Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-31

BY TEX RICHARD
(In Collaboration with Bozeman Bulger)
M Y first venture into New York
NH with fight was the staging
U of the Jess Willard and Frank
i Moran affair at Madison
Square Garden.
) The scrap was looked forward to with
considerable interest, but it was not re-
garded as real big fistic event. Fights
were limited to 10 rounds and no de-
cision could be given. In other words,
q championship fight could not well
be decided in Madison Square Garden.
OF course, If one man knocked the
other out within 10 rounds the decision
was obvious. The referee, however,
could not announce the winner of a
fight on points.
Contrary to the belief of many had
no connection with the Willard john
son fight, in which Willard became
champion. At that time I was busy
with my mining and other business in
terests out in Nevada. Also I had
under consideration the operation of
Q big cattle ranch down in South
America.
Frank Moran had gained q lot of
prominence and many believed that he
would eventually win the heavyweight
championship from Willard. There
was so much talk of this that I saw the
drift OF public interest. I decided to
try my hand again.
My leasing of Madison Square Gar
den Tor this affair may give you fair
idea Of what it costs to put on a fight.
OF course, I was saved the expense of
building an arena-the fight did not
justify it-but the Garden for that
one night cost me $4,000 That gave
me the idea Of eventually getting the
Garden for my own use. That was a
long time ahead, though.
Fight Did Not Net Much.
had little difficulty In getting Will
laro and Moran to sign for the fight.
my experience in Goldfield and Rena
mad gained be a certain amount of
good standing IN the minds of the fight
people. They knew, anyway, that I
would make good anything 7 prom
The fight itself went 10 rounds with
OUT Q decision. twas not a wonderful
scrap. The fans knew that no cham
piouship was to be decided. unless by
cnance one should knock the other ont
IN the 10 rounds.
just the same, the Wiliard-Moran
ngnt drew house that paid Sl52 600
VI TINS amount 7 paid Willard s475O0
and Moran $23, 75O-a total Of S71 2sn
On top OF this was the expense Of run
nlng the show, such as preliminaries.
omclaS, attendants and so on. all this
IN addition 70 the $4,000 rentai
mace some money, but not a great deal.
anyway, had made my first splurge
IN New York. Everybody seemed to be
satisfied and I was delighted Still
had no ambition to be great promoter
I was not gradually working up with
2 definite goal for my aim. As I have
SAID, the promoting of fights to me was
always sort Of sport or game. liked
70 get In 1t occasionally just for the fun
OF things.
jess willard, incidentally, was always
an interesting study to me. He was the
most powerful looking man I ever saw.
He was honest and straightforward and
there was no question about his being
game, Just the same, you always felt
tnaI MS whole heart was not in the
game. He did it purely as a matter of
business. Jess had a high sense of
honor and pride, but there was no SEN
timent In him about the prize ring.
Willard Didn't Like Game.
= He describes that best in letter to a
Friend, which think worth quoting.
i never could fight, never wanted to
become boxer and never cared for
the boxing game" he wrote. This, by
the way, was after he had lost his title.
Il always felt that ] wasn't built for q
lighter. despite my weight. my reach
and my height.
eeived an education, never had money
and my folks, God bless them, never
had any money. knew that I was q
Dig fellow and powerfully strong. I Just
sat down and figured that man as big
as me ought to be able to cash In on his
size. That Is what started me on the
road to boxing.
so got this boxing game into my
head. I never liked it-in fact, hated
1t as never hated thing previously
but there was money in 1t. I needed
the money and decided to go after it.
Il never really knew how to fight. In
the fights engaged in never could
do anything to the other fellow in the
way Of real damage. simply couldn't
do 1t. Harming the other fellow seemed
to me to be cruel and so long as the
other fellow didn't harm me much
couldn't see any reason why I should
hurt him.
IT never hurt any of my opponents
before the eighth round, because not
one Of them was able to hurt me much
before the eighth round. and when they
did hurt me got real mad and just
swung on them and settled matters as
quickly as could. But even then I
didn't like this boxing business. 1t was
the dough liked and went after all I
could get"
Underestimated Dempsey.
From another letter clip this pas
sage, which Is. little ahead of my
story, but 1t seems to fit here:
II didn't think this fellow Dempsey
was as good as he proved himself to be.
oh, take 1t from me, that guy is some
fighter. Say, he sunk his fist three
inches into my belly. He just burned
that fist of his into my stomach.
never had anything like that happen to
me before. Yet there are some who
say quit
Jess Willard was quite a writer OF
, letters. intend to quote from one Of
them in my narrative OF the big fight
at Toledo. There isn't room here and,
besides, it Is not the proper place.
When I had closed up everything
connected with the willard Moran
night at Madison Square Garden I was
through with the game for awhile.
Some months later I went to South
America and began the operation of my
big cattle ranch. went back to New
York occasionally, but didn't stay long
enough to get into the fight game. The
war was on and there was not much
opportunity.
But while on the ranch was rapidly
gathering an idea.