MILLIONS OF MONEY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 449, 3 September 1928, Page 11

MILLIONS OF MONEY

Amazing Earnings of Tunney and Dempsey Never since Mr. Tex Rickard visualised millions of dollars from boxing, never since Jack Dempsey began the realisation of the promoter’s vision by knocking out gigantic Jess Willard for the heavy-weight championship of the world in his first “Battle of the Century” in 1919, has such flatness fallen upon Mr. Rickard and his works as that which descended on his last big bid for the million dollar gate of his dreams. The retirement of Dempsey, whether for the present or for all time, has made all the difference. No fighter since the days of the spectacular Stanley Ketchell has drawn the public to him as has Dempsey. His First Big Fight Dempsey, in his first fight for the world’s championship, at Toledo, Ohio, beat Jess Willard in three rounds before a £40,000 gate, of which he received £6,000. He took twice that amount when he knodked out Billy Miske in the third round before a £ 30,000' gate in the following year, and jumped into half a million dollars when he stopped Carpentier in 1921, when over 90,000 people contributed 1,600,000 dollars, of which Tex Rickard took 650,000 dollars as his share. In his next championship fight, in which he beat Luis Firpo in two rounds, Dempsey took 450,000 dollars from a million-and-a-quarter gate and 86,000 spectators. Soaring Purses Dempsey soared well above previous records in the contests in which he lost the championship —his first contest with Tunney at Philadelphia in 1926. Then his share was £170,000, the takings £380,000, and the attendance 130,000. Records were broken again, however, at Chicago last year, when the gross gate was £553,887 . and the approximate attendance 140,000. Though on the short-end of the purse this time, Dempsey still had the nice little “packet” of £93,5,60 to receive out of 2,658.660 dollars in receipts. Tunney's “cut” was 990,000 dollars—over £200,000. The figures all round are staggering. For his three contests for the title Tunney will have received more than £350,000 —£40,000 for his first, £200,000 for his second, and over £IOO,OOO for his last. Dempsey’s earnings in only seven big contests in eight years of boxing have been more than 2,500,0Q0 dollars —roughly £500,000 sterling. For that he has had 47 rounds of boxing!