Tex Rickard: Boxing's Greatest Promoter

Whether opening saloons, raising cattle, or promoting sporting events, George Lewis "Tex" Rickard (1870-1929) possessed a drive to be the best. After an early career as a cowboy and Texas sheriff, Rickard pioneered the largest ranch in South America, built a series of profitable saloons in the Klondike and Nevada gold rushes, and turned boxing into a million-dollar sport. As "the Father of Madison Square Garden," he promoted over 200 fights, including some of the most notable of the 20th century: the "Longest Fight," the "Great White Hope," fight, and the famous "Long Count" fight. Along the way, he rubbed shoulders with some of history's most renowned figures, including Teddy Roosevelt, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, John Ringling, Jack Dempsey, and Gene Tunney. This detailed biography chronicles Rickard's colorful life and his critical role in the evolution of boxing from a minor sport to a modern spectacle.

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Tex Rickard: Boxing's Greatest Promoter

Whether opening saloons, raising cattle, or promoting sporting events, George Lewis "Tex" Rickard (1870-1929) possessed a drive to be the best. After an early career as a cowboy and Texas sheriff, Rickard pioneered the largest ranch in South America, built a series of profitable saloons in the Klondike and Nevada gold rushes, and turned boxing into a million-dollar sport. As "the Father of Madison Square Garden," he promoted over 200 fights, including some of the most notable of the 20th century: the "Longest Fight," the "Great White Hope," fight, and the famous "Long Count" fight. Along the way, he rubbed shoulders with some of history's most renowned figures, including Teddy Roosevelt, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, John Ringling, Jack Dempsey, and Gene Tunney. This detailed biography chronicles Rickard's colorful life and his critical role in the evolution of boxing from a minor sport to a modern spectacle.

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Tex Rickard: Boxing's Greatest Promoter

Tex Rickard: Boxing's Greatest Promoter

by Colleen Aycock, Mark Scott
Tex Rickard: Boxing's Greatest Promoter

Tex Rickard: Boxing's Greatest Promoter

by Colleen Aycock, Mark Scott

Paperback

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Overview

Whether opening saloons, raising cattle, or promoting sporting events, George Lewis "Tex" Rickard (1870-1929) possessed a drive to be the best. After an early career as a cowboy and Texas sheriff, Rickard pioneered the largest ranch in South America, built a series of profitable saloons in the Klondike and Nevada gold rushes, and turned boxing into a million-dollar sport. As "the Father of Madison Square Garden," he promoted over 200 fights, including some of the most notable of the 20th century: the "Longest Fight," the "Great White Hope," fight, and the famous "Long Count" fight. Along the way, he rubbed shoulders with some of history's most renowned figures, including Teddy Roosevelt, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, John Ringling, Jack Dempsey, and Gene Tunney. This detailed biography chronicles Rickard's colorful life and his critical role in the evolution of boxing from a minor sport to a modern spectacle.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780786465910
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date: 05/08/2012
Pages: 235
Product dimensions: 6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

Colleen Aycock, co-editor for the International Boxing Research Organization, was named to the New Mexico Boxing Hall of Fame and is the author, co-author or co-editor of five books on boxing. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mark Scott, a novelist and former Golden Gloves boxer, lives in Austin, Texas. He is a contributor to other publications on the history of boxing.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments viii

Introduction 1

1 Texas Cowboy in the Gold Rush 21

2 A Tide Fight Promotes a Gold Mining Camp 45

3 The Gambler Outbids the Competition: The Great White Hope Fight 80

4 A Texas-sized Ranch in Paraguay 104

5 The Toledo Massacre and the First Million-Dollar Sports Event 121

6 Madison Square Garden: The House That Tex Built for Boxing 153

7 A New World Champion and the First $2 Million Prize Fight 173

8 From the Top of His Game to Sudden Death in Miami 195

Appendix: Chronology of Tex Rickard's Life 205

Notes 207

Bibliography 219

Index 221

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