The Washington herald., 1917-01-01
HAS LEONARD REACHED
Zenith OF HIS CAREER
New York Lightweight Has Made a
Great Record During Past Year.

Chicago, Dec. a.-The gong has rung
for 1916 Gazing over the records OF the
ring for the last twelve months, the
light-weight ranks would seem to offer
i the most for perusal of the fight fans.
The work of one man-Benny Leonard
the New York East Side lightweight
stands out from the rest as most sensa-
tional
From comparative obscurity to schal-
lenger for the lightweight championship
of the world is the leap that Leonard
has made Before his bout with Joe
Mandot, of New Orleans, on December
II, 1915, in which the Southerner. then
in the front ranks, was knocked out In
the seventh round of scheduled ten
round go. Leonard's work had not at
tracted attention.
That victory sent the youngsters name
flashing all over the country, and since
| that time he has demonstrated on more
than score of occasions that the punch
| which sent Mandot down for the count
was no fuke blow. In ten of his bat
| ties Leonard has succeeded in slowing
away his opponent. In several others the
man facing him has had narrow es-
cape
He toppled Jimmy Murphy over in five
rounds, Phil Bloom in eight, Sammy
Robideau, Joe Welsh and Eddie Mean
drcws in the fifth; Shamus O'Brien in
| the seventh. Frankie Cannefry in the
sixth and Ever Hammer and Fighting
| Harvey Thorpe in the twelfth.
Six opponents have gone the scheduled
ten rounds with Leonard. They are
Freddie Welsh. the champion. twice;
JOHNNY Dundee, Joe Azevedo. Rocky Kan
! sas, Frankie Callahan and Stanley Ioa-
kun. kansas escaped a knockout by
| three seconds, the final gong ringing
while he was on the floor with seven
fateful seconds toiled off. In Philadel-
phia Leonard fought two whirlwind six
round bouts and in both his opponent
was In a bad way at the finish.
Leonard's two encounters with the
champion were no-decision affairs. In
one the newspapers gave Leonard the
better Of 1t. in the other the champion
was credited with outpointing him. Welsh
! is lightning fast. and 1t takes more than
ten rounds to run him down to where
hard blows count. Leonard Is two
handed fighter, with a blow in each.
II he and Welsh get into a distance bout,
the title may quit dear old England and
adorn this side OF the water again.
Leonard's best blows are his right
crosses and uppercuts. When the former
connects with the jaw the fight is over,
His left jabs and hooks are fearful in
the punishment they administer.
Leonard-his right name is Leiner-lit-
orally fell into the boxing ring. As a
kid, he was champion OF his block In
New York and was known as the Ninth
Street King Bee. His mother Is Ger
man and his father a Hebrew. born in
Austria-Hungary. 1t was quite the thing
for the best fighters in each block to
get together every once in a while and
| fight it out for whatever the specta-
| tors contributed. Leonard's first fight OF
| this kind was with a kid named Joe Fo-
| garty, and the Ninth street champion
got thirty cents out of the fifty-cen,
purse for trouncing his Irish foe.
Benny's folks were angry when they
learned he was scrapping quite regular
| ly in this way. Benny had succeeded in
| keeping IL from them owing to the fact
that he came home unmarked most OF
| the time. He still is, for that matter
| But one night he got a chance for q
$40 bill. and somehow opposition to his
welding his fists vanished.
Benny one night led his gang to q
vantage point outside the window oi
| the club where Billy Gibson the pro
moter and manager, reigned. In their
eagerness to see what was going on dur.
ing a bout inside. the youngsters pushed
| Benny through the window and he land
| ed on his ear at the feet of an usher
| That worthy promptly took him to Glib
| son.
Jaw. I can handle my mits about as
good as some of those fellows" said the
unabashed Benny during the ensuing
| conversation. Gibson gave him a chanct
to prove 1t by letting him fight In a short
| tryout with one Mickey Ffnnegan. Benny
hung 1t on the Finnegan person and Glib.
| son took him under his wing.
| 1t was in this bout that the boy-ht
| will not be of age until April next-got
the name by which he is known. Pete
| Prunty, the announcer misunderstood the
| name of Leiner when he heard 1t and an.
nounced the fighter as Benny Leonard
After he had won Leonard became hi!
ring name.
| Mother Leiner still was not convinced
she wanted Benny to be a fighter She
| arranged with his employer that the
next time Benny engaged in a battle he
was to be fired" but taken back or
condition that he do not don the mitt,
again But her plans went astray. Benny
| refused to be taken back and he went Il
Gibson and asked him to put him on al
every opportunity. This Gibson was glad
to do, and so Benny got his real sta rt
| Leonard is a careful and conscientiou,
trainer. is very careful of his diet ant
| does not disSipate. 1t is hard for G
sunny, jovial kid like him to be sertou,
even in the ring, but at the same finn.
| ne doesn't take chances.
Mother Leiner Is proud of him now anc
thinks he will be king of his class be
fore long. He is a great mamna's how
ana lest she worry about him, the frs
thing he does after every fight is to hik,
TO long-distance telephone and let he,
know he is all right.
HIS success has not turned the fighter,
head. The family still lives In the san,I
oId nelghborhood, but in nicer Quarters
His companions are the same vh,
cheered him on In the days when be w.,
the champ of their block, ana whiIt
Benny attends many social functions N,
girls do not bother him at all, II :,
mother first and last with him, and she !,
MS guest of honor at all affairs