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Jack Dempsey fought Tom Gibbons on July 4, 1923. Dempsey won by decision after 15 rounds to successfully defend his World Heavyweight Title.

The aftermath was worse than the fight for Shelby: a large arena, the size of a football field, had been built. Since most of Shelby's residents and those of nearby cities could not afford ticket prices set so that the city could come up with the money guaranteed to the participants, only 7,702 paying fans showed up, making the fight one of the biggest economical disasters in boxing history. An estimated 13,000 people got to see the fight free.  Local banks that had fronted the money for the huge purses for the fighters went under, and the great Golden Age pugilist and eventual victor Jack Dempsey barely escaped the town with his life.

Four banks in Shelby went bankrupt in the months following the fight. The town's dreams of prosperity went away with them.

Offered is a never seen before 8.5” x 11” letterhead that was never used to send out correspondence for the Jack Dempsey Tommy Gibbons 1923 World Heavyweight Championship fight.  Fantastic plan detailing the stadium.  We presume this was supposed to be used to sell tickets or sent out so prospective ticket buyers could see the seating chart as there are mailing folds, but otherwise in fine condition for a 100 year old Historical paper artifact from one of the most famous fights in Boxing History!

We scoured the internet and could not find another example.