Gans,"The Old Master," who has an imposing statue in the foyer of MSG,and Benny Leonard,"The Ghetto Wizard,"are generally in the top 3 or 4 of most posters ratings at lightweight all time. Does Leonard hold an edge over Gans because of his," more modern style"? What do you think?
Yes but depending on the length of the bout, the rules etc Gans may still score a knockout. Benny would need to use all of his ring IQ and mobility.
A very astute and thought provoking question, and one which needs careful consideration, I lean towards your premise that suggests that Leonard would indeed hold the advantage of Gans, due to stint that the style and format of the 1890s to say 1915 or so, had progressed somewhat, from the slightly stand offish and lean back approach of , Fitzsimmons, Ketchell, and Johnson himself , to a more fluid and a more proactive style, fights of Ketchell in particular show a very unrefined clumsy almost Chaplin esque score, where as Leonard, Tunney, Mike Gibbons, etc, were more inclined to throw combinations, move both in and out, back and forth, a style that has pretty much been sustained to the present, so yes I believe Gans would struggle in a bout with Benny for the reasons outlined. stay safe guys. PS props for originality buddy.
No he wouldn't. On film, Gans shows an amazingly advance repertoire plus perfect sense of distance which is effectuated by great footwork and balance. Not saying The Old Master would win but he wouldn't be out of his element, even with Leonard.
