Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-01
CHAMPION LEONARD HAS DUNDEE
TO ELIMINATE BEFORE HE GOES
AFTER RING TITLES HIGHER UP"
Lightweight King Never Has Shown Enough
Superior Form Over the Scotch Wop to
Give Him the CODY
By LOUIS H. JAFFE

DEFoRE Benny Leonard hits the trail of
- the welterweight and that Of the mid
dlewelght, as he threatens. the champ has
. at least one pine to hew to convince the
frenzied fan that he is on the lightweight
road conspicuous absolutely by the lack of
even lonesome piece of scenery. Leonard
, has left a lengthy line of defeated and
knocked-out victims behind him in the last
two years but one object of the Jumping
jack variety still is obvious as he strains
his optics along the 133-pound highway.
Were II not for the bobby bean of Johnny
Dundee IL is probable that Leonard would
have clear way ahead which would neces-
eitate his turning into another path for
want Of competition.
A canvass Of the fight fans to decide the
superior gloveman between Leonard and
Dundee no doubt would bring a majority
OF votes for the titleholder. Yet it never
has been proved that Leonard is so far bet
ter than Dundee that he can afford to over
look the little italian He must give the
Wop Scotch a tumble. The sooner this is
done the sooner Leonard will prove to the
world at large that he has no threatening
contenders for his crown, or that Dundee
really is nail in the side of his throne.
Have Boxed Evenly
on four different and distinct occasions
have Leonard and Dundee met, and On four
different and distinct occasions was neither
able to show conclusively that one was the
superior by far. None of the contests fin
b. ished decisively enough to be taken for
granted that 1t wasn't necessary fer them
to box again. In fact, If their last bout
staged right here in Philly, can be taken
for a criterion il probably will take a match
of twenty rounds or more to prove which
really has the edge.
It was only few months after their
sensational siX-round battle here that Dun
dee sat at the rlngside of the Manhattan
Sporting Club. New York, and was an eye
witness of the dethronement of Freddy
Welsh by Leonard. That Dundee was
p envious of Leonard's success in dropping
no-decision Frederick" into the discard
goes without saying, because the Italian
always contended Welsh would never give
him the opportunity to do that which
Leonard accomplished. 1t is almost unani-
NOUS that Dundee couldn't have knocked
out Welsh, as Johnny never has been ac-
cused of being a kayo puncher yet he
never could be convinced that he couldn't
annex the title in decision bout.
After Decision Bout
Now, that is exactly what Dundee is
camorng fora bout to a referees de-
oision. If such contest is arranged, and
it should be before Leonard is recognized
.
II is almost certain that Benny would rule
a heavy favorite. Leonard's X. o. wallop
would be sufficient to be magnetic in swerv-
ing the odds in his favor. But If Johnny
is to be jolted into the arms of Morpheus
by Benny blow, only another bout, one
longer than ten rounds, is to prove it.
Leonard couldn't slip over the slam in three
ten-rounders, nor could he in the six
rounder here.
A Dundee-Leonard mix is the biggest
bout on the docket. 1t should be put on
without any further hankering; that is,
before Leonard goes off on to the golden
road of fame hunting for the weter and
middle titles, because he believes there is
no one for him to box in the lightweight
class. There is at least one, and Johnny
Dundee is the ONE.
More power to Champion Leonard if he
can knock Dundee into oblivion. only for
the satisfaction, or dissatisfaction, of the
public
Boxes Tender Tonight
Dundee is here today not only to gaze
on Billy Penn once more, but for the simple
= reason OF trying to show Philadelphans
and Phil Glassman, that Looie Tender
doesn't class with him. Glassman is one
guy around this town who cannot be con-
WINGED Tender is a runner-up to Dundee
Whether Glassman's contention is correct
? will be decided in the star bout at the
Olyinpld lOhlBHl WHeH leHuleT anu Dunuee
answer the bell for an eighteen-minute
session. This will be return bout, Tender
having given Dundee a swell scrap at the
Broad street arena one cold night last fall
Since vacationing at Atlantic City ant
getting into the best possible shape in the
3 last two weeks Tender will make his
debut of the 1867 season when he takes
on the Scotch Wop tonight Glassman
could have got another match or two
previous to this time. but he was holding
for another crack at Dundee Phil knows
that Tender knows that Dundee can't hi
hard. Tender knows that Phil knows that
Lew has gained considerably in strength
and that he has improved his southpaw
punching powers lott Thus both Philip an6
Louis have a hunch that Dundee is liza.
BILE to go off into 10-second state of un.
consciousness, They both feel, too, thai