Evening star., 1951-09-02
Turpin-Robinson FighI
May Top All Records
In Financial Returns
BY the Assoeioisd Pres.

hY tHu AsAoSioIuu TteAA
NEW YORK, Sept. 1.-The
Randy Turpin-Ray Robinson re-
turn bout undoubtedly will smash
all sorts of financial records for a
nom heavyweight fight.
The second scrap had to be a
success from the moment the 23-
year-old British Negro's hand was
raised in triumph in London on
July 10. In capturing the middle
weight crown from the great
Robinson, the English lad scored
the most sensational boxing upset
in years.
Before the date was even set for
the title return. the International
Boxing Club was swamped with a
deluge of blank checks. Once the
date and site. September IL, and
the Polo Grounds. were an
Inounced. the box Office started to
boom.
There hasn't been anything like
that here since the second Joe
lLouis-Jersey Joe Waleott bout in
Il948. And no international match
has caused such furore since the
Brown Bomber flattened Ger
Imany's Max Schmeling in one
round in the Yankee Stadium on
June %, 1888.
Returns May Reach $75O,O0O.
Before the /. B. C. gets through
lcounting, the cash may total more
than $3.50. 900. This would include
a possible gross gate of $500, 900.
Another 5000 900 fore the world
movie rights. and possibly another
$50, 900 for the closed telecast to
movie houses in at least IL Ameri-
can cities.
There will be no general tele-
cast or broadcast.
Promoter Jim Norris of the IBC
says that approximately 100000
already is in the clubs tills for
/ tickets.
But fearful of cutting off the
golden avalanche. Norris empha-
sized that represents "only about
Is, 900 seats of the close to 5000
we will have for the fight. We've
got 10000 seats available at $5
$40. SIS. $40 and up to the $50
vingsideS.
Norris predicts gate of $400.-
600 Others close to the picture
believe he is being conservative.
May Break 28-Year Mark.
If it reaches a half million. or
more than $452, ,648. it will shatter
a 28-year-old mark for nom
heavyweights. Lightweight Cham
pion Benny Leonard and Lew
Tender drew 58,5l9 fans and
$452, ,648 into Yankee Stadium on
July %. 1923.
The richest middleweight bout
of the past was the second Rocky
Graziano- Tony Zale scrap in Chi
cago Stadium which drew 18,547
fans and crossed $422.9iS on July
16. 1947.
Both of these non-heavyweigft
records will be broken easily when
the movie and theater-telecast
revenue is added to the Turpin-
Robinson gross gate.
The top gate of all time, of
course. was set by the fabulous
Jack Dempsey and Gentleman
Gene Tunney in Chicago's Soldier
Field on September %, 1927 A
crowd of 104,943 paid $2,658, $50
to see Tunney turn in that SEN
Sational upset.
Fighters Get Bigger Purse.
In the minds of the public,
lTurpin's defeat of Robinson
hailed as the greatest fighter
lpound-foi pound of his genera
tion," was the most amazing re.
suit since the first Dempsey
Tunney affair.
For his loss to Turpin. Robinson
collected $84 900. the largest purs,
of his brilliant career. Turpin re-
Iceived $4,000, his greatest fee
Some $4,000 British fans paic
I$224,0 900 for the show in London'l
!, Earl's Court, an indoor arena
Top price was 10 guineas, o.
l$29.40.
This time Robinson will tax,
home about $168,750 for his 81
per cent and Turpin will receive
approximately $140,625 for his q
per cent.
New York theaters won't be in
cluded in the theater telecast bu
, some 20 theaters in at least l,
cities will show it. The tenta
, tive lineup includes Philadelphia
Richmond. Va, Washington, Bal
, timore. Pittsburgh, Chicago, De
troit. Cleveland. Albany. N. Y
lMinneannliS Ct I0IiiS ond IaoStov