Salt Lake Telegram | 1924-03-30 | Page 7 | Rickard Plans for Dempsey and Wills

RICKARD PLANS fOR DEMPSEY AND WillS Negro Challenger r Lined Up for Bouts With Firpo By HENRY L U L. FARRELL U United n ted Press Staff Cor Correspondent Ne New Nv v. v York March arch 29 Att After r negotiations e extending over alm almost t a year Tex Rickard late this afternoon signed Harry Wills negro heavyweight heavyweight heavy heavy- weight challenger to a contract calling call call- big ing g for tor two or three fights leading up HP to a contest for tor the worlds world's cham cham- WJ Wills ls agreed ed to fight tight on a a. percentage percentage percent percent- age basi bi against tw two opponents to be selected by Rickard and to meet Jack Dempsey In tho the third contest If iC he is successful in the others others After the contract had been signed Rickard Richard said sald 11 he wa wanted waited ted to send Wills against Erminio Sp lla the tho European champion or Quintin Romero tho the Chilean champion championS in the first bout to match him with Luis Firpo the South American champion in In the second contest and the winner with Dempsey Dempse S j TO MEET IN U. U S. S Ri Rickard k rd sa said d he wanted to stage the first two fights in Stifle JUno and July and the tM th final in September and that he would hold the three matches some someplace someplace someplace place in the United States There Thera can cart be nothing more definite den deft denI I nite about the location cation of 01 the fights now for obvious reasons But I have have- places in mind where I 1 know they can be he held or I wouldn't have pledged myself to Wills he said If It Firpo should be willing to meet Wills Vilis Rickard Rickard Rick Rick- ard said he would use usa the negro fighter tighter fight tight er in only two contests and that Wills would be asked to meet either or Romero In the first contest He already has under agreement agree agree- ment and although It has been de denied denied tie tie- nied frequently it h has ha's s. s always been understood that he had first call can on onI I the services of ot Jack Dempsey BLASTS MEXICAN RUMOR I Under the circumstances that tha t now exist Firpo must fight for Rickard I or be content with the crumbs that he can pick up In the rural districts dis dis- dis- dis The signing of ot Wills by Rickard als blew up the statement made afew a a. afew few days ago in the West by iby Jack Ke Kearns that Dampsey and Wills would meet In Tijana for tor Jimmy Coffroth on Labor d day Y Paddy Mullins manager of ot Wills said tonight that he had made his word good and that Wills had shown he was willing to do anything the public asked of him LOS ANGELES March r. r ach 29 It If II Wills survives these summer bouts we are perfectly willing to meet him himat himat himat at any suitable place Jack Kearns manager of Dempsey said today when informed of Rickard's New York an an- Rickard or no one one else has first call on the champions champion's services Kearns declared emphatically We Ve will fight tho best man any place we want whether want whether it is in Tijuana or New York We vare are under obligations to no one one and if Wills flivvers out this summer I may have to promote a fight for the champion myself It It is barely possible Kearns Reams explained ex ex- ex- ex that after atter our picture con con- tract I Will negotiate for a Dempsey fight In the East during July That Is Is of course if the Tijuana proposition to fight Wills Vilis does not pan out On Monday Kearns announced a meeting wilt will be held with Coffroth in Los Angeles to make the final de decision decision de- de about Dempsey's pr proposed posed match with Wills vms on Labor day I de-I