Jack Dempsey and Harry Wills, the timeline

I read there was a small shortfall in Tunney's purse ,so he wrote out a cheque to Tex for the amount ,and then Rickard wrote one for a million.

 

With 20/20 hindsight, offering Jack Dempsey a million-dollar purse to defend his world heavyweight title in a bout with Harry Wills may have not been such a massive gamble. But at the time, no one knew that Dempsey would eventually have a total of five fights which drew million-dollar gates. Moreover, the first bout which drew a gate of over two million dollars was when Dempsey fought Gene Tunney for a second time. A promoter would have to believe that the bout between Dempsey and Wills would draw a gate of least 2.5 million dollars in order to offer Dempsey a guarantee of a million dollars.

- Chuck Johnston

 

Just a bit of clarification. This was the APPEAL of the trial results in 1931. It is not the trial verdict itself.

Dempsey won the trial verdict in 1931. The APPELLATE judge ruled (this is part of that ruling) in 1932 the case had to be retried and provided guidance as to what costs incurred by the plaintiff could and could not be restituted.

The case as far as I can tell was never retried. Most probably because the potential $ to be gained were limited.

Later Dempsey stated that the “Fitzsimmons deal cost him $100,000”. I don’t know how this sum is derived. Was this sum what it cost him for trial lawyers to defend himself during the 1931 lawsuit? Was it an out of court payment to avoid a second trial? Was it a combination of both?

I do find one article stating Dempsey was ordered to pay $100,000 the date that the appeal verdict was issued. I chalk this up to a misread of the verdict as nowhere in that appellate verdict did anyone order anyone to pay anything. It just outlined what costs could and could not be restituted if the case was retried and if the plaintiffs won.

Also, Dempsey signed three contracts to fight Wills. 1922, 1925 and 1926. The 1926 contract was a renegotiation of the 1925 contract.

 

I also have read as such, and furthermore didn't Tunney then frame and hang in his house .