Evening star., 1951-03-18
Hope for Solid Front
AGAINST Promoters
Al New York Meetinq
By the Associated Press


NEW YORK, Mar. 17.-BoXing
managers around the country are
preparing statistical ammunition
for their impending showdown on
television.
With IL million TV sets already
installed throughout the Nation,
and with coaSt-to-coaSt network
hookups set to operate by about
September l, the managers are
determined to put up solid front
against the promoters, networks
and sponsors.
In about two weeks, representa-
tives of manager groups from Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago,
Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New
Jersey, Boston, Miami and New
York will gather here to discuss
the state of boxing. the influence
of TV and what to do about it.
Most Oppose Free TV.
Most managers already have
made up their minds against free
home viewing. But no one is Ger
tain if he has the cure to the
problem.
Charley Johnston, president Of
the powerful New York Guild
, which controls most of the name
fighters, sounded. the majority
keynote at. his organizations an
1ual dinner recently. Among his
listeners were managers, promot-
ters and TV sponsors.
II believe a SiX-month SuSpen-
sion of boxing on television would
make boxing thrive like never be-
FORE" said johnson, manager of
Sandy Saddler, featherweight
champion.
Sure. television is making fans
for boxing" Johnston added, but
not paying fans. We want to make
paying fans. We can't wait for
the TV lockers to become box
Office conscious. Boxing could die
while we're waiting"
Small Clubs Cited.
Allie Zack, another New York
ring pilot, said "Television has
wiped out most of the small clubs.
Where are you going to develop
the kids of the future?"
The video-boXing problem is a
multi-million dollar puzzler.
Besides the fighters and man
ayers, the key outfits involved are
the powerful International Boxing
Club, Madison Square Garden, the
networks and the sponsors.
Two sponsors are paying more
than a million dollars year for
their weekly shows. Next year
the figure may hit around SO mil
lion and five years from now the
sky will be the limit.
Boxers Get Is Per Cent.
At present, under an agreement .
with the IBC and the Garden,
the boxers collect Is per cent of
the TV-radio money for the major
networked shows on Wednesdays
and Fridays.
Each main fighter on Wednes-
day receives $1,000 as his share of
the air receipts. The Friday night
main events get $2,250 extra.
That means the Wednesday spon-
sor is paying $4,000 a week and
the Friday sponsor, $4,000 a
week.
In addition, the sponsors have
been paying extra for outstand-
ing bouts.
In all of these shows, the spon-
sors guaranteed to pay the differ
ence between sellout and the
actual gross gate. Surveys showed
these fighters were watched by
from 10 million to 80 million
people.
Some Fights Sell-outs.
In several of these fights, the
house sold out anyway. But these
were outstanding attractions.
Many of the managers say if this
was done on all fights, they would
favor the continuance of TV. /
444C1C WC1C GWO GC11 44IC 11S1ICS III
the Garden the last two weeks.
Both figured to do very well at
the gate. The Bob Murphy Harry
Matthews attracted 1922 fans and
$23,970. The Rex Layne-Bob Sat-
terf1eld thriller crossed $19,647
from 5,981 customers. The man
ayers of the fighters, were burned
up" to put it mildly.
The present contract between
the New York managers and the
IBC and the Garden expires on
June 30. The managers plan to
begin negotiating with the IBC
and Garden as soon as their own
conferences are finished.
What they will ask, a ban or
more money, still is to be deter
mined. Last year and the year
before they struck" to get more
money. Another strike" seems
likely