.
With this trouble of my hands I
ran right into another Nolan added
to the former irritation by notifying
us that Cans would have to weigh in
1913 pounds at the ringside. There was
much talk about this. Cans, eager for
the fight under any conditions, finally
agreed to make it.
Anybody would think everything all
right after that. But no.
"Rickard," Nolan told me the next
time went out to his camp, "Gans has
got to weigh in 1873 pounds at the
ringSide with his fighting tcgs on"
That straw almost broke the camel's
back It was plain that Nolan was
doing everything possible to stir things
up. He was trying to make an i'm
preston on Nelson.
was not experienced in boxing mat
,4ers, and naturally did not understand
These things. went to Cans. though,
and told him of Nolan's demand.
Boss" said the darkey, Nolan hasn't
got any right to do that, and he
knows it."
Can you make that weight in your
fighting toys. Joe?'
"Tll try, Mr. Rickard, but 1 don't be-
9ieve can ever do it. That weight will
weaken me-
Just the same, Nolan insisted. Cans.
again willing to concede anything, set
about to reduce his weight lower He
made it, but to this day I think it
weakened him in that long fight.
l was the happiest man in the world
when we finally got those two light
weights in the ring and saw George
Siler present as referee.
Cans Always Popular.
Nolan's tactics had turned many peo-
pie against him and Cans had a big
following. He always was a popular
fighter
Long before the bell sounded for the
first round 1 knew that our Goldfield
fight had made good with a bang. We
had priced the tickets from SIS to $25,
and the big demand was for the higher
ones.
Those men fought AZ rounds, neither
willing to give up.
In the end Nelson fouled Cans with
q blow in the groin. That blow and
the discussion aroused by it 1 will take
up in my attempt at describing that
night, as saw it, in my next chapter.
The total receipts Of that fight were
$69,7l5. OF this $33.5OO went to the
fighters and $4,000 for expenses NV
net profit was $i3,2l5.
Not one of those who had guaranteed
the purse had to put up a nickel. We
nad pulled of successful fight in Gold
neld. and gee, how that town celebrated
The day of the big purse hal dawned.
II Goldfield could put up S33,5O0 what
could the big cities do in the future?
The fight itself was 9 hummer.
tCopSrlsht' 1929 by the North American
Newspaper AllanceD