Life — July 12, 1928 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Troubles of Tex" — A 1920s Boxing Tax Satire This article satirizes a real controversy over a 25% federal tax on expensive boxing tickets, championed by promoter George L. "Tex" Rickard. The piece mocks Rickard's complaint that the tax is economically destructive, while noting his hypocrisy: he made enormous wealth from fights (the article mentions $9 million from a Dempsey-Carpentier bout) and even purchased a yacht afterward. The satire's point: Rickard profited vastly from boxing but complained when the *government* taxed fight tickets, claiming poverty. The cartoon illustrating the piece shows a boxing match's chaotic scene, emphasizing the sport's rowdy nature. John Kieran's byline indicates this is serious sports criticism disguised as humor, targeting wealthy promoters' tax avoidance and self-serving arguments.