A Champion in Play

(l to .r. back Rob Roy Benton, Babe Culnan, John A. Sweeney, Lew Raymond and Paddy Mullins. Seated l.to r. Dempsey, Floyd Fitzsimmons, Harry Wills)

As the late twentieth century expression came to be ; when a company was said to be ripe for a takeover, Jack Dempsey, Heavyweight Champion of the World, no longer affliated with Jack Kearns and some two years past a title defense, was most definitely "in play'.

As Autumn began to creep southward across the heartland of America ,the Champion was being pursued by one Flyod" Red Fitzsimmons, boxing promoter and neo-Rickard. Fitzsimmons, a friend of Dempsey ,had promoted the Jacl's first title defense against Billy Miske back in 1920 and now with Kearns out of the picture Fitzsimmons appeared about to make the umakeable deal. A fight for the heavyweight championship of the world between Jack Dempsey and black fighter, Harry Wills.

As late as September 10th Rob Roy Benton, Dempsey "advisor" was continuing to attempt to broker a deal with Kearns and Rickard through Jimmy Johnston, the long time boxing impresario. Johnston who had a flair for parlying press ballyahoo into dollars, he of the Gypsy Daniels creation, and Boar Rodel tale. All night the tenth of September Benton waited , waited for an offer from Rickard ,the offer never came and with the morning all was lost he wired Johnston.

On September 28th the interested parties, being Mssrs. Dempsey, Benton, Fitzsimmons, Wills and manager Paddy Mullins met in South Bend, Indiana and signed articles of agreement. Under the terms of the agreement Dempsey was be paid $300,000.

When Dempsey and Fitzsimmons met the next day, Fitzsimmons handed over a check for $25,000.

"Dempsey...took Fitzsimmons to a Chicago bank where he could get the twenty-five thousand dollrar check cashed."I want to see this in green. For the time being you can hold onto your money, said Dempsey. "I'll hold on to the contract. When you get the other two-seven-five and you give me my three hundred I'll give you the contract. Signed."

The Chicago bankers knew Dempsey. A clerk began counting out twenty-five thousand dollars. "Boys, Dempsey said " you better call the bank this is drawn on."

The check was rubber. There was not a penny in the account. (1)

Jack Dempsey returned to Califormia and eventually to Tex Rickard who arranged for him fight a fellow named Gene Tunney the next September and Harry Wills never did get to fight the heavyweight championship of the world. Some people said if Kearns had only been there, none of this would have happened. Dempsey would have had his money and his championship too.. There would have been no rubber check, no bone chilling driving rain of the Philadelphia Fall, no Tunney. no end of the Roaring Twenties, one of those people who said it loudest and longest was, Jack Kearns.

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(1) Flame of Pure Fire. Jack Dempsey and the Roaring Twenties by Roger Kahn. pp. 384