JOE BOXER, REPORTING JUST BLOCKS FROM THE SITE OF THE 1923, WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP, BETWEEN JACK DEMPSEY & TOMMY GIBBONS, THE PERFECT STORM TO BRING ABOUT THE EVENTS THAT ALMOST BANKRUPTED THE HOST TOWN OF SHELBY, MONTANA: (1) POPULAR INTERNATIONAL SPORT, THAT HAD JUST BECOME LEGAL AND ORGANIZED--NOT FAR FROM THE MOB, BACK DOOR BOOKIES, CORRUPTION; (2) BAD TO THE BONE, KEARNS & DEMPSEY, THE BAD BOYS OF BOXING, THE ANTI-HERO; (3) THE GOOD OL' BOYS OF SHELBY, MONTANA, JUST RECOVERING FROM THE GILDED ERA OF THE COPPER KINGS, WITH FANGS STILL IN THE STATE IRS AGENTS; (3) CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PRESS & MIKE GIBBONS, OLDER BROTHER OF TOMMY, FIRST APPROACHED, BUT TOO SMALL, AND JUST FORCED INTO RETIREMENT--STEALING BABY BROTHER'S THUNDER; (4) BREACHED CONTRACTS, HUGE TICKET SALES, TRAIN TICKETS . . . WHERE DID THE $500,000 IN TICKET PURCHASES GO, TRAIN TICKETS, WIRE SERVICES, LIKE WESTERN UNION; (5) A $300,000 PURSE, COLLECTED FROM THE FIRST $1 MILLION GATE, TAKEN OUT OF TICKET SALES . . . SHELBY FORCED TO RAISE MONEY WITHOUT HELP OF THE TICKETS COLLECTED AT THE GATE; AND (6) KEARNS TELLING DEMPSEY TO GO THE FULL 15 ROUNDS, NORMALLY KNOCKED OUT OPPONENT IN 1ST OR 2ND ROUND . . . SO; (7) THE MONTANA IRS SHOWING UP, TAKING OVER TICKETS AT THE GATE, TURNING THAT MONEY OVER TO KEARNS, DEMPSEY; (8) HOSTILE CROWD, NEW YORK BODY GUARD, HIDING FROM THE ANGRY MOB, WHO BUSTED IN THE GATES, TO SUPPORT THEIR TOWN, DEFENDING THE HONOR OF HONEST, FRIENDS; (8) WHY THE QUICK EXIT FROM THE TOWN, KEARNS WORRIED ABOUT RECONSIDERING PURSE, ON A SCHEDULED GREAT NORTHERN TRAIN, THE ONES WHO CANCELLED THE 26 SPECIAL TRAINS? PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY CLASH WAS WHAT THIS FIGHT WAS ALL ABOUT: AMERICAN GREED VS. AMERICAN LEGION PREAMBLE TO THEIR CONSTITUTION--MAJOR PLAYERS BACKING SHELBY BOYS . . . REALLY, SEEING THINGS DIFFERENTLY? THE PERFECT STORM, BAD TO THE BONES! CLASSIC BATTLE OUTSIDE THE BOXING RING, GOOD VS. EVIL . . . COME ON SHELBY, LET'S CELEBRATE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT, LET'S CELEBRATE A GOOD TIME . . . WHAT A STUNT TO PULL OFF IN A TOWN OF 500, WITH THE WORLD WATCHING! WAY TO GO . . . IT IS INDEPENDENCE DAY COMING UP, CELEBRATE THE GOOD!

Boxing in the 1920s

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Boxing in the 1920s was an exceptionally popular international sport. Many fights during this era, some 20 years away or so from the television era, were social events with many thousands in attendance, both men and women.

World Heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey dominated the sport through much of the decade. He won the title in 1919, keeping it until 1926. He lost the title to Gene Tunney in 1926, but many of his fights were historic, such as his defenses against Georges Carpentier, Luis Firpo and Tom Gibbons, a fight which almost bankrupted the town of Shelby, Montana. His 1927 rematch against Tunney became known in boxing history as The Long Count Fight. Dempsey became a household name, and he dated and married Hollywood actresses. He was, along with Babe Ruth, Red Grange, Bill Tilden and Bobby Jones, one of the so-called Big Five of sports. Other important boxers included Benny Lynch (from West Scotland). Panama Al Brown was the first Hispanic to become a world champion.

Because airlines lacked the structured schedules of the modern days, many boxers had to make their way to important fights by train.

In 1921, the National Boxing Association was formed. It was the predecessor of what is known now as the WBA. Tex Rickard was the leading promoter of the day, and he has been compared to P.T. Barnum and Don King.

