Tex rickard biography

His father died, and his mother then moved to Henrietta, Texaswhile he was still a young boy. On February 3,their son, Curtis L. Rickard, was born. In NovemberRickard went to Alaska, drawn by the discovery of gold there. Along with most of the other residents of Circle City, Alaskahe hurried to the Klondikewhere he and his partner, Harry Ash, staked claims.

Rickard was a friend of Wyatt Earp who was also a boxing fan and had officiated a number of matches during his life, including the infamous match between Bob Fitzsimmons and Tom Sharkey in San Francisco on December 2, Rickard sent Earp a number of letters belittling Wyatt's steady but small income managing a store in St. Michael as "chickenfeed" and persuaded him to relocate to Nome.

Earp and a partner owned the Dexter Saloon, and Rickard owned the Northern hotel and bar. They had a daughter, Bessie, who died in ByRickard was running the Northern saloon and casino in Goldfield, Nevada. In DecemberRickard and John Gleason won the right to stage the world heavyweight championship fight between James J. Jeffries and Jack Johnson.

Webb caused Rickard to move it to Reno, Nevada. On February 18,Rickard announced that he was "through with the business of prize fighting" and set sail for Argentina. At its peak, the ranch consisted of about 1 million acres and had between 20, and 50, tex rickard biography of cattle. Two of his employees were killed by Bolivian soldiers stationed in the disputed territory.

The cattle business failed by the end of According to NHL. InRickard returned to the United States. On February 17,Rickard was indicted on charges of abducting and sexually assaulting four underage girls. He lost his license to make and promote boxing matches in New York State and gave up control of the Garden. On May 12,Rickard promoted the first boxing card at Yankee Stadium.

On September 14,Rickard promoted his second million dollar gate when aroundpeople attended the Jack Dempsey vs.

Tex rickard biography: Aside from “Tex,” Rickard was

The fight was attended by 60, but the paid attendance was only 48, On March 19,Rickard was convicted of violating a federal law that prevented the interstate transportation of fight films. On May 31,Rickard filed incorporation papers for the New Madison Square Garden Corporation, a company formed for the purpose of building and operating a new sports arena in New York City.

Thomas W. Lamb was selected to design the new building. Destruction of the car barns began on January 9, The first event was the preliminaries for the Six Days of New York. Following the success of the New York Americans in the Garden's first year, the Madison Square Garden Corporation decided to establish a second team, this one controlled by the corporation itself.

Rickard sought to repeat the success of the Madison Square Garden by building seven "Madison Square Gardens" around the country. InRickard and George R. Carter opened the Miami Beach Kennel Club greyhound track. He opened a saloon in Seattle that failed when he refused to pay protection money to organized crime figures. In he took his wife and adopted daughter to the Nevada gold fields, thinking it his "last chance to make a fortune.

The Associated Press reported the publicity stunt. When California governor James Gillett bowed to political pressure and blocked the bout, Rickard staged it in Reno, Nevada. Johnson's fifteen-round knockout of the previously unbeaten "surly bear of the Sierras" touched off street fighting and race riots nationwide. The film of the fight was banned in several states.

Rickard left the country to raise cattle on a 5,acre ranch in Paraguay but returned to the United States in the summer ofbroke again, though eager to resume his ring career. Backed by John Ringling's money, Rickard sought a white challenger he could promote into a "killer" contender. He found him in Jack Dempseya skinny-legged fighter from the West with a high-pitched voice and an unremarkable fight record.

By the time Dempsey stepped into the ring against the aging Willard on Independence Dayhe looked and acted the part of the "Manassa Mauler. Greatly aided by Grantland Rice, Damon Runyon, Ring Lardner, Paul Gallico, and other highly paid and widely read sports columnists, Rickard created a golden age in boxing that repositioned the sport as a civic spectacle.

As head of a new and expanded Madison Square Garden, Rickard heralded texes rickard biography "battles of the century," some of which were too big to be staged in the building. Rickard's second wife died in In January they were living with their one-year-old daughter in Miami Beach, Florida, where Rickard was preparing to open a casino and resort, when he was stricken with appendicitis.

A teary-eyed Dempsey told the tabloids that "boxing's lost the best friend it's ever had. The New York Times editorialized that Rickard's "name will long remain identified with an extraordinary social development in the United States. Will Rogers thought Rickard would be remembered for his "gorgeous imagination. Rickard's role in cultivating sports writers and readers is the subject of Bruce J.

An obituary is in the New York Times 7 Jan. He opened another version of the Northern in Nome and stayed in Alaska for the next twelve years. Rickard followed gold prospectors to Nevada, where he opened another hotel called the Northern, before boxing caught his fancy. Local business leaders wanted to stage a boxing match to publicize the growing community.

Rickard had recently attended a boxing match in New York, so he was given the task of making the arrangements.

Tex rickard biography: Born in Missouri in , Rickard

Although Rickard was no boxing expert, he saw the earning potential of the sport. Jeffries-Jack Johnson fight. The fight was held in Reno on July 4, Though designed by noted architect Thomas W. Lamb, it had poor viewing for some seating. Deficient ventilation would give a hazy appearance inside, especially in the upper seats, due to permitted smoking.

Tex Rickard arrived in Miami Beach on December 28, He was there to arrange one of his heavyweight elimination bouts between Jack Sharkey and Young Stribling and discuss with Jack Dempsey his proposed comeback. The next day, he showed signs of a quick recovery. His temperature remained atand his pulse had increased from at 4 p. The hospital allowed Dempsey, who had arrived in Palm Beach, to see Rickard for a moment.

Tex rickard biography: Tex Rickard was an American gambler

Jack Dempsey and Walter Fields, brother of comedic actor W. Fields, were among the pallbearers. Huge crowds came to pay their last respects. The world of sport has undoubtedly lost a genius. There probably never will be another promoter so capable of stirring the public interest. It might truly be said that whatever his hands touched turned to gold.

Tex rickard biography: George Lewis "Tex" Rickard

His greatest fight was lost … Ten minutes before the end Tex opened his eyes. His hand lay in mine. He knew then that the battle was over … For twelve years Tex was my loyal friend. Sharkey won the ten-round decision. Rickard died one of the wealthiest men in sports at the time. For a man who started with nothing from the Missouri plains, it was a sizable sum.

The New York Trust Company, executor, refused to divulge the exact amount. The will provided for his widow, daughter, mother-in-law, sisters, nieces, nephews, and a cousin of his first wife. Tex Rickard's Oil Company. None would obtain the stature of Rickard, but one man who had worked closely with Rickard in his biggest promotions would wield the power in boxing that Rickard had.

He would not get involved in boxing promotion for another five years. When he did, it would be with absolute power. Available for pre-order on Amazon and from Rowman and Littlefield. From his Depression era upbringing and carnival barnstorming to winning a world title and squandering it all before becoming a war hero, Jenkins is an epic pulp novel come to life.

In the capable hands of Gene Pantalone the story brims with all the hardscrabble detail you want in a great boxing book. This is a must-read for fans of the squared circle's history. Email This BlogThis!