Show ama gal kowahl I 1 y P arts 1 fayo releasie Relf Rele ased asid by western newspaper union T PHE HE financial status of the aver age big time prize fighter once again became the topic of endless conversation when secretary of war henry L stimson canceled the louis conn war relief relict bout stimson acted after a series of conferences feren ces regarding plans to deduct from the gate receipts the remainder to go to the army emergency relief fund the cancellation was believed to be the result of an arrangement between the two fighters to repay debts out of the proceeds to boxing promoter mike jacobs althou although gh the original announcement said that total proceeds would go to the relief fund the committee in charge of the fight granted louis to pay jacobs a debt of and co manager john roxborough one of conn was granted to pay jacobs a private debt bringing J jacobs total to billy conn A wise move secretary stimson acted wisely in cancelling the fight there is no reason why mike jacobs should collect private accounts from money earmarked for army relief funds but the affair seems to show that louis may wind up like many a champion before him with little left of his fight earnings jacobs said louis had owed him before the nova match a year ago he paid me out of his purse and took care of a lot of other debts jacobs said that left him almost broke again so by the middle middie of october joe started borrowing again As a rule heavyweight champions are not successful financiers when john L sullivan was the terror of the world he threw money away with complete unconcern john L die broke exactly he died in abington mass in a little house he owned though it was heavily mortgaged itis estimated that in 10 years sullivan made a total of those were his own figures john L live in the era of million dollar gates so his earnings were all the more unusual ruby robert fitzsimmons died without much of a bank account he owned an expensive home in new jersey also heavily mortgaged his son tried to become a second bob fitzsimmons but successful jim jeffries who took the title from bob owns a ranch in california he has enough saved to live quietly and comfortably another big spender jack johnson spent a great share of his big income buying high powered automobiles he had three of the best known makes at one time none of them worthless worth less than after the defense of his title against frank moran in paris johnson succeeded in spending on champagne and high living incidentally denta liy as an outcome of the same fight moran was forced to leave in escrow in a french bank jack dempsey made more money out of the rin ring than any other champion jack kearns once said on the radio that he and dempsey went through in gross earnings gene tunney probably made it faster than any other champion it took him only two years to earn tunney received at philadelphia for winning the title and dempsey for losing it tunney then collected for defending the title in chicago dempsey received for failing to regain it but expenses of champion fighters often grow out 0 of bounds the top botchers not chers find themselves living beyond even their comparatively colossal incomes barney ross jim braddock and jess willard were ad dit ional victims of heavy spending the fact that louis owes so much money to jacobs indicates that his expenses are much higher than the average fan realizes louis never has been known as a big spender he attract that particular brand of notoriety it shows too that a fairly large percentage of his earnings must have gone to promoters and managers the situation of course peculiar to heavyweights heavy weights too many champions have worked hard for their money only to throw it away without regard for the future bola boxers for the most part are poor business men |