Old School Boxing vs. New School Boxing

Manager, Jack Kearns, had been a former boxer, where he gained a reputation, before the sport was legal or regulated by the National Boxing Association, that was just formed two years before the Dempsey, Gibbons fight in Shelby, Montana . . . and I am sure that the kinks were not worked out, nor the mob influence in all illegal activities, in a sport that drew the attention of presidents, kings, movie stars, politicians, and big time crowds, starting with the George Carpentier v. Jack Dempsey, fight held, in 1921, jacking up high expectations for crowds and a larger purse . . . combine that with what was happening in Shelby, roughly at the same time, a booming oil, gas and new irrigation, positioned right on the route, connecting the east and west coast, with ambitious Johnson father and son, seeing the speculation of holding a world championship boxing match, a publicity stunt at first, using the negotiation time to draw visitors, potential residents, and future home owners, to the family land developments, with fortunes to be made.  Jack Kearns was known as the master manipulator, and it looks like the hones, somewhat naive, yet savvy businessmen of the Toole County American Legion Chapter, were just using the match to put Shelby on the map, and they were shocked, after not hearing a response from Kearns, when he actually sent them a letter accepting the terms of the fight, a $200,000 purse, $100,000 more than the exhibition fights that Dempsey had been doing.

This was a transitional point in the history of boxing, with big brother, Mike Gibbons,  having started his career, as Kearns, had, in 1908, a good 13 years before, the first boxing organization was formed, with his career, actually coming to a close, in 1922, just one year, after the formation of an association, before the Dempsey fight even came on the radar screen, and probably with the idea that his little brother was the last person that would be picked to fight Dempsey . . . not an unknown boxer, and not Shelby businessman's first choice, but due to not being in the heavyweight classification, and with deteriorating vision, it had to have hurt, to see, probably, the last person on the planet or in the boxing world, his little brother, getting a swing at the King, Dempsey, the money, the press, the world's attention, the crowds, all, maybe too much for the more seasoned older brother, who, for sure was part of the boxing world, and must have known Kearns and Dempsey, probably personally, a small world in those days, with the Shelby boys, hitting the train, back and forth between, New York and Chicago, like it was nothing, and it was . . .

Dempsey, The Black Horse, Anti-Hero of Boxing Had Nothing to Lose

The thing that is interesting, is the fact that at first, this was just a stunt, a business ploy, an advertisement perk, until Kearns, actually, long after the expected offer, was considered on the table, actually, sent a letter that made the fight, go from merely a dream, or even a joke, to becoming a reality.  Of course, most ambitious men, coming out of the Guilded Era, where the industrialist who made fortunes in Montana, literally raping the land, exploiting the work force, leaving towns in Montana depleted of their natural resources, with the greater part of the money going back east, yet, still controlling Montana politics, these small town businessmen, might have been trying to put Montana on the map, for something other than the used and abused . . . these honest men, in all their lives, dealing in good faith with a handshake, the Montana way, never saw the likes of Kearns, Dempsey, the press, Mike Gibbons, the railroad, and IRS . . . with an All American football player, attorney from Lewiston, actually threatening Kearns, on some court order by a judge, that if he didn't make good on contract terms with the press, they were going in the back alley, and see who walked out . . . 

I am sure the rumor mills, were spinning and that is why the crowd, mostly made up of ranchers and farmers who could not afford the $50.00 tickets, that by today's standards, would be between $250 to $550, painted by the press, as crashing the gates, when in reality, they were very aware of what Dempsey, booing him and his manager, favoring Gibbons, who was Shelby friendly, and coming to fill the empty arena, that had been, sold out to capacity, it sounded like by the number of ticket sales, and the special trains scheduled . . . I am sure the Great Northern Railroad, didn't just pull that number out of their asses, that was the number of trains, it would have taken to get that amount of ticket purchasers to the fight!  The locals may just have been there as a lynch mob, there to make good on their football stars threat to Kearns . . . and defend the honor or their friends who were obviously getting fucked!  Had everything been above board, there would have been no need for Kearns and Dempsey to leave town, so fast after the fight, with Dempsey, not even having time to shower and change clothes, as I recall, from the writings on the subject, smacks of a criminal enterprise, a planned execution of the town, with an association of the gang who reigned before the boxing association was formed, maybe a power play that had nothing to do with Shelby, a fight for mob rule, without the regulations and rules of an organized effort, moving in on mafia money making, laundering, back room bookie deals, bets on Dempsey taking out Gibbons in the first 2 rounds, a knockout, throwing the fight, so to say . . . SHELBY CAUGHT IN A TRAP!

Kearns, The Cat, Playing With the Mice, His Game, His Rules!

