Rickard, George

Rickard, (George Lewis) “Tex”

(1870–1929) boxing promoter; born in Kansas City, Mo. A colorful, buccaneering character, he ran a gambling business in Texas, made and lost a fortune in the Yukon in the 1890s, and arranged his first prize fight in 1906. He promoted matches during boxing's "golden age," including the Jack Dempsey-George Carpentier bout in 1921—boxing's first $1 million gate—and the famous Dempsey-Gene Tunney match in 1927.