WORLD BOXING

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 282, 26 August 1939, Page 8

WORLD BOXING

Anglo-American Goodwill

It is pretty certain that a number of American champion professional boxers will be seen in action in London before long- , . - Brigadier-General A. C. Critchley, chief of the Greyhound Racing Association, whose activities in the field of boxing promotion has aroused world-wide interest, in a speech to Pressmen at a Savoy luncheon in London last month dispelled the fear that Mike Jacobs, America’s ace promoter, was gaining a stranglehold ou British boxing. He declared that the negotiations between them had been carried out in a friendly spirit and that an agreement on a satisfactory basis had been reached. Chief difficulty has been the fact that Jacobs had wanted Roderick, in the event of his beating Armstrong, to fight under American jurisdiction for three years, but the Harringay authorities had considered this too long a term. It had now been decided that if Roderick becomes world champion he shall defend his crown in America within six months, but shall have the right to’ have two previous non-title fights in this country. Referring to Jacobs, General Critchley said: “Mike and I have been sreat friends for quite a long time. There is no difficulty between American and England or between Jacobs and the Harringay group. “We would welcome Mike over here in every possible way. He is the greatest promoter of boxing in our time and a worthy successor of Tex Rickard.” The general pointed out that the chief concern of Jacobs was to make 90,000 dollars a year in order to pay rent for his 16 dates at Madison Square Gardens, whereas the G.R.A. were not troubled with the question of making any “middle profit.”

They had the arenas and the wherewithal to promote contests.

Their object was to put boxing at the highest possible level and to give the boxers, who were the most important people in the sport, the greatest support and look after them in every way.

He explained that there were young boxers on the Harringay pay-roll who did not have to worry about fighting continuously in order to earn a living. That, in his opinion, was the only real way to bring up promising youngsters.