Agreed with everything until you called Kearns smart.
The dumb SOB ended up in Shelby Montana. At best, he pulled in, for Dempsey, 220K to 280K.
He's not telling the truth. Dempsey turned down the fight saying he couldn't get in shape in time, and he was called out for it. Also, here it clearly says Wills accepted.
No I said Dempsey decline it after it was already off Kearns' plate. I know the article, (if it's the NYT) the interview you speak of as proof. I say that came after the whole thing was already dead and that Dempsey was not even aware the Kearns had already lost interest.
Now just to be clear, Dempsey doesn't say no to a Wills fight, he says the Montreal date is too soon.
But as I said Dempsey's concerns were irrelevant the fight was DOA.
The fight was not dead. The matchmakers gave statements being upset that Dempsey turned it down. Look at the article I just posted.
Dempsey himself didn’t turn down an offer from Montreal. This is a lie. Kearns turned it down because he was receiving higher offers for a Carpentier rematch, and offers for a potential Willard rematch. Kearns leveraged his offers and told the Montreal backers the price was $500K. It was Montreal who declined.
Dempsey himself didn’t turn down an offer from Montreal. This is a lie. Kearns turned it down because he was receiving higher offers for a Carpentier rematch, and offers for a potential Willard rematch. Kearns leveraged his offers and told the Montreal backers the price was $500K. It was Montreal who declined.
More than one source says that at the time the only reason given was Dempsey claiming to not have enough time to get into shape.
I've seen one source say he had 7 weeks and another source say it was 5 weeks. His training camp for Firpo, just as a comparison, was 5 weeks.
Agreed with everything until you called Kearns smart.
The dumb SOB ended up in Shelby Montana. At best, he pulled in, for Dempsey, 220K to 280K.
That was gate money, not sure what the haul was on motion movie money. Gibbons was to get 25% of movie take, which was estimated at $150K, I would imagine Dempsey’s percentage was as much or higher. Gibbons also hauled in about $15K in side money from sparring exhibitions during training camp.
Kearns publicity stunt also showed the world the influence and value of Dempsey where he could go to a nowhere town and they built a 40K seat arena, a five story hotel and laid 40 miles of railroad track to accommodate attendees. No other fighter had that sort of clout. He also knew he was getting a $100K forfeit if the fight was called off. It proved to be one of Dempsey’s better wins coming off an 18 month layoff.
That was gate money, not sure what the haul was on motion movie money. Gibbons was to get 25% of movie take, which was estimated at $150K, I would imagine Dempsey’s percentage was as much or higher. Gibbons also hauled in about $15K in side money from sparring exhibitions during training camp.
Kearns publicity stunt also showed the world the influence and value of Dempsey where he could go to a nowhere town and they built a 40K seat arena, a five story hotel and laid 40 miles of railroad track to accommodate attendees. No other fighter had that sort of clout. He also knew he was getting a $100K forfeit if the fight was called off. It proved to be one of Dempsey’s better wins coming off an 18 month layoff.
That wasn't all gate money according to boxrec.
The town paid the first installment (of 3 $100,000 installments) without incident but collecting the other $200,000 was an excruciating process. A local banker donated the final $98,200 of the second installment but by the time the third payment was due the well had run dry. The fight was called off on July 3 but was back on when Kearns agreed to take whatever he could of the final $100,000 from gate receipts.
Sounds like Dempsey made up an "I can't get in shape in the time I usually get in shape" excuse and Hearns conveniently priced him out of taking the Montreal fight. He accepted (but couldn't even get the full ) $300,000 for the Gibbons fight but wanted $500,000 for Wills? Neither of them wanted any part of that fight.
He's not telling the truth. Dempsey turned down the fight saying he couldn't get in shape in time, and he was called out for it. Also, here it clearly says Wills accepted.
ry.
Yea but this is obviously a hatched job on Dempsey. The headline reads like a 'Fox News" headline on Hunter *****.
Once again no source. Why?
Did you notice how the article supports my Kearns-Rickard theory? Rickard wanted in and if you look back at my earlier posts in this thread I stated that Kearns lost interest in Montreal once Rickard got involved.
I will say it again. Kearns' number one concern wasn't who Dempsey would fight but where. Anywhere Rickard couldn't reach. Once Rickard wanted in Kearns wanted out.
Shelby! Shelby! Shelby! Why Shelby? No Rickard.
P.S. Please point out the line where it 'clearly says Wills accepted.'
