Did Benny Leonard ever fight a black fighter ?

Yes I have, he. Benny Leonard gave the two best black lightweights of the 1917 era a shot at his title. In Sept, 1917 Benny Leonard gave the feared black "Harlem hotshot", Leo Johnson a much desired title shot.
Johnson had a 51/6 record at this time. But Leo Johnson did the unthinkable when the first round started. He MUSSED up Benny Leonard's
carefully combed hair as the round started to rile Leonard up. Well Leonard angered , promptly flattened Leo Johnson in the FIRST round...One week after in Sept, 1917, Leonard kod another black lightweight Eddie Dorsey in the 2nd rd. My dad ,who saw Leonard fight in the early days and saw him train,would tell me often when I was a youngster that Leonard, to get matches, would refrain from koing many opponents, so to not scare off potential opponents. He fought about 212 bouts during his career as
most likely the greatest lightweight that ever lived, who ruled over the greatest array of lightweight opponents for SEVEN years til he retired in
1924. Leonard the Magnificient....Cheers...

 

I bet he never fought a Chinese or Indian fighter though.

 

Do you have a source that says Tunney never sparred a black fighter? No challenge here, just looking for information. Thanks. PM if you like.

 

Ah, yes Leonard fought and kod a Chinese fighter Harry Ah Chung Sept,1913...
He also fought an American Indian fighter from the whothe****owee tribe... atsch

 

Cheers Burt :thumbsup

 

:rofl

 

For what it's worth, Tunney tried to sign against Wills, but Wills didn't want it.

 

I love Burt Bienstock.

 

That's the name North Dakota University ought to drop their mismaligned "Fighting Sioux" sports moniker in favor of, the "Whothe****owees." (The alternative in these hypersensitive "politically correct" times would be for them to call themselves the "Fighting Sues," wearing skirts, panties and high heels on the field of play, with lipstick instead of charcoal under their eyes.)