Leonard's Style Is Reminiscent of Gans CAREERS OF 2 FAMOUS LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPS ARE TOLD BY EDGREN

Los Angeles Herald, Number 114, 14 March 1921 —

Leonard's Style Is Reminiscent of Gans

CAREERS OF 2 FAMOUS LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPS ARE TOLD BY EDGREN

By ROBERT EDGREN

Many new timers, and some old timers, have asked me whether or not I would consider Benny Leonard in Joe Gans' class as a lightweight champion.

Right there is room for endless argument. Except in those athletic events where distances and time show exactly what performances are, it's almost impossible to compare present champions with former title-holders.

I’ll say that Leonard has shown himself easily master of all rivals in his class today and a great lightweight.

In many points he is very much like Gans, who is conceded the master boxer of all the great oldtime lightweights.

KNOCKOUT ARTIST

Gans started as a knockout artist when he was a small boy. He won his first eight fights with knockouts. He had been fighting for over two years when he had his first reverse, being beaten by Dal Hawkins, decision in 15 rounds. His winning streak started again immediately and went along smoothly until he was knocked out by George McFadden in 1899. Soon after that he lost to Frank Erne in 12 rounds, the fight being stopped because Gans had a badly cut eye and couldn't see. Terry McGovern knocked Gans out in two rounds, and years later he lost a 15-round decision to Sam Langford, then a lightweight. He won fights again until 1908, when Battling Nelson fought him twice, knocking him out in 17 and 21 rounds. At that time Gans was in the decline that ended in his death from tuberculosis a year or so later.

Leonard has been knocked out too. Benny began boxing at Billy Gibson's old Fairmont A. C. in the Bronx, New York, when he was only 16, and showed such speed that Gibson became his manager and matched him up to the championship in five years.

STRONG ON K. O’S.

In his first year of ring work Benny won a lot of fights with knockouts. He was knocked out himself by Joe Shugrue in four rounds, his second year Benny won only three fights with knockouts, fought many with no decision, and was knocked out by Frankie Fleming a first-class little Canadian. Two years later Benny stopped being a "feather duster boxer” and began studying the science of winning with a clean KO, and among the good ones he knocked out were Joe Mandot and Ever Hammer. In 1917 Leonard started a whirlwind knockout campaign that won him the lightweight championship, which he still holds. Within-10 weeks Leonard knocked out Packey Hommey (9 rounds). Ritchie Mitchell (7 rounds), Charlie Thomas (6 rounds). Eddie Shannon (6 rounds), and Lightweight Champion Freddy Welsh (9 rounds).

About this time people began to talk about Leonard as "another Gans.” With the confidence of a real champion he went right along knocking out opponents and not picking “soft ones.” He knocked out Johnny Nelson and Featheweight Champion Johnny Kilbane Young Record, Phil Bloom, Eddie Dorsey and Vic Moran.

About this time Leo Johnson, a splendidly built colored boy and a clever boxer, was called black lightweight champion and many thought he could beat Leonard. Benny announced that unless he could -whip all opponents regardless of color he didn't care to call himself champion. He fought Leo in New York less than four months after beating Welsh. As the two faced each other I'll admit that I, for one wondered if Benny was up against it. The colored boy was better built for fighting, Benny looked a little clumsy in comparison as they sparred for the first opening.

BENNY’S PLASTERED HAIR

Benny Leonard always has his hair smoothly brushed, and at that time Gibson boasted that no boxer had ever been able to "muss” Benny's hair In the ring—not even the clever Welsh. So the crowd gasped when Leo calmly reached out in the first mixup and deliberately roughed Benny's down plastered locks with his open hand, grinning as he did so. It was evidently meant to get Benny's goat. It was Leo’s fatal mistake. With a sudden flare of fury, Benny leaped at Leo like a wildcat. He swarmed all over the black champion, beating down his guard and hammering him back to the ropes. Crashing blows landed faster than the eye could follow the flying gloves and within a minute, in that first round, Johnson was helpless, was beaten down, was counted out. He never had a chance to start a blow after he rumpled Benny’s hair and grinned at him. Leonard boxed many bouts for various war funds during the war, and a few for himself. On the night he knocked out Welsh he announced that he intended to volunteer for army service the following week. This he would have done if he hadn't been instructed a day or two later by the war department to report for assignment as boxing instructor at one of the army camps. He was sent to Camp Upton, where he did splendid work and taught boxing methods to thousands of soldiers and officers until the war was over.

STOPS EX-CHAMPION

While Leonard has fought several good fights since the war, knocking out among others of note our old friend Willie Ritchie, former champion and boxing instructor at Camp Lewis, and flghting no-decision bouts with Welter Charnpion Jack Britton and former Welter Champion Ted Lewis, his most notable performance has been the recent knockout of Ritchie Mitchell. There isn’t a doubt in the world that Mitchell is a top-notch lightweight and would have classed well among the best of the old-timers. He was the most dangerous of Benny’s revivals. Yet Leonard didn’t play It safe or waste any time standing on the defensive. He never does. He went after Mitchell In the first round and twice knocked him flat for a count of several seconds. Mitchell’s class showed when got up after the second knockdown, met Leonard’s charges and knocked the champion down in turn with a hard hook on the chin. I.eonard was in exactly the position of Joe Gans In his second and third lights with Dal Hawkins. In each of these fights Dal knocked Gans down and nearly out with a left hook on the chin in the first round. Each time Gans deliberately took a nine-second count, got up and fought defensively until he recovered, and then knocked out Hawkins. Leonard rose to his knees, turned toward his corner and nodded to his brother Charlie and Billy Gibson to show that he was still in the fight, took nine seconds, and getting up deliberately used his skill and speed in defense until he recovered, when he went to the front again and knocked Mitchell out.

BENNY COMES BACK

When Willie Ritchie nearly knocked Benny out In that four round San Francisco fight Benny came back with left hand body punches that slowed Willie up and took the danger out of his rushes, then turned the tables on him in the last half of the last round. In one thing Leonard is a greater fighter than Gans was, and entirely different in style. He is endlessly aggressive. Gans was as great a counter hitter as Fitzsimmons, and was usually satisfied to stand back with both arms raised In guarding position, to block or slap aside blows and then use his short and deadly counter strokes. Gans didn't move around much. Leonard has the flashy footwork of a bantamwelght Just how Leonard would Compare with Battling Nelson, when the Dane was champion, is a question. The Dane’s Iron endurance wore down many great fighters and might have offset Benny,’s flashing skill. I think he would have beaten Wolgast or Ritchie within 20 rounds, but Tendler, Jackson, Dundee, Mitchell, White and the modern lot, boxers or sluggers, are below his class. Charlie White claims much credit for having hit Benny on the chin, knocking him through the ropes. But Benny came back after that punch—usually a sleep producing wallop—and knocked out White.

 

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