Yea but this is obviously a hatched job on Dempsey. The headline reads like a 'Fox News" headline on Hunter *****.
Once again no source. Why?
Did you notice how the article supports my Kearns-Rickard theory? Rickard wanted in and if you look back at my earlier posts in this thread I stated that Kearns lost interest in Montreal once Rickard got involved.
I will say it again. Kearns' number one concern wasn't who Dempsey would fight but where. Anywhere Rickard couldn't reach. Once Rickard wanted in Kearns wanted out.
Shelby! Shelby! Shelby! Why Shelby? No Rickard.
P.S. Please point out the line where it 'clearly says Wills accepted.'
Implied, yes, but "clearly says" I couldn't find.
Still think it's a hatched job! Source?
Is it a hatchet job if that's what happened? Again, sources say that he refused the fight because he claimed he couldn't get into shape.
No source because it's at the top of the newspaper and it's too clunky to post the entire front page. If it ever becomes important to show the source, I'll show the source. What do you hope to get from seeing the source?
If you want another one, have at it. And here it proves you wrong yet again since Kearns was meeting with Rickard regarding Montreal. Even said they might fight for a percentage.
And this was AFTER Dempsey already turned them down saying he can't get into shape. Apparently they were trying to save the Montreal fight.
And yes, the above article says the exact words, "WILLS HAD EAGERLY ACCEPTED RICKARD'S TERMS." I don't know why you are pretending not to see that.
Yea but this is obviously a hatched job on Dempsey. The headline reads like a 'Fox News" headline on Hunter *****.
Once again no source. Why?
Did you notice how the article supports my Kearns-Rickard theory? Rickard wanted in and if you look back at my earlier posts in this thread I stated that Kearns lost interest in Montreal once Rickard got involved.
I will say it again. Kearns' number one concern wasn't who Dempsey would fight but where. Anywhere Rickard couldn't reach. Once Rickard wanted in Kearns wanted out.
Shelby! Shelby! Shelby! Why Shelby? No Rickard.
P.S. Please point out the line where it 'clearly says Wills accepted.'
Implied, yes, but "clearly says" I couldn't find.
Still think it's a hatched job! Source?
Kearns openly voiced his frustration over Rickard’s cut of the gate. He said Rickard came away with $1.5 million in two fights (Willard and Carpentier) while Jack only earned $327K for those two fights. Kearns insisted Dempsey be paid at least half going forward. Dempsey would no longer accept the short end of the take. Kearns knew a Wills fight would generate well over a million dollars at the gate. He wasn’t accepting a $350K offer for Montreal. Dempsey was signing multiple movie contracts at $200K a pop during this time, earning thousands per month doing vaudeville and theater appearances for as little as 30 minutes per appearance.
There was also the proposed date of July 1st that was unrealistic. Dempsey just returned from Europe in May, he wasn’t about to scramble and jump right into a short training camp while details, contracts, and guarantees had not even been negotiated with Kearns. No other fighter has eve been held to this ridiculous standard, not then, not today.
Let that little birdy keep chirping into the wind with his anonymous sources and tabloid articles. You know how this goes.
Kearns openly voiced his frustration over Rickard’s cut of the gate. He said Rickard came away with $1.5 million in two fights (Willard and Carpentier) while Jack only earned $327K for those two fights. Kearns insisted Dempsey be paid at least half going forward. Dempsey would no longer accept the short end of the take. Kearns knew a Wills fight would generate well over a million dollars at the gate. He wasn’t accepting a $350K offer for Montreal. Dempsey was signing multiple movie contracts at $200K a pop during this time, earning thousands per month doing vaudeville and theater appearances for as little as 30 minutes per appearance.
There was also the proposed date of July 1st that was unrealistic. Dempsey just returned from Europe in May, he wasn’t about to scramble and jump right into a short training camp while details, contracts, and guarantees had not even been negotiated with Kearns. No other fighter has eve been held to this ridiculous standard, not then, not today.
Let that little birdy keep chirping into the wind with his anonymous sources and tabloid articles. You know how this goes.
You missed that above he is quoted as saying he isn't asking for much and would even approve a percentage.
Dempsey had 5-7 weeks to get into shape. His training camp for Firpo was 5 weeks. The matchmaker said they would even give him more time to prepare for the Montreal fight.
It didn't matter in the end. He declined more money for Wills than he got for Tunney. He didn't want the fight.
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