Benny Leonard's acknowledged to be one of the all-time greats

His absolute dominance over his era is what amazes me the most. How he took on the best fighters of his day- good and great- and beat them all so conclusively that there was no room for argument. I think Johnny Dundee might be the only one whom he could not consistently dominate.

In studying the no-decision era it is easy to find sportswriters who disagree on who won a fight. I'd be willing to bet that Benny had more writers in agreement with his winning a newspaper decision than any other fighter. And in the fights that had an official decision how many times was the word "controversial" attached to one that favored Leonard? Not many, I bet.

To be that dominant for so many years and with that high of an activity rate is astounding.

 

Brilliantly put, SB

 

What is the general consensus of Leonard's fight with Ted Kid Lewis?

 

Only someone shell-shocked from Missouri twisters would even care.

 

There was one fighter, who was still active when Leonard's career got its start...

 

Leonard may have been slightly bigger here and there, but he never had the size advantage Robinson had. I've been saying for years that Benny Leonard > Ray Robinson. This is one of the reasons why.

 

It's too bad that the only footage we have of Leonard at or near his best is from his first fight against Lew Tendler. I've herd people say that he dose not look that impresive. However they are missing some things. First Tendler was an outstand boxer in his own rights. Second Tendler was something that while today is very common, but back than almost unheard of, A southpaw who fought from a southpaw stance. If you get a chance to see the whole fight. It's on youtube. No I'm not talking about the 10 minnuet highlight package nararated bu Jimmy Jacobs. You can see that while Leonard who's inexperanced with southpaws is moving the wrong way. He's still able to beat Tendler to the punch. All things considred this was a great preformance by Leonard.

A lot of people tend to compare Floyd Mayweather with Pernell Whitaker. I think It's because they are both black. However I would Compare Mayweather with Benny Leonard. They could both not only do well against any style, not only beat any style, but look so much better than the other guy.

He's my #1 greatest to ever step in the ring. When he was able to beat anyone put in front of him (not nesscareary "prime") and the fight mattered such as a championship fight more often than anyone with his skills or equal or dare I say better (but I'm not sure who). Benny Leonard came up the winner.

 

No teasing, comrade Who is it??

 

Packey McFarland I presume.

 

haha...I always shell-shocked, I'm afraid...Not matter what it's doing outside. Cheers, Joe.

 

If we exclude the Mike Gibbons bout (where Packey still received more votes than votes for Gibbons and for a draw combined), I recall only one newspaper voting against him. That was in his bout with Britton at MSG, supposedly one NY newspaper voted for Britton, plus, of course, a draw from Masterson which I commented on previously, what kind of person Masterson was when giving decisions, to him Packey didn't outclass Britton enough to warrant a win (where some newspapers saw Packey winning 8 or 9 rounds out of 10 and giving Britton a boxing lesson). I wasn't able to find out which newspaper did that exactly, everyone thought it too ridiculous to even mention its name. It was something like "I may be wrong, but from my south-western corner Britton looked the winner", that kind of argument for giving a decision to him.
Also, supposedly one Memphis newspaper voted for Britton in their official draw.
In both cases Britton's manager was carrying the clippings from these two newspapers and was showing them to everyone who would listen, trying to persuade people that Britton had the better of two fights with McFarland.

 

Thanks. Great stuff! Leonard vs Packey. Who would you take to win? I often wonder what their common opponents thought at to which fighter was superior.

 

I'll need to do some look-ups to give a good reasoned answer, but I don't have time for that right now. Maybe later.

 

No problem. Did any of their common opponents ever compare them as far as skills were concerned?

 

The only one I remember is this one:

1918-07-01 Salt Lake Telegram (Salt Lake City, UT) (page S2)
CALLS LEONARD BEST HITTER
--------
Britton Says Benny Is Most Dangerous Man He Has Met in His Career.
--------
By Jack Britton
Former Welterweight Champion.

PHILADELPHIA, July 1.--The greatest puncher I ever faced--Benny Leonard. You can take it from me, and I've fought 'em all, this Benny Leonard can hit. I have battled him twice and I am an excellent judge of his hitting. If he ever had found me unguarded it would have been curtains for mine. To fight Leonard and do it with any degree of success it is excellent advice to beginners as well as veterans, and this applies to me, never to take the eye off him. He knows all the tricks and executes them perfectly.

The secret of Leonard's great success, and I believe it was a secret, but not any more, is due to his wonderful and uncanny ability to "pull in" his opponent. Many believed, as I did until I met him the second time, that Leonard was at his best when on the attack, but this is not true. He is the best man I ever fought at drawing in his man, then hitting powerfully with either hand.

He is only a little fellow, but he can hit harder than any middleweight I ever fought. I have met the best of the small middleweights, but never tasted a harder punch than the one delivered by Leonard. That is the reason he is so successful once he "pulls in" his man, for he has the advantage of position and can drive home his punches with plenty of power, accuracy and effect.

Did you notice how often I ran away the other night? Well, that was to avoid being "pulled in." I knew that if he ever got me in that trap I would have to take plenty of punishment before I got free. He is tricky and has this thing of "pulling in" the other fellow down to a science. I just missed that trap on three occasions and that was when you saw me run away. It was survive or perish and I retreated.

I fought Packey McFarland when Packey was at his best, but all Packey had was cleverness without the punch. Leonard has the cleverness and the punch. Packey was just as clever as Benny at "pulling in" the other fellow, but how much differently he treated you than Benny! The best that Packey could do after he got you in that trap was to tap you with a light jab. Why Packey couldn't break an egg with that punch of his.