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

Just for the fun of it...

1917-10-03 The Daily States (New Orleans, LA) (page 11)
Leonard Wants 3 Ring Titles
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To Meet Britton And Lewis
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Welsh's Conqueror To Invade Welter Ranks In Hope of Winning Title
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BY ROBERT EDGREN.

Benny Leonard is matched to fight Jack Britton ten rounds. The weight is to be 139 pounds ringside. That is, Britton has agreed to make 139 pounds. Leonard can make 139 pounds so easily that he will surely be well under the required 139.

This marks the beginning of Benny Leonard's campaign to become a three-time champion. Benny's ambition is to gather the welterweight and the middleweight titles and add them to the world's lightweight title that he already holds. Judging by the knockout from Leonard has shown in recent fights, this ambition of his is not as bizarre as one might think, considering the men he will have to fight. Ted Lewis, present welterweight champion, gave Mike Gibbons, our best middleweight, a very hard ten-round fight. There is little to choose between Lewis and Britton for they have fought many times, and Britton has won his share of the decisions. Lewis is champion at present merely because he was winner of their last bout, on the official decision of the referee. The bout before that was won by Britton.

Britton, the equal of Kid Lewis in fighting ability, met Packey McFarland, who was outgrowing the lightweight class, but was still generally considered a lightweight. Britton had been outboxing all opponents with ease. Yet Packey made him look like a novice.

Leonard Is Equal of Packey McFarland.

Benny Leonard is not at all like McFarland in boxing and fighting style, but he is fully the equal of McFarland at his best. He is McFarland's equal as a boxer and far superior to Packey as a fighter. No intricate comparison of the action of the men is necessary to prove this. Their record shows it. Leonard has knocked out a lot of men who were fully as good as the fellows who went ten rounds or more with McFarland.

McFarland gave Gibbons a hard ten-round fight. He had very little the worst of it, the main difference being that his blows were taps, while Gibbons' punches were driven in. Gibbons was badly weakened by the weight he had to make for McFarland. Fighting for the middleweight title he would not have to put the same drain on his vitality. That would make Gibbons a better man in a fight with Leonard. But Leonard is twice as hard a hitter as McFarland, is fully as strong, and is faster than Gibbons. Mike has had more trouble with the smaller and faster men than with the big middleweights and the light heavyweights.

Taking all these arguments into consideration, it seems that Benny Leonard and his manager have some reason to think Benny may be able to gather three titles. At least he has a right to try.

 

Not exactly about Leonard vs McFarland, but still interesting to hear.

senya13.blogspot.com/2013/06/old-vs-new.html

 

Leonard: Joe Norton (Newark Morning Ledger), Jersey Journal, W.R. Cluxton (Trenton Evening Times), P.T. Knox (New York Evening Telegram), Vincent Treanor (New York Evening World), George B. Underwood (New York Sun), Robert W. Maxwell (Philadelphia Evening Public Ledger), Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Record, Joe McGinn (AP), UP

Lewis: Igoe (New York World), Bat Masterson (New York Morning Telegraph), New York Herald, New York American, T.F. Magner (Bridgeport Telegram), INS

Draw: W.J. Macbeth (New York Tribune), New York Times, New York Evening Journal, Thomas S. Rice (Brooklyn Daily Eagle), Brooklyn Standard Union, Chicago Daily Tribune

 

:good

 

Cheers Senya13 and Mr.Butt...

 

Leonard fought them all He deserves credit for being the first great champ to take on all comers, black or white.

 

Benny was a heck of a fighter who could do it all

 

Dixon ducked Fitz.

 

I try. Honestly don't know a lot about Dixon. Clever boxer, a lot of unfair draws. First black champion.

 

Ike Weir, the Belfast Spider.