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, . 4 Guild Seeks Bigger Paychecks For Fighters in Video Bouts Current Goal Is for ,000 Minimum Per Man for Any Main Go Shown on Network By STEVE SNIDER United Press Sports Writer NEW YORK, N. Y., Aug. 27. The Inter- national Boxing Managers Guild is starting another campaign to get fatter paychecks for fighters in televised bouts. "Theyre being exploited and deserve more money," said big Bill Daly, the Guilds secretary-treasurer and chief "negotiator" while president Charley Johnston is touring South America with light-heavyweight champ Archie Moore. "Nationally televised shows only use up talent," he said. "They dont develop any and they dont pay enough." Daly said the Guilds current coal is a minimum of ,000 per fighter for any main event telecast over "a co-axial cable." The Guild considers any set-up that permits more than one station to telecast a fight a "cable" situation. "If we made special rates for small hookups, the first thing you know theyd be expanding to Denver and San Francisco and then where are we?" Daly wanted to know. Present Rates Vary He said the current minimum rates for each main eventer varied with the sponsor and the promoter, but added the" Guild wants the ,000 minimum set for every boxing night of the week on which more than one station is involved. According to Dalys figures, the minimum for Eastern Parkway arena on Monday night and the Saturday night fights is ,500 per main eventer. The Wednesday night sponsor pays ,000 and the Friday nighters at Madison Square Garden carry" a ,600 minimum fee. "Those are only minimums of course," said Daly. "There have been some big fees paid and I guess the tops went to Rocky Marciano and Jersey Joe Walcott for their second fight. They split 80,000 between them." Anticipating tte reply of television interests that they cant afford higher rates, Daily said: "We see ham actors paid more money than fighters who are getting their ears curled and their faces cut up. Why cant fighters get it, too?" Relations between boxing and television have been ticklish for years, chiefly because boxing is one sport made to order for the cameras and figures are cited by boxing men to show that TV is murder on attendance. Rate increases, however, have been granted several times in the past as more sponsor money came into television. "Five years ago, main eventers were getting only 20 at Madison Square Garden," Daly admitted. Daly personally feels there is too much boxing on the air already- and would like to see "only two nationally televised shows each week." "That would put a lot of small fight clubs back in business," he said. "Letting the -small independent promoters go back to work is the only way in the world to develop new talent." : ; 1 ;
