The Fight Racket.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 249, 21 October 1933, Page 6 (Supplement)

The Fight Racket.

U.S.A. Scribe Suggests a Clean-up.

Writing in the "Chicago Tribune" last month, Westbrook Pegler scarifies the "fight racket" in America. He Bays: I have a remarkably roomy memory, which is cluttered with the most varied assortment of debris that is to be found anywhere outside the standard handy compendiums of 1001 useless facts. Among other old trunks, fish poles, curly j handled mashies and broken legged chairs in this attic of mine is a distinct recol- | lection of the pious, wounded and deserving mood in which the members of the I prize fight profession, at that time an I outlaw crowd in all but a few narrow jurisdictions, appealed to the people and the legislatures within a year or two after the war for permission to follow their trade openly and with the sanction of the law. Prize fighting, after several paroles and reversions to its felonious habits, had been forbidden in the city of Xew York and throughout the State, with the exception of a few small cities' where local politicians permitted favoured promoters to conduct bouts. From the proceeds of these, fights, they, the politicians, naturally received tlieir share of graft. There was bootleg, fighting in Chicago, but it was a petty business, conducted in hideaways and subject to raids and other inconveniences. New Orleans and Milwaukee "Were Fight Centres. - In California the status of the business was not uniform. Some communities tolerated short fights. Others forbade tho ennobling sport entirely and the campaign to emancipate pugilism was seriously embarrassed for <a time, when there occurred an outrage upon some young women whose assailants, being caught and lynched, were identified with the prize fight profession. Xew Orleans and Milwaukee were the centres of pugilism. Fights were allowed also in Minneapolis and St. Paul and in Philadelphia. In Philadelphia tolerance was limited to six rounds, without decisions, and the game was not profitable. Jimmy Walker, then a member of tho N'ew York legislature, led the boys back from their exile. He was a prize fight fan himself. Before he could put his . law through, the New York legislature, however Xew Jersey had beaten him to the punch with an eight-round, no decision law. This limit was raised by ;■ degrees to ten and twelve, and, finally, , I believe, to fifteen rounds,, with deci- | sions. . In Xew York the movement enliste'd tho support of a lot of publicity loving best people who liked to read of themselves as dashing sportsmen. One such group formed a pretentious sporting club on paper, and went as far as to dig a hole for the foundations of their clubhouse. The club promotion racket was in its infancy just then. This one went broke after paying large sums to Georges Carpentier for small favours, mostly social, which served to ballyhoo the club ' promotion and attract dashing sports- ; men to the subscription lists. Tex Rickard then took over Carpentier and used him to make a new fortune. On the day the club went broke and the promoter left of Europe, Mr. Gutzon Borplum, the sculptor, one of tho most dashing of the member sportsmen, took charge of the office. He was vexed. He was very vexed when an ignoramus from the Press asked him, "But, Mr. Borglum, ■ are you a prize fight promoter?" "No, you fool," Mr. Borglum said. "Everybody knows I'm a sculptor." ell, in that case," said the reporter, i with a trace of anger, "why the. hell don't you sculp V' Mr. Borglum soon returned to his sculping and 110 more was heard of the great sporting club. However, the big names which had been subscribed to the movement helped to obtain another pardon for the rogue of sports. Prize fighting was restored to citizenship and, after a' discreet and mannerly year, the boys whipped out their chisels and returned to normalcy. There was larceny in the high places as well as in the slums of pugilism. They had whined and pleaded for a liberal law. They were given a 15 round limit and decisions, but within a few years they were refusing to figlit 15 rounds and nowadays only a few bouts, involving championships, are of that length. The Boys Can't Stand Prosperity. Promoters, using stockholders' money, including the savings of small investors, built luxurious temples to pugilism in Xew York, Chicago. Detroit, Boston and other cities. The prize figlit racket, with no investment and no responsibility, soon was spoiled and, forgetting the smelly dinginess of its natural habitat, began to find fault and show temperament. Fighters and managers who weren't worth 50 cents an hour in any business began to make fantastic demands and to sulk and pout over .small grievances. The best fighters fought less and less often for fear of being licked. There was considerable fakery and slugging and intimidation of referees, but that was to be expected. The result of the spoiling of the boys with luxury and high pay may be observed now. Xowadays the heavy-weight champion fights once a year, and invariably selects for his opponent in that annual light some big lump who seems least likely to give him inconvenience, ignoring the current so-called logical contender. The heavy weight title became a political prize within the gift of the Xew York commission, a political body. How Come? Lightweights Still Fight. The other championships, with the exception of the lightweight, which somehow was remained competitive, for years have gone by default or passed into the hands of fakers or nonfighting champions. At the present time, for the first time in several years, the featherweight, welter-weight, and middleweight titles are ill able liands, but upon winning these titles the new owners promptly went into virtual retirement to await sufficient large inducements to fight sufficiently weak opponents. The big arenas are dark most of the time or would bo if the owners relied oil tho fighters to lill them. In the natural course of events the prize fight racket will be outlawed again. It has always been that way and the racket does not change. Then, after a spell, it will come around again with its ragged cap on its hand, twitching its dried apple ears and snuffling through its crumpled nose to plead for another chance and promise everything. I would not advocate the repeal of the prize flight laws. But inasmuch as the boys do not seem to wish to fight any more it could be argued that they have no further use for their laws.