BOXING.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 11493, 21 November 1931, Page 10

BOXING.

BIG MONEY OF BOXING

ONLY FOR A PRIVILEGED FEW.

PUGILISTIC EARNINGS SOON FADE.

Remembering tho £325,000 paid to see Dempsey light Carpentier in 1921, hearing of tho money Schmeling and Camera get at tho -music halls, and reading of tho £12,000 guaranteed Canzoncri to fight Berg for the world’s light-weight championship, thq average man probably thinks that there is a- lot of money for boxers. That there iis another sido to the picture is indicated by tho fact that the British Boxing Board of Control has mado a regulation that a boxer must, not receive less than 30s for a six-round contest.

But tew people realise how very little money boxers, apart from tho few well-known men at the top, aro paid, comments a writer in the London “Observer.” It is by no moans unusual for men, of medium class to get about 15s for winning a- sixround contest, and four-round trials generally mean, that the boxers get nothing but the opportunity of displaying their prowess. It is only a small minority of professional boxers, even of those well-known to the public, who can live on their pugilistic earnings. At the present time there are plenty of menj of what Americans call the “near champion” class, who are willing enough to fight for evil at is sailed “a pound a round,” i.c., a purse of as many pounds as the contest has rounds, divided equally or in the proportion of six to four between winner and loser. OLD-TIME PURSES. The small purses' which were fought for in tho old prize-ring aro often contrasted with those for which modern champions compete. It is obvious that modern transport and advertisement, with the charges for admission, which wero impossible under former conditions, have made more money available. But it is doubtful . whether a boxer’s earnings allowing for the rise in the cost of living, wore so much smaller in the days of the prize-ring, as is generally supposed• When Sayers fought Heenan tho purse was £2OOO, and Pearce fought Gully in 1805 for £IOOO. Because of the fact that there was no gate-money, the sidestakes were very important in the old ring, and it was seldom that the pugilist concerned put down his own money. This was found for him by Iris backer.s .as it usually is at the present day, in the rare instances where side-stakes are actually put down. The writer’s grandfather found part of the money for Brottell when that boxer fought Sayers in a, match immortalised in verse by “Punch.” This was the only occasion when Sayers met a lighter man than himiself. Brettell knocked Sayers down in the first round.

“Birmingham blatantly bawling and blessing tire beautiful blow.” as “Punch” notes, but put bis shoulder out in a fall and lost in- the fourth. NEED FOR PATRONS. . Many of the old-time pugilists, had regular patrons, who found the sidestakes for their lights, and at any rate they helped to keep them between their contests. Lord Barrymore, for instance, was the patron of Hooper, the Tinman, and reader's of Conan .Doyle’s, story, “Rodney Stone,” will remember that Sir Lothian Hume was the patron, of Crab Wilson, and Lord Avon of Champion Harrison. There was, heavy betting in the old days, and a. successful pugilist shared in the gains of. those who backed him. When, for instance, Johnson in 1789 was backed by a Mr. Bullock for £20,000' in his fight with Perrins, it is reasonable to suppose that the fighter camp in for some share of his backer’s winnings. In “Rodney Stone,” the terms of tho match between. Sir Lothian Hume and. Sir Charles Tregellis included a proviso that the stakes were to be £2OOO against £IOOO, £2OO to be paid by the" winner, to his man. There was, of course, very heavy betting between the parties, in addition to the nominal stakes.

Tommy Burns roused .. much, adverse comment by ‘requiring the actual deposit of .the money when he fought- Gunner Moir at the National Sporting Club. The criticism was however, rather unfair, for Burns, . a newcomer to England, could iiot be expected to' know tho high /reputation of those, concerned, and it -has been an unduly frequent occurrence for a successful;boxer to bo; done out of bis advertised reward. The worst and most recent instance r was in 1924, when Tom Gibbons met Jack Bloomfield at Wembley, The American was to receive £2OOO, as expenses and £io,ooo' . guaranteed purse, but all lie actually got was his expenses. On the promoter’s bankruptcy Gibbons generously refused to prove, his claim, thus enabling the minor boxers on tho. program to share between them what money there was., When the greed of modern pugilists is referred to,,

this case should bo remembered in their favour, and to the writer’s knowledge it is not an isolated instance.

Of course, in many cases the advertised purses, side-stakes, etc., are mere “ballyhoo” for the sake of publicity. The boxers and their managers arc well awaro that no suck sums will lx} forthcoming under any circumstances, ' and no one but the public is deceived. One big contest of recent years was entirely organised by the manager of the winning boxer, who found jmi|s.o money, side-stakes for each boxer, all expenses, and even a nomineo to act as the advertised promoter. It was to pub an end to this kind of tiling that tliq British Boxing Board of Control, thq International Boxing Union, and tho various commissions operating in the United States wore organised. SHORT, ACTIVE LIFE. That a great deal of money has been made in the ring by a few, a very few, men is true. Bub ib must always, be remembered that there can only bo- one world’s champion, and perhaps one rival, making big money at any one time. This is not so on tho stage, wliovo there are many stars. Moreover, a champion boxer’s life is very short. lii the case of all professional boxers there aro many deductions to be made from gross earnings, quite apart from the difference between advertised and actual receipts. Managers take anything from 15 to 50 per cent., and the expenses of training are heavy. A boxer and his sparring partners live on tlio fat of the land for three weeks or so before a serious contest, and efficient sparring partners are expensive. In addition there are trainers, masseurs, doctors’ bills, and other expenses to be paid. A certain amount, too, is paid for “publiciijji”, and when tho contest 'arrives, seconds, of whom there used to bo quite an army, arc clamorous for their share. When a boxer becomes a champion, whether, of the world or of bis country, he gets large purses when he fights, but liis contests become few. Hood, the present welterweight champion of England, has been for some considerable time in tlic unfortunate position of having no opponent in sight who would draw a reasonable “"gate”, and has, therefore, been obliged to fight middleweights. As a result lie may have difficulty in getting down to 10.7 when the necessity arises.

The disadvantages, from the monetary point of view, of a boxer’s profession aro serious. Ho is on the shelf at 30, he runs tho risk of not getting liis money after an expensive training:, be often lias largo numbers of undesirable hangers-on attempting to sponge on him, and he has difficulty in getting regular employment owing to tho interruptions necessary for contests. When to this is added a grave, though fortunately infrequent risk of injury to sight, as in the cases of Jeptha, Andrew Newton, and several others, it Mil be apparent that there is a good deal to balance tho big cash prizes. And the drawbacks ar\ common to all; the great rewards go to a very few