Did Benny Leonard ever fight a black fighter ?

Good point S...By all that I have culled,Leo Johnson who some those days
named 'the Harlem Hotshot" because of his ablities,was the best 135 pound lightweight of Leonard's early title reign. So what did the new champion holder Benny Leonard do as soon as he became the LW titleholder in 1917..He gave Leo Johnson ,the top black LW contender the first shot at Benny's crown just TWO months after winning the title from Johnny Kilbane. Result , Leonard ire was up because Johnson mussed up Leonard's brilliantine hair,and Leonard kod him in the VERY FIRST rd.
One week later Benny Leonard ,gave another black LW Eddie Dorsey,a title shot and flattened Dorsey in the 2nd round.
Surf, I too abhor treating any worthy fighter of bias because of their race, have never HEARD nor READ before of Leonard avoiding any worthy black lightweight boxer during his title reign. NEVER. Where does PC end ?

 

Seriously, I think we all know there were at least a dozen black lightweights who could have beaten Leonard, and if it were a black fighter doing what Leonard had done, he would have never been talked about.

 

Leonard idolized Joe Gans so its not like he was a racist. Also Leonard shattered the stereotype many Americans had of Jews being weak and unathletic.
Also in Leonards day there was an unwritten rule that allowed the white champions to avoid the best black fighters. Noone wanted another black champion in any weight class after Jack Johnsons reign. So Leonard could have avoided all black challengers if he wanted but didn't.

 

Leonard is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. I'll be damned...

 

Going by what Benny did to Johnson and Dorsey maybe the black fighters started avoiding him?:think

 

BM, it is all a charade ! Benny Leonard tackled every viable lightweight contender in his seven years, including Leo Johnson who was the top black lightweight in 1917 and another black lightweight Eddie Dorsey.
These two black lightweights were given first crack at Leonards title, and it is a slur on Benny Leonard's great career as a fighter and a decent human being to be tainted that he avoided" dozens of black LW contenders , when the OPPOSITE was true. I am just trying to set the record straight for future generations of fans...
Political correctness run amuck !!!

 

Of all fighters, Benny Leonard gets called into question?

There's nothing to scrutinize.

 

Trolling again

 

One of the fights is near complete or complete with Tendler. Tendler was a great fighter, I feel had Benny not been around, He could have held the title. Leonard is a great fighter, and he pretty much clean out his divsion, black or white.

 

This is true, but seldom talked about.

 

As I read this thread, this post is one of the best. Leonard pretty much cleaned out the division that was full of talent. This is why many rate him a ATG, and #1, #2, or #3 at light weight. I have seen Gans three times, and I would pick Leonard to beat him in a 15, 20, or 25 round match. Leonard not only had quick feet and great skills, he was a smart fighter who also took a good shot.

 

SLAKKA, sounds like Cus and his guys never thought much of the old time fighters. Do you know if Cus (or any of the other big fights inc guys) had anything to say about this man:

This content is protected

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Cus,or Jim Jacobs voiced their negative opinions BASED on TWO films that survive today of Benny Leonard fighting one of the truly greatest southpaws ever, Lew Tendler. Cus D'Amato was NINE years old when Benny Leonard was LW champion, and Jimmy Jacobs was not even born when Leonard retired in 1924. Benny Leonard kod 69 fighters in his long career,including some all-time greats as Freddie Welsh, Johnny Kilbane,
Charley White, Rocky Kansas [a small LaMotta], the bullish Ever Hammer,
Joe Welling, Leo Johnson, and most likely carried many of the others
so he could get fighters to step in the ring with him..
So for Cus and others who have never seen the great Benny Leonard
at his best, except for 2 clips fighting Tendler, and at the age of 37,out of the ring for 7 years against McLarnin in 1932, tells me zilch compared to the opinions of the vast majority who saw him ringside, many, many times...

 

That's like declaring yourself world math champion without facing any Asians or declairing yourself world's most awesome stud without comparing yourself to ME.