Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-05-30
LEONARD GIVES
WELSH THE K.0.
WINS WORLDS LIGHTWEIGHT CHAM
Pl0NSHIP AND SOON WILL JOIN
THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

NEW lohk. May W.-iScnny Leonard
won the worlds lightweight championship
by knocking out Freddie Welsh in the
ninth round of II ten round match here
Monday night.
Wel>h's downfall came at the end after
IA series of rushes by Leonard. who drove
him from corner to corner. The champion
had taken a severe heating during the early
rounds and the punishment had begun to.
tell when the gong for the ninth sounded.
Leonard, fresh as the moment he entered
the ring, jumped forward and met the
champion as he was leaving his. corner and
delivered a shower of lefts and rights 10
the face and head. Welsh, trying vainlv
to ward off the blows. worked his way into
Leonard's corner. where Leonard succeed
ed in reaching him with a smashing right
on the Jaw. Welsh fell on one knee and
Rugged the ropes. His strength gomez he
~strove weakly to strike a fighting pose.
As he left the ropes Leonard minded and
Welsh hit the floor. The champion 'strug-
gled to his feet twice more. but each time
he was met by Leonard's right to the
face and head and again he fell To the
floor.
The champion took the count of nine be-
fore he arose from the last ~knockdown. He
tried to stand, but fell across the ropes.
Ii was only a question of moments when
he would have fallen and been counted out.
At this point Referee Mcfarland leaped
between the two men and, pushing Leon
ard away, carried the defeated champion
Ito his corner.
A score Of men occupying ringside
seats jumped into the square and, lifting
the new champion to their shoulders, ear
ried him around the halls 81
While the crowd was cheering Welsh sat
in n daze in his corner. When he had re-
covered somewhat and was told of his de-
feat he refused to believe it and fought
to return to the center Of the ring.
Ii was Leonard's fight throughout. He
took the offensive in the first round and
held il until the end. There was never n
moment when he was in danger and, al
succeeded in landing many blows, these
appeared Ia have little effect. Welsh seem
ed to have lost his Judgment Of distance.
for he missed repeatedly.
From the gong Leonard tore into the
champion with ruthless pcr~i~tcncy. lie
rained lcfts and rights to the face and
head at will. Welsh, Disconnected by his
opponents tactics, seemed worricd when
the round ended.
In all of the succeeding rounds Leonard
concentrated his efforts on WeIsh's body
and succeeded in whipping his right re-
peatedly to the champions stomach. II
was this blow, pcrsistenly used, which
wore the champion down..
Leonard weighed in at 1873 pounds.
Welsh al 1876 81.
Freddie Welsh won the worlds light
weight championship by receiving the ref
%cree's decision after outboxing William
Richie, the American titleholder. in 4
twenty round bout in London, July Z. 1914.
Previous To ~tonight's contest Leonard and
Welsh had met twice in nc -decision, ten
round bouts.
Leonard was born in New Ypfk in 1896.
His recent knockout of Ritchie Mitchell of
Milwaukee caused him to Ie regarded rs a
contender for the worlds title.
Leonard will not swat for consumption"
after a six-round bout in Philadelphia next
Monday night, his manager, Billy Gibson,
announced after the fight.
A patent has been granted for a glass