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Show FIGHT WILL IE GREATEST EVER Gate May Probably Reach Million Dollar Mark on July 4. By RAY PEARSON. TOLEDO, Ohio, June 30. Humanity, a million dollars' worth, establishing a world's record for the greatest gate by hundreds' of thousands of dollars, will sit in the Bay View arena next Friday afternoon after-noon when Champion Jess Willard and Jack pempsey put on their title baUtle. That was the prediction made today by Tex RIckard, premier promoter, the man who had the nerve to guarantee Willard $100,000 and Dempsey $27,500 to battle. That prediction may seem out of bDimds, but it Isn't. The money banked for tickets purchased went over the $500,-000 $500,-000 mark today, and the closing rush for ducats Is yet to come. This money represents actual cash, not reservations-Rirkard reservations-Rirkard is "out of the woods" by some $200,000, and every dollar taken in from now until after the fight means a greater profit for the promoter. . The greatest gate for any previous fight also was an achievement of Tex Rick-ard. Rick-ard. but it can't even begin to compare with the returns of this contest on July 4. Just nine years ago on July 4, when RIckard staged his battle between Jack Johnson and Jim Jeffries at Reno, Nev., spectators spent $270,000 to watch the white and black, men mingle. "From a money standpoint, this contest, con-test, between Willard and Dempsey is go trip to beat anything that ever happened hap-pened in boxing," said Rickard this morning. "Chances are that there never will be a contest in the future that can ecfual It. It may not draw a million dollars, dol-lars, but it will draw so close to that figure that it can be called a million -dollar attraction without exaggeration." Rickard sat back in a comfortable chair in the lobby of the Secor hotel and smiled a smile of satisfaction. He has only one worry left, and that is to see that the champion and his challenger don't get hurt so as to prevent either from entering the ring four days hence. He doesn't care to admit that he fears Willard or Dempsey might injure them-l them-l selves, but he is watching both with hawklike eyes, and this would be no time for anything to happen. He wants to see these big scrappers going to it, and then he'll be satisfied and not worried. wor-ried. If it were possible to show in round figures just how much these fans who will sit at the ringside represent in money, it would prove startling. Multimillionaires, Multi-millionaires, just plain millionaires and others who haven't reached the stage in life where they can call a million their own, have purchased tickets for this contest. con-test. Who are they? Tex Rickard, and no one else, knows; but he doesn't feel at liberty to divulge any names. The cash these fans own would resemble a Liberty loan. Tomorrow is the last day of boxing for Jack Dempsey, and on Wednesday Willard will toss off the gloves and not put them on again until time to settle this controversy with his .challenger ! Their work today was brief and there was nothing about their performances that could be termed strenuous. We saw Willard box three tame rounds with .lark IJemnle; then lie mixed It witn I Walter Monashan for another three Big ! Jess wasn't even breathhiK hard at the 1 finish, for he took things easy, and, natu-! natu-! rallv Hemple and Monaghan weren t displeased by this let-up, for both are pretty well used up by this training W"rhe visit to Maumee Bay camp gave the fans a chance to see Dempsey in action ac-tion only four rounds one with Bill Tate, one with Jamaica Kid and two with Jock Malone. Jock didn't fight. He danced around and took things easy. The peevish and irritable stage haB set in. Willard in particular is easily stirred up over any untoward happening. But Dempsey seems to continue in the same old care-free way that has been his since he came to Toledo. Perhaps the wait of the next four days may make him irritable, irrita-ble, but there were no traces of it today to-day One of the remarkable things about this battle is the lack of wagering on the result. Every lobby of a hotel is cluttered up with fighters and fans and boxing writers. Everyone seems to have his favorite, some doping Willard to win and others being certain that Dempsey will cop. but these opinions are not reflected re-flected in heavy betting. In one establishment for betting purposes, pur-poses, today, the odds were $800 to $1000 that Dempsey wins. That makes the champion the favorite, but it would not be the most surprising thing in the world if the challenger and not the title holderv were to rule favorite when they climb through the ropes for battle. Odds of 1 to 2 are laid that Dempsey is the winner inside of eight rounds. |
