FIGHTERS AND WOMEN

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1928, Page 11

FIGHTERS AND WOMEN

OLD-TIMERS SPENT PURSE. BOXERS BUSINESS MEN TO DAY. “Jack Dempsey has just cleared a hundred thousand dollars on an hotel deal in San Francieeo.”—News item. “Tunney retires from the ring with £500,000. In his last three fights he got £20,009, £198,000 and £100,009 respectively.” —Another news par. That’s enough ta make the bardslogging, hard-living, fast-spending old champions turn in their graven and groan. They made their few thousands and threw them away. For all that, some of the old-timers earned big money in the ring. The trouble was they couldn’t keep it. They weren’t business men. Real estate aud property investments were beyond them.

SULLIVAN THREW MILLION AWAY. The first champion, John L. Sullivan, used to boast that he had earned over a. million dollars and thrown it all away. When he died, he had about £1.900 and a mortgaged farm. Bob Fitzsimmons had about £20,000 at one stage, but the New Zealander lost it through dabbling on the Stock Exchange, and backing the ill-advised “tips” of hie friends. At his death, he had a fur overcoat and a few dollars in hie pocket. James J. Corbett was an exception. He started as a bank clerk, and to-day, at the age of 62 (he looks no more than 45), could buy a couple of banks if he wanted to. He made money in vaudeville and the movies. Jim Jeffries, rusticating on hie ranch in California, could probably dig up £80,069 to-day to keep the wolf from the door. But “Jeff” lost a lot of money a few years back. LAWYERS GOT JOHNSON'S MONEY.

“Jack Johnson had a £l,OOO car the last time I saw him,” says Robert Elgren, the famous boxing critic. "That was when he visited Gene Tanney’s camp last September. He had his name painted on the door and on the spare tyre cover.” Johnson says the lawyers got all Iris money. Probably he had £50,000 when he was champion. To-day, a pathetic figure, Johnson still retains hie "golden smile.” That’s one thing they could not take away from him. Jess Willard, who weighs about 20 stone these days, is a wealthy real estate operator. They say Jess could start business in Aberdeen and make a do of it—so careful is he with the dollars.

Tuney is another million dollar man. Gene spends little, his habits are simple, and if the reports of his engagement to a wealthy heiress are correct, there will be a lot of money in the family some day.

The last two heavy-weight champions millionaires! What would the old-timers who spent their purse immediately after the fight promoter handed it over, say to that? Ask Edgren. They never thought of having e« much money that they’d be "business men.” They were sports. There are no more “sports” in the fighting game. Business men all, and perhaps tire world’s average of intelligence and progress hasn’t lost anything by the change. But they were an interesting lc)t—those oldtimers!