[citation needed] Sports journalist Frank Deford has written that Rickard "first recognized the potential of the star system.

"[2] Rickard also operated several saloons, hotels, and casinos, all named Northern and located in Alaska, Nevada, and Canada.

Along with most of the other residents of Circle City, Alaska, he hurried to the Klondike, where he and his partner, Harry Ash, staked claims.

[5] They then opened the Northern,[5] a saloon, hotel, and gambling hall in Dawson City, Yukon, Canada.

[5] While working as a poker dealer and bartender at the Monte Carlo saloon and gambling hall, he and Wilson Mizner began promoting boxing matches.

Rickard sent Earp a number of letters belittling Wyatt's steady but small income managing a store in St. Michael as "chickenfeed" and persuaded him to relocate to Nome.

[16] In December 1909, Rickard and John Gleason won the right to stage the world heavyweight championship fight between James J. Jeffries and Jack Johnson.

[6] Rickard managed the ranch for the Farquhar syndicate, whose land holdings in South America total over 5 million acres.

[6] On February 3, Jess Willard agreed to Rickard's offer to fight Frank Moran in New York City.

[6] Rickard promoted the July 4, 1919, fight between world heavyweight champion Jess Willard and Jack Dempsey in Toledo, Ohio.

[31] In addition to boxing, Rickard hosted a number of other events, including six-day bicycle races, and constructed the world's largest indoor swimming pool at the Garden.

He lost his license to make and promote boxing matches in New York State and gave up control of the Garden.

[33] After the trial, Rickard's attorney, Max Steuer, accused two workers of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children of demanding $50,000 from Rickard in exchange for the girls changing their testimony at trial; however, the district attorney could not find any evidence to corroborate this claim.

It drew 60,000 spectators (a then-record crowd for a boxing bout in New York state) and made $182,903.26, which was donated to Millicent Hearst's Milk Fund.

[6][36] On September 14, 1923, Rickard promoted his second million dollar gate when around 100,000 people attended the Jack Dempsey vs. Luis Ángel Firpo fight at the Polo Grounds.

[6] In September 1924, Rickard promoted the fight between Luis Ángel Firpo and Harry Willis in Jersey City.

[38] On March 19, 1925, Rickard was convicted of violating a federal law that prevented the interstate transportation of fight films.

[40] On May 31, 1923, Rickard filed incorporation papers for the New Madison Square Garden Corporation, a company formed for the purpose of building and operating a new sports arena in New York City.

[44] It hosted its first major event on December 11, 1925, when a record indoor crowd of 20,000 attended the Paul Berlenbach-Jack Delaney fight.

[48] In 1927, a group led by Rickard signed a 25-year lease for a sports arena at the new North Station facility in Boston.

They also planned a number of other ventures, including a jai-alai grounds adjacent to the kennel club and a horse track on an island in Biscayne Bay.