Statistics:
Member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame
Famed sportswriter Frank Deford referred to the promoter, Tex Rickard, as the first person “who recognized the star system," and a look at his career might be correct from a sports point of view.
Rickard went to Alaska in the 1890s during the Gold Rush, and he would work in saloons while also promoting the occasional boxing match. Years later, Rickard was running the Northern Saloon and Casino in Nevada and was promoting higher-profile fights. Along with fellow promoter John Gleason, won the right to promote the 1910 heavyweight title fight between James J. Jeffries and Jack Johnson. The contest, which Johnson won, was a financial windfall for the Rickard, and he left for South America for the cattle business. This did not prove to be lucrative, and in 1916, he was back in the United States.
Rickard went back into promoting fights, first convincing heavyweight champion to defend his title against Frank Moran at Madison Square Gardens. It set a record gate receipt, but he shattered that in 1920 with the first-ever million-dollar gate in with the Jack Dempsey vs. Georges Carpentier fight.
Rickard continued to break ground, promoting the first fight at Yankee Stadium and drawing the second million-dollar gate with Dempsey defending against Luis Angel Firpo at the Polo Grounds. As big as these fights were, Rickard had bigger fights ahead.
Looking outside of the New York area, Rickard promoted Jack Dempsey's title defense against Gene Tunney at the Sesquicentennial Stadium in Philadelphia. Over 130,000 people arrived, generating a near $1.9 million gate. Dempsey lost his title to Tunney, and Rickard promoted the rematch in Chicago at Soldier Field, which was the first $2 million gate.
In 1925, Rickard was the primary builder of the third incarnation of Madison Square Gardens, and the year after, he was also the founder of the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League.
Rickard passed away in 1929 following complications from an appendectomy. He was only 59 years old, and we can only wonder what other grand plans Rickard would have achieved.
We are proud to nominate Tex Rickard for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.