Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-07
DREAMER, BUT DARING, TEX
MADE SPORT BIG BUSINESS
Visionary Yet Practical Man, Who Lifted Ring Game
From Muck, Kept Faith With Public, Enriched
Associates, Ever E'Square Shooter

be lucky TO get inside some of the old
arenas, much less get the seats their
tickets called for, came to realize and
appreciate that at Richards shows they
could depend on getting the space their
paSteboard specified and actually see
what was going on. Tex had care
| fully trained corps OF aides who became
expert in the handling of big crowds
quickly. He spent hours on the seat
ing plans himself ana was quick to
remedy any complaints.
One of his biggest disappointments
was in the famous Dempsey Firpo fight
in 1928 at the Polo Grounds, where
thousands who held ringside seats fail
ed to see much. if anything, of the brief
ring action, because of the confusion
and sloping character of the base ball
field. Richard returned thousands of
dollars to dissatisfied patrons as re-
suit of this and did it without hesita-
ton.
Boyle's Thirty Acres, the famous Jer-
Sey City bowl, erected for the Dempsey
Carpenter fight in 1921, was Richards
own model. From a spectators view
point 1t was as near perfect as any.
This fight was in many respects Rick
ards most successful piece of promo
ton. He induced the principals to sign
for a 100000 purse, an unheard of
amount, but the gate receipts from
10000 spectators exceeded 81 SOC, 900.
Carpenter was built up as real con-
tender, when as a matter of fact he was
not match for the smashing Demp-
Sey.
Asked for Good Show.
Richard himself with so fearful of the
possible outcome that he went to Demp-
Sey's dressing room before the match
and pleaded with Jack mot to hit the
Frenchman too hard" and to let the
fight go few rounds at least so that
the record breaking crowd would get
something of a run for its money.
II was afrail Dempsey would kill Car
pentier if he hit him too hard" the
promoter admitted later.
Rickard regarded Jim Jeffries as the
greatest of all heavyweight champions.
but his interest in and admiration
for Dempseys fighting qualities was
greater. For one thing, Dempsey's and
Richards fortunes were closely entwined
Richard promoted six of Dempseys
eight championship fights, made the
ManaSsa Mauier millionaire and the
greatest drawing card of them all.
Some idea of the influence of Demp-
sey in Richards promotion scheme may
be gained from the fact that of the
something over $1O,0oO000 in gate re-
ceipts from all the big fights Richard
has promoted, approximately $4,000, 900
has been realized in the six Dempsey
battleS-two with Tunney and one each
with Brennan, Firpo, Carpenter and
Sharkey.
1t is a strange turn that takes Rick
ard from the arena at a time when he
planned Dempseys farewell to the ring,
the old mauler's last effort to regain
the heights and be the only modern
champion to win back the crown.
A Square Shooter"
The racket" will miss Rickard-he
fought it, bargained with it and out
witted it from the time he came to
New York. He made enemies as we'll
as friends. But what manager, who
had reason to be antagonistic to the
promoter, once said of him is Signif1-
cant:
"A tough bird, Richard, but square,
shooter"