Was Tex Rickard REALLY Worried About Race Riots?

[QueensburyRules]

- -Tex actually had tickets printed up for Sept 6, 1924 Wills vs Dempsey in Jersey City, yet another failed attempt to make a fight the politics of America unwilling to make at the time.

Not the fighter's fault!

[HOUDINI563]

That hook that produced the knockdown caused Ali’s jaw to swell like a balloon. He was certainly hurt by that punch. It was a clean knockdown where Ali was caught “hooking with a hooker” twice consecutively. The first he got away with. The second he did not.

Frazier was an attrition puncher and predominantly a left hooker by far and away. Had Joe had a right hand to compliment that hook Ali would not have gotten through round 11.

[Willie Pep 229]

Here's an anecdote that says NO to the OP's question.

In 1921, eleven years after the Johnson - Jeffries fight and all its subsquent violence Tex Rickard was able to get the Dempsey - Carpentier fight film into Chicago pass the federal proibiton.

But by then audiences were expecting to see a double feature for their 25 cent admission (not to mention the fight was only fours rounds long).

So, Rickard who still owned the film rights to Johnson - Jeffries, and had a copy already in Chicago, used Johnson - Jeffries as the opening feature.

Only one newspaper seemed to note the significance of the presentation and stated that the film was pretty much ignored, as throughout its presentation the crowd kept chattering about Dempsey and the coming film.

Seems to me if Rickard was willing to show the infamous 1910 film in '21 ( and no one cared or barely noticed) I am hard pressed to buy that he was worrying about riots with a Wills fight.

[travestyny]

Here's an anecdote that says NO to the OP's question.

In 1921, eleven years after the Johnson - Jeffries fight and all its subsquent violence Tex Rickard was able to get the Dempsey - Carpentier fight film into Chicago pass the federal proibiton.

But by then audiences were expecting to see a double feature for their 25 cent admission (not to mention the fight was only fours rounds long).

So, Rickard who still owned the film rights to Johnson - Jeffries, and had a copy already in Chicago, used Johnson - Jeffries as the opening feature.

Only one newspaper seemed to note the significance of the presentation and stated that the film was pretty much ignored, as throughout its presentation the crowd kept chattering about Dempsey and the coming film.

Seems to me if Rickard was willing to show the infamous 1910 film in '21 ( and no one cared or barely noticed) I am hard pressed to buy that he was worrying about riots with a Wills fight.

Good stuff, bro. That's even more enlightening than what I found. I knew he wanted the fight film played circa 1910...no idea he was still putting it on in '21. Rickard only cared about his money, I'm sure. We shouldn't be surprised.