Worse purse for a HW champion...period adjusted

Robinson · Post by **Robinson** » 16 Apr 2008, 21:03

What is the worse purse a heavyweight champion has received in a title fight, of course time adjusted.

Thanks again guys

Kym

HomicideHenry · Post by **HomicideHenry** » 17 Apr 2008, 12:06

I personally would think the purses Jack Johnson got were a bit cheap, I believe the bout with Burns was an 80/20 split, and Jeffries-Johnson was supposedly the same, though I think alot of those reports are not true, as I have seen others that said it was more like 60/40, like most fights at the championship level generally are.

But, its not like Johnson wasn't being compenstated in other ways, because even back in the 1900's and the invention of film, the fighters were getting huge percentages off the film rights...only after Johnson beat Jeffries, though, did that hurt him badly, as the courts ruled that transportation of fight films across state lines were illegal.

So, either way, Johnson was damned if he did and damned if he didnt.

raylawpc · Post by **raylawpc** » 17 Apr 2008, 13:58

HomicideHenry wrote:I personally would think the purses Jack Johnson got were a bit cheap, I believe the bout with Burns was an 80/20 split, and Jeffries-Johnson was supposedly the same, though I think alot of those reports are not true, as I have seen others that said it was more like 60/40, like most fights at the championship level generally are.

But, its not like Johnson wasn't being compenstated in other ways, because even back in the 1900's and the invention of film, the fighters were getting huge percentages off the film rights...only after Johnson beat Jeffries, though, did that hurt him badly, as the courts ruled that transportation of fight films across state lines were illegal.

So, either way, Johnson was damned if he did and damned if he didnt.

Tommy Burns had a guarantee of $30,000 (win, lose or draw) to defend against Johnson - an arrangement unheard of at the time. I think Johnson's purse was $5,000. (I am going by memory on this, so I could be wrong, but I am quite sure about Burns' guarantee.)

Jack Johnson did very well financially against Jeffries. The split was 60-40 winner-loser for a $101,000 purse. They each received bonuses from Rickard for signing with him. Weeks before the fight, Jeffries and Johnson both sold their film interests in the fight for (I think) $50,000, which turned out to be a brilliant decision when the fight pictures were banned. As a result, I think Johnson's total purse was about $130,000. Inflation adjusted based on the CPI, that would be about $3 million today.

I am doing all this by memory, as I am out-of-town and away from my files. If anyone is really curious about all the financial stuff regarding Jeffries-Johnson, let me know and I will post something next week.

raylawpc · Post by **raylawpc** » 17 Apr 2008, 14:15

HA! Pretty good memory for an old man!

Here is a clipping I found on-line just now in the San Francisco Call 7/5/1910 p. 19:

scartissue · Post by **scartissue** » 17 Apr 2008, 15:25

Can't recall the purse, but I do know challenger Frank Bruno was paid more than heavyweight champ Tim Witherspoon, which resulted in Witherspoon suing Don King.

Scartissue

dempseyfire · Post by **dempseyfire** » 17 Apr 2008, 16:07

Are we counting paper titles? I'm sure the likes of Damiani and Bentt weren't paid very much for their WBO title defenses in that belt's early years.

I remember reading that Byrd got some measly purses for his IBF defenses (for a HW champ) in the vicinity of $150,000.