A Guesstimate of Jack Dempsey's Battle Monies

[Willie Pep 229]

Jack Dempsey’s Battle Monies

1919 ::: Jess Willard ::: $27,500 or $35,000 (disputed by various sources) ::: Tex Rickard promoter

1920 ::: Billy Miske ::: $65,000 from 50% of gate ::: Floyd Fitzsimmons promoter

1920 ::: Bill Brennan ::: $100,000 guarantee or a % of gate receipts; some reports suggest $125,000 ::: Tex Rickard promoter

1921 ::: Georges Carpentier ::: $300,000 guarantee or a % of gate receipts (Gate: 1.6 Million; Dempsey % unknown); plus a % of film revenue; Tex Rickard able to get around the Sims Act and held multiple city presentations of the film despite the cross State prohibition; $300,000 plus (gate % and film) ::: Tex Rickard promoter *****

1923 ::: Tommy Gibbons ::: Shelby failed to meet the $300,000 guarantee; at best Dempsey got $220,000 to $280,000 (total disputed); Doc Kearns surrendered film revenue rights to Shelby MT; federal government seized film; there were no viewings outside of Montana ::: Town of Shelby MT promoter

1923 ::: Luis Angel Firpo ::: $470,000 from gate %; plus % of film revenue; $550,000 (guesstimate); Tex Rickard, due to a stricter enforcement of Sims Act is able to secure only a few small film presentations outside of New York Sate; film revenue is light. ::: Tex Rickard promoter

1926 ::: Gene Tunney I ::: $719,000 from gate %; plus % of film revenue; $800,000 plus (is the common guesstimate) Tex Rickard able to gain limited film presentations despite Sims Act and poor (rain) footage ::: Tex Rickard promoter

1927 ::: Jack Sharkey ::: $351,000 ::: Found no info on film rights/revenue ::: Tex Rickard promoter

1927 ::: Gene Tunney II ::: $425,000 from gate %; plus small % of film revenue (Tunney got the lion share of both gate and film rights); Tex Rickard was able to secure wide spread film presentations despite Sims Act; $425,000 plus to Dempsey ::: Tex Rickard promoter

Guesstimate: 2.7 Million plus, for nine fights.

***** A side note. When the fight (Dempsey-Carpentier) was viewed (legally/illegally) in Chicago theaters audiences had already come to expect double features. Tex Rickard who had only four rounds of Dempsey to show, decided to add in the other film he owned, the infamous Johnson-Jeffries fight as the opening presentation. Only 11 years after all the violence that accompanied its first presentation in 1910, it was surprising that a local newspaper reported in '21 that 'the anticipation of seeing Dempsey had so excited the movie crowd that the Johnson-Jefferies fight went on, unnoticed.'

[aboutfkntime]

Dempsey/Carpentier was the first million dollar gate

Carpentier was a phenom

he would be viewed differently by historians had he won that fight, but he did not weigh much more than a middleweight when he moved up to fight Dempsey

[Rusty Tromboni]

Dempsey/Carpentier was the first million dollar gate

Carpentier was a phenom

he would be viewed differently by historians had he won that fight, but he did not weigh much more than a middleweight when he moved up to fight Dempsey

Jack carried him.

[Rusty Tromboni]

Jack Dempsey’s Battle Monies

1919 ::: Jess Willard ::: $27,500 or $35,000 (disputed by various sources) ::: Tex Rickard promoter

1920 ::: Billy Miske ::: $65,000 from 50% of gate ::: Floyd Fitzsimmons promoter

1920 ::: Bill Brennan ::: $100,000 guarantee or a % of gate receipts; some reports suggest $125,000 ::: Tex Rickard promoter

1921 ::: Georges Carpentier ::: $300,000 guarantee or a % of gate receipts (Gate: 1.6 Million; Dempsey % unknown); plus a % of film revenue; Tex Rickard able to get around the Sims Act and held multiple city presentations of the film despite the cross State prohibition; $300,000 plus (gate % and film) ::: Tex Rickard promoter *****

1923 ::: Tommy Gibbons ::: Shelby failed to meet the $300,000 guarantee; at best Dempsey got $220,000 to $280,000 (total disputed); Doc Kearns surrendered film revenue rights to Shelby MT; federal government seized film; there were no viewings outside of Montana ::: Town of Shelby MT promoter

