Evening journal., 1918-10-07
CANS And LEONARD
EQUALLY Matched
Were Contest BE tween
Them Possible it Would
be Epochal
LAVICNE WAS A
GREAT SLUGCER

ard and Kid Lewis II they were called
on 10 meet two men OF the ability OF
Joe Cans and Kid Layigne2'
This question was recently asked, and
In such manner as to convey the i'm
preston that Cans and Lavlgne would
overwhelm Leonard and Lewis and thus
furnish proof that the boxers OF a quar-
ter OF century ago were far superior
to the ringsters OF the present.
II is a difficult matter to find a basis
for comparison, as Benny Leonard
was but two months Of age at the time
that Lavigne won the worlds light
weight championship from Dick Burge
In London. Lewis also was a toddler
at this date. Cans had been fighting
six years when Leonard and Lewis fret
saw the Hight. The negro was at his
best then. and when he finally got q
chance to win the title from Frank
. Erne In 1902 Lewis and Leonard were
each in their seventh year.
Yet, having studied both Cans and
Lavigne at close range during their
entire ring careers and having watched
the roped arena, the writer feels quail
ifed TO speak OF the relative abilities
OF this noted quartet OF boxers.
George Laygne was a pugilistic Wild
cat, and he never ceased his furious
assaults on opponents TIL he had con-
quered or the bell ended the final
round. Lavigne was not a good boxer,
but he was a bundle OF compressed
energy and pugnaclty, and his vitality
was amazing.
But George Layigne was powerless
before a clever defensive boxer, and
the Saginaw Kid never succeeded In
landing a knockout blow on an oppo-
nent who was versed IN the science OF
self defence. This was evident at the
outset OF his career, when he met
George Siddons. "the Mouse" in two
astonishing battles, the first lasting
seventy-seven rounds and the second
lfty-flve rounds, both OF which were
called draws.
Later on Lavignes inability 70 over
come a clever boxer was accentuated.
TIe met Young Griffo at COney Island.
October -. 1896, in a twenty round
bout, and although Lavigne was at hls
best. and never tried harder in his life.
he did not land on the Australian with
force enough 10 jar him.
Kid MCFARLAND, then a clever light
weight. now an able referee, was the
next man Of excellent defensive skill
TO face Layigne They met In a twen-
ty-flve round bout, February 9, 1897.
and il went the limit. Lavigne tried
everything IN his repertoire Of punches
hut failed to bring down MCFARLAND.
Lavigne got the decision OF the referee
because OF his aggressiveness, but he
failed to score a knockout.
Frank Erne, also a clever defensive
boxer. then met Lavigne I'm a twenty
round contest at COney Island. ~Septem-
Der %. 1898. and the bout went the
limit 10 a draw. Then on July B. 1899,
at Cheektokaga, near Buffalo, Erne
took the title from Lavigne on ref
eree's decision in a twenty round bout
that lasted the limit.
Taking into consideration these his
torical facts, we reach the conclusion
that Lavigne at his best would have
been unable to do any special damage
20 Leonard, who certainly is as clever
a boxer as either Mcfarland or Erne, |
and Is a much harder puncher than
were Griffo. Erne or Mcfarland.
Lewis as he stands today would |
have made It very interesting for the |
Lavlene who beat Burge, for Lewis is
a vicious hitter. Lavigne gave away |
weight to Burge who was a light |
puncher. but Lavigne could not have |
conceded 10 Lewis as much weight as |
j I.eonard did OF Newark and made as |
good a fight. Lewis could not hit Leon
ard with effect. but Lewis would have |
hit Lavigne without any trouble at all. |
The only reason that Walcett did not 1
nut l.avigne away was because the Ne |
gro was so weakened by making iS3 /
pounds ringside he could not hit with /
customary force.
There is every reason TO believe that |
Cans was a better man in all respects
than Lavigne. Cans knocked out Erne /
in one round, stopped MCFARLAND In /
fvO rounds, twice knocked out Mike /
Twin Sullivan, a weller, and was beat
en- by decision in fifteen rounds by Sam
Langford in 1908 at a time when the
Tar Baby was a lightweight. As sam /
later in the same year was out-pOinted
by Danny Duane, 10 would seem tat
Langford was not formidable In his
lightweight period He was young then
however. and improved considerably.
With Cans at his best and Leonard
In ton form, a bout between. them
would have been sizzling affair. Com
pairing the speed, boxing. skill and hit
Ting power Of these great lightweights.
they seem to be so evenly matched
that the outcome OF the battle would
likely hinge on strategy or endurance.
AS TO Lewis, our opinion Is that Cans
would have triumphed because OF his
coolness and hard, accurate hitting.