The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-06
Corbett's Daily Letter
 On Great Sport Topics
By JAMES J. CoRBETT

purposely saving up foes of rather formidable nature merely to get return bouts with them-and thus add to his bankroll?"
 The Benny Leonard who has appeared in fistic clashes during the past year is not the same wonderful Benny Leonard who was bowling over rivals like ten pins through 1917.
 Up to the time that Leonard became ar army instructor his performances were of a spectacular nature Fitted against the toughest men in the light weight division, he made short work of each. His deeds, when experience was reckoned. surpassed those of any light weight champion in history. Leonard then was reckoned as still in the ascen- dancy. It was felt that before he reached the zenith of his career he would rank ndisputably as the greatest 133 pounder of all time.
 But Leonard ever has failed to live up to expectations. His showings since he became an army instructor have not been miserable. They have been really high class. But they haven't been anything like that which was expected of a super lightweight. Leonard of the latter part of 1918 and so far in 1919 has been miles removed from the Leonard of 1917
 There can be but two reasons for this:
 l. Leonard has gone back or, O. Leonard has adopted the 'get-the- e-money" tactics by purposely neglecting to score knockouts so that he can pave the way for return matches.
 It doesn't seem possible that a young ster like Leonard, who knocked out John ny klbane, Rtchie Mitchell, Freddie Welsh and other stellar performers over a six months stretch. could really go back at this time in life. Leonard is clean living youngster Army life, in stead of detracting from his physical prowess should have added to it. It is my belief that Benny Leonard today is a liner physical specimen than he was at the time that he was knocking em all into the arms of Morpheus
 Yet Leonard no longer drops his foe men as in the past. He shades many of them and has scored heavily in points against others. But his knockout wallop is among the missing. Time and again Benny has had opponents in such shape that it seemed that a few more wallops to the chin would write "f1nis" on the show. Bua always Leonard has failed to schoot through the punches.
 Was it because he couldn't-or wouldn't?
 Many ring experts believe that Leonard has decided to save up his enemies for future contests. If he had knocked out alt of the youngsters it is a cinch he couldn't get return match with any sizeable guarantee. But by permitting em to go the distance with Leonard might influence a return match in which Leonard would be guaranteed nice ad- dition to his bankroll
 If this is true-and many who have watched Leonard's career feel this way Benny has not been playing exactly fair With the spectators and his admirers They pay to see Benny do his best. If Benny could knock out an opponent and chooses not to insh him, then Benny Leonard is not performing his best.
 Such tactics, if persisted in, sooner or later will cause Leonard certain loss of prestige and shear away from him much of the wonderful popularity that was his when he finished the American lightweight champion, the lightweight champion of the world and the feather weight titleholder all in a~period a of va few months.