Bad news for Dempsey haters.
It seems the truth is that Harry Wills (actually his manager Paddy Mullins) were frightened of the 1922 version of Jack Dempsey and quickly walked away from the fight when it was actually offered to them.
Paddy Mullins avoided a 1922 offer (see link below) by making demands he knew Kearns wouldn't accept -- two in particular: (1) that the NYSAC govern the fight; (2) that Dempsey must accept the highest bidder whether he like the bid or not.
Here is why Kearns would not accept: Tammany Hall politicians owned part of Will's contract and Tammany controlled Muldoon and the NYSAC. Kearns wanted no part of the NYSAC. They tried to strip Dempsey of his crown (but failed miserably).
Second Kearns wanted no part of Tex Rickard promoting the fight and Mullins knew that. By forcing Kearns to accept the highest bidder clause without a right of refusal virtually guaranteed that Rickard would be in the mix; Mullins knew Kearns would say no to both clauses.
Paddy Mullins knew by making those two demands Kearns would back out and then he could go back to pretending Wills was being ducked.
Funny, the challenger making unacceptable demands, and then announcing he is being ducked. Tommy Gibbons on the other hand said before the Shelby fight [when it was obvious that there would be no gate money for him] that the HW Championship was worth fighting for, "for nothing."
Mullins was setting conditions he knew were unacceptable to a popular champion and would then whine his guy was being ducked; Mullins really didn't want the fight.
It is obvious that Mullins was the one throwing up smoke, but maybe he was just being a good manager. Maybe he knew his guy didn't stand a chance against the 1922 version of Dempsey, but could garner other good fights by claiming his guy was being ducked by the great Jack Dempsey.
IMO a good move, better than having your guy get exposed.
It paid off, it likely got him the Firpo fight in '24.
Conclusion: it seems it was better for Wills to claim that he was being ducked, than it was to actually fight Dempsey.
Too bad Mullins didn't have the faith in his guy to take the fight in 1922, but that 1922 Dempsey sacred most men silly.
Read it for yourself! be sure to read clauses #3 and #4 as altered by Mullins. (His claim of 'a fight before the end of the year' as being his motive for not signing, is just more smoke for the press; read the altered clauses #3 and #4.
P.S. Bad news for Greb fans coming next!
It seems the truth is that Harry Wills (actually his manager Paddy Mullins) were frightened of the 1922 version of Jack Dempsey and quickly walked away from the fight when it was actually offered to them.
Paddy Mullins avoided a 1922 offer (see link below) by making demands he knew Kearns wouldn't accept -- two in particular: (1) that the NYSAC govern the fight; (2) that Dempsey must accept the highest bidder whether he like the bid or not.
Here is why Kearns would not accept: Tammany Hall politicians owned part of Will's contract and Tammany controlled Muldoon and the NYSAC. Kearns wanted no part of the NYSAC. They tried to strip Dempsey of his crown (but failed miserably).
Second Kearns wanted no part of Tex Rickard promoting the fight and Mullins knew that. By forcing Kearns to accept the highest bidder clause without a right of refusal virtually guaranteed that Rickard would be in the mix; Mullins knew Kearns would say no to both clauses.
Paddy Mullins knew by making those two demands Kearns would back out and then he could go back to pretending Wills was being ducked.
Funny, the challenger making unacceptable demands, and then announcing he is being ducked. Tommy Gibbons on the other hand said before the Shelby fight [when it was obvious that there would be no gate money for him] that the HW Championship was worth fighting for, "for nothing."
Mullins was setting conditions he knew were unacceptable to a popular champion and would then whine his guy was being ducked; Mullins really didn't want the fight.
It is obvious that Mullins was the one throwing up smoke, but maybe he was just being a good manager. Maybe he knew his guy didn't stand a chance against the 1922 version of Dempsey, but could garner other good fights by claiming his guy was being ducked by the great Jack Dempsey.
IMO a good move, better than having your guy get exposed.
It paid off, it likely got him the Firpo fight in '24.
Conclusion: it seems it was better for Wills to claim that he was being ducked, than it was to actually fight Dempsey.
Too bad Mullins didn't have the faith in his guy to take the fight in 1922, but that 1922 Dempsey sacred most men silly.
Read it for yourself! be sure to read clauses #3 and #4 as altered by Mullins. (His claim of 'a fight before the end of the year' as being his motive for not signing, is just more smoke for the press; read the altered clauses #3 and #4.
P.S. Bad news for Greb fans coming next!
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