New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-13
Benny Leonard
Shades Cline
In Fast Bout
By Fred Hawthorne

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. I'm the
most desperately fought battle Of his
career since winning the championship,
Bennie Leonard, lightweight champion,
outpointed Irish Patsy Cline of Harlem.
tonight, in a six-round bout at the
Olympia Athletic Association club
house.
In the first four rounds, Cline set
such a dizzy pace, carrying the fight
70 the champion, that Bonnie Was
taken by surprise and was unable to
set himself and time his blows. In
the fifth round, however, the little
Hebrew, ever cool and calculating,
timed his blows beautifully and nailed
Patsy with terrific right and left hooks
to the jaw and body. One Of these
blows, delivered just before the end
Of the fifth round, caught Cline on the
tip of the chin, and Patsy sprawled
face downward on the canvas, but only
long enough to bounce right up again
like an India rubber doll.
back at Bonnie like tiger. Leonard's
nose was cut on the bridge, but il was
his round by a wide margin, and Cline
was reelng as he fell into his seat,
while his seconds worked like beavers
TO bring him in shape for tho finals.
Outpoints Patsy
In the last round Leonard continued
to outpoint Patsy, trying for q chance
to shoot over the finShing blow. But
Cline knew enough to clinch when the
clinching was good, and many well
meant blows from Bennies flying fists
went over Patsy's head as he ducked
out Of harms way.
Cline's best round was the third, and
in this session he fairly swept the
champion of his feet by ths fury OF
his attacks. Bonnie connected several
times with his favorite right and left
hooks to the Jaw and body, and the
blows carried a world Of power behind
them. but Patsy shook them off and
tore at Bonnie like bull after q red
rag. Half q dozen times he whipped
hard right hooks over to Leonard's
left eye and bombarded the stomach
with a perfect fusillads Of wallops.
The champion attempted to hold the
fighting Irishman by clinching. but
Patsey would have none of that and
rushed Benny TO the ropes, betting at
every unprotected spot every second
of the time.
A tremendous crowd greeted the boys
when they were introduced. Leonard's
weight was announced as 1S4k and
Clne's as 134h pounds, and both
looked fit for a bit of a shindy.
The first blow landed was a fast left
lab to Patsy's right eye. In fact, for
the first two rounds Cline was a sucker
for this blow and seemed unable TO
avoid il. But that did not prevent him
from putting on full speed from the
start, and he forced the fighting. con-
tinuously backing Leonard around the
ring. Benny landed the cleaner punches
and took advantage OF Patsy's wide
open style of attack, but there was not
much to choose between them at the
bell.
The second round had hardly begun
before Cline's right eye was laid open
by one Of Leonsrd's lightning left jsbs.
and a moment later Benny got home
with a crushing right hook to the jaw.
The blow rocked Patsy for q second.
but, instead of backing and covering
Up. Cline started furious session OF
fighting and forced his opponent to the
ropes.
Cline Earns Honors
Then came the third. with Cline earn
ing the honors, as has been related
above. Billy Gibson. sitting behind
Leonard's corner. was so nervous and
excited that he kept bobbing Up and
down in his seat. yelling advice.
But Patsy's pace had slowed him up
q bit, and in the fourth session Leonard
had time to measure his man and catch
him coming in. He ripped home savage
uppercuts to the jaw and body and
Cline showed the effects Of these blows.
But he would not take q backward step.
In q wild furry of fighting at the bell,
Cline twice took a punch at Benny
after the bell had sounded and was
Kissed by the crowd.
The "concensus Of opinion" as our
own John Tea Dunn would love TO tell
you, was that IL was the fastest fight
seen in Philadelphia In long spell OF
weather.