Having seen the same dynamics, not only in my law practice, and in the heist of my son's bands music, you have the gifted, fresh, talent, who are willing to enter the ring of law, the courts, the music industry, just for the right and opportunity of playing in the big leagues, much like Tommy Gibbons, who was willing to fight free, just to get a chance to take out the King, riding on that publicity, name making event, to make his mark on the world of boxing . . . a chance his big brother was denied, and would have given his eye teeth for . . . Mike was owned by the press, who called over half of his matches, being bought and sold by them, was he paid off, threatened, or coerced into turning on little brother, he, supposedly love, trained . . . nobody would suspect fowl play, as with my sister, and her son, jealous, best friend and closest cousin of bass guitarist, of rising stars of Old School Parallax, God's Revolver & Maraloka . . . sister, Shelley had connections, her last son was fathered by the music mixer, Jimmy Robinson, who is named on the Doors, early albums, a Hollywood insider, with direct connections to the music industry, the perfect storm here two, as with the Division of Securities, theft of millions if not billions, over jealousy, envy, money, connections, access to industries, fields, leaders, with interests in fucking you, and helping the sister, who was an insider, long before you came on the scene . . . the criminal enterprise, the patterns, the players, the connections are just all too familiar to me!

What even complicates the situation more, is the honesty of the opposing side, they not only can't imagine, cheating to win, but the thought of breaching a contract, a signed, agreed upon, in writing, even one that was a tough on to meet, like the Montana Governor, Joe Dixon, said, in response to the Johnson, Molumby, contingency running everything past the leaders of the state, when they heard of the $200,000, not to mention the new amount, of $300,000, said, that is more money than the whole state of Montana has . . . but, as men of their word, and good as gold, never suspecting what they were stepping into at that time, almost died, in a break neck trip in a small plane, going around the state, collecting money from county chapters of the American Legion, who were concerned about the reputation of the state, their fellow Legionaries, and wanted to help, with Kearns, manipulating Molumby, in Chicago, to getting the last installment of money, not after the gate came in, but 2 fucking days before the fight, before he would say it was on . . . I have taken the train from Whitefish to Chicago, and Washington, D.C., and it is about 2 days to Chi-town, and three to D.C., so with that timeline, there was not time for ticket purchasers, to even make the trip, with Kearns and Dempsey, leading Shelby organizers on in private, yet, refusing to openly admit to the press that the fight was on!

Dirty, Dirty, Dirty, From Start to Finish!

Cheesy goodness in every bite . . . a line I stole from Pizza Hut, I want some hot stuff, and in my book, and hopefully, in the eyes of the world, the Shelby businessmen, are seen, not as stooges, but the forces of good, in this world, the promise keepers, the honest, the righteous if you will, those motivated by pure reasons, to benefit, not only themselves, but a whole new town, the railroad, the state, the American Legions, and bring talent, credibility, work, industry, building, homes, banks, schools, and all that makes a town in the west thrive . . . too bad, they faced all that was corrupt, bad, devious, crooked, liars, thieves, and to what extent, to even stealing the film proceeds with Shelby boys, getting to see it only once, in Chicago!  To the pure in heart with clean hands, those who's word is good on a handshake, they, can't even imagine people like this, which even makes the situation worse, and exacerbates the exploitation of the unsuspecting, the believers, the honest, the workers, willing to earn their glory, their fame, wanting credit, yet having every once of work, pay, rewards, notoriety, not only stolen, but with the evil forces at work, not stopping until they literally, grind your face in the dirt, bringing the good, down to their level . . . good and evil can't co-exist in the same sphere!

It takes one to know one, as the old saying goes, it has been almost 100 years since the fight in Shelby, every account is complicit in the character assassination of the town, emphasizing the follies, that appear to be the fault of the town, with youngsters in this town, completely unaware, that history was made here, by their proud, good, ancestors, hidden, as if the criminals who did this to them . . . with the criminals, taking the place of the good, the right, the honest, even in plain view, absconding with the proceeds and profits of the fight, taking when they never earned anything, and likely fixed the fight, to capitalize on the bets, the bookies, robbing the books back home, bringing home the bacon, on ever aspect of the fight, the boys in Shelby took the fall for, getting their asses kicked on lumber, ticket sales, lawsuits, IRS charges, but making good on every deal they ever agreed to, now that is COOL!  

American Legion Constitution--Where the Minds of the Shelby Boys Were

Preamble to the Constitution

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY WE ASSOCIATE OURSELVES TOGETHER
FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES:

To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America;

To maintain law and order;

To foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism;

To preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in the Great Wars;

To inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation;

To combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses;

To make right the master of might;

To promote peace and goodwill on earth;

To safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy;

To consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.

CELEBRATE!  Let's All Celebrate and Have a Good Time . . . Celebrate Good Times, Come On, Were Going to Have a Good Time Tonight, Let's Celebrate, It's Alright, Everyone Around the World, Let's Have a Good Time and Celebrate!

P.S., I am listening to some oldies, funk from the 70's, and this just happens to be the song that is one . . . everything's going to be alright, come on, let celebrate . . . it is time to paint that Amtrak Station, have a celebration, invite the world, to celebrate, a good time!  The fight was held on Independence Day, the 4th of July, be free of the stigma of the past, and realized, you pulled of the World Heavyweight Championship of the World, right here in little, Shelby, Montana, home of the BIG THINK!