1923 ::: Luis Angel Firpo ::: $470,000 from gate %; plus % of film revenue; $550,000 (guesstimate); Tex Rickard, due to a stricter enforcement of Sims Act is able to secure only a few small film presentations outside of New York Sate; film revenue is light. ::: Tex Rickard promoter

1926 ::: Gene Tunney I ::: $719,000 from gate %; plus % of film revenue; $800,000 plus (is the common guesstimate) Tex Rickard able to gain limited film presentations despite Sims Act and poor (rain) footage ::: Tex Rickard promoter

1927 ::: Jack Sharkey ::: $351,000 ::: Found no info on film rights/revenue ::: Tex Rickard promoter

1927 ::: Gene Tunney II ::: $425,000 from gate %; plus small % of film revenue (Tunney got the lion share of both gate and film rights); Tex Rickard was able to secure wide spread film presentations despite Sims Act; $425,000 plus to Dempsey ::: Tex Rickard promoter

Guesstimate: 2.7 Million plus, for nine fights.

***** A side note. When the fight (Dempsey-Carpentier) was viewed (legally/illegally) in Chicago theaters audiences had already come to expect double features. Tex Rickard who had only four rounds of Dempsey to show, decided to add in the other film he owned, the infamous Johnson-Jeffries fight as the opening presentation. Only 11 years after all the violence that accompanied its first presentation in 1910, it was surprising that a local newspaper reported in '21 that 'the anticipation of seeing Dempsey had so excited the movie crowd that the Johnson-Jefferies fight went on, unnoticed.'

That's kinda cool.

People probably also fully digested the event, realizing Jeffries was far from his best when he went a remarkable 15 rounds with Johnson.

And that's not to downplay Dempsey's greatness. I just watched Ali-Norton for the umpteenth time.

It's so funny watching little Kenny Norton bully Ali around the ring. Ali actually believed he'd KO Norton in Round 3 (Ali was notorious for making predictions that he failed to deliver on). Imagine a killer like Dempsey in there, instead of Norton.

[Willie Pep 229]

Jack carried him.

The story I heard was that Tex Rickard, just before the fight, went into Dempsey's dressing room and said "Jack I need four." -- Dempsey just nodded.

[Willie Pep 229]

That's kinda cool.

People probably also fully digested the event, realizing Jeffries was far from his best when he went a remarkable 15 rounds with Johnson.

And that's not to downplay Dempsey's greatness. I just watched Ali-Norton for the umpteenth time.

It's so funny watching little Kenny Norton bully Ali around the ring. Ali actually believed he'd KO Norton in Round 3 (Ali was notorious for making predictions that he failed to deliver on). Imagine a killer like Dempsey in there, instead of Norton.

I agree I believe Dempsey by KO over Ali. I don't think you can beat Dempsey moving away from him. But he loses to Foreman. (Foreman moved better that most believe.) Dempsey-Frazier on the other hand is a 'pick um' with knockdowns, lots of knockdowns, maybe even the ref goes down. Styles make fights.

[Rusty Tromboni]

The story I heard was that Tex Rickard, just before the fight, went into Dempsey's dressing room and said "Jack I need four." -- Dempsey just nodded.

Makes sense.

Did you see the refurbished video posted here by Jack P?

Dempsey is clearly pulling punches.

[Rusty Tromboni]

I agree I believe Dempsey by KO over Ali. I don't think you can beat Dempsey moving away from him. But he loses to Foreman. (Foreman moved better that most believe.) Dempsey-Frazier on the other hand is a 'pick um' with knockdowns, lots of knockdowns, maybe even the ref goes down. Styles make fights.

Frazier was a slow starter.

Look at how Sli had him badly hurt in the rematch. That might've been where it all ended if Tony Perez didn't fook up.
Even Quarry had Joe hurt when he ambushed him.

The only thing these guys have on Dempsey, even George is size. But it's really hard imagining Jack as their contemporary having any issues with any of them. A Gil Clancy-trained 1960s rendition of Dempsey punishes them all.

[BattlingNelson]

A sidenote trivia is that Gene Tunney got the first million dollar cheque for a boxingmatch for the second Dempsey fight. His purse was slightly less than a million, but he gave promotor Rickard some money in order for Rickard to give him the million.

Cool facts btw WP229.