The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-29

LEONARD STOPS
RITCHIE IN 9Th
Californian Is Knocked Help
less and Referee Ends
Fight.
$4,000 FANS SEE BOUT
Champion Is Master From
Start to Finish - Only
,One Round for Richie.
$4,000 FANS SEE BOUT
ny GEORGE n. UNDERWOOD.

ny GEORGE n. UNDERWOOD.
Benny Leonard, lightweight champion
OF the world. won on a technical knock
out from Willie Richie of California IN
the final round of their eight round bout
before huge crowd In the First Resi-
ment Armory, Newark. last night.
With only forty seconds remaining
In the inal round Referee Slim Brennan
stepped In and stopped the fight TO
save Richie from further punishment.
Richie was on his feet at the time and
the referees action seemed needless.
Leonard was battering him from pillar
TO post. but Richie had chance OF
staying the limit. and most OF the ring
siders were of the opinion Richie would
have lasted the remaining forty seconds.
Though defeated. Richie was far
from disgrsced. There was never
moment from the first clang of the bell
that Leonard was not trying for a
Knockout. but Richie took all OF the
terrific wallops the champion handed
him and plunged for more.
Near End in Second.
II looked like quick finish when
Leonard dropped Richie with a terrific
left hook late in the second The lion
hearted Californian took a count OF six
and staggered to his feet Before
Leonard could finish him the gong rang
ana the Californian was saved. From
then on till the final round Richie
kept his feet, though staggered again
and again by the champions heavy
smashes.
Midway of the final round Leonard
dashed a terrific left to the Jaw and
fiattened Richie on the canvas. The
Californian took a count OF seven and
a. hia orI t.,
like a tiger and strove to finish him.
Though hammering Richie from rope
TO rope Benny failed to again toppie
over the Californian. Two minutes and
twenty seconds had elapsed in the final
round when Referee Brennan stopped
the slaughter.
Few fighters ever have given a more
remarkable display OF bulldog courage
and iron stamina and endurance than
did Richie throughout the fight, and
more particularly In the final round.
Early in the eighth round Leonard
Tented the Californian out with left
and suddenly crashed a terrific right to
the jaw. 1t drove Willie back on hts
heels. The Californian shook his head
and rushed in for more. As he came
tearing in Leonard sidestepped and
swinging hard with his right caught
Ritchie on the left temple. The blow
felled the former title holder like
poled steer.
r.1 Down for SIX Seconds.
Richie plunged face forward TO the
canvas with a resounding thud II looked
as II It was all over, but the Californian
rolled over. got upon one knee. rubbed
his eyes and tottered to his feet as the
referee reached nine in his count. Bren-
nan was counting rapidly and Richie
had not been down more than six Sec
onds by the watch
When Ritchie tottered to his feet
Leonard leaped in like a tiger to finish
him. He threw science to the winds and
slugsed Richie like a longshoreman.
Left and right. then leC and right again
Leonard landed on the near helpless
Richie. 1t did not seem possible for
any human being TO withstand such a
wsiloping. but I;tchie. trying desper-
ately to cover, took all the punishment
and still remained on his feet
Leonard grew desperate and once he
swung 50 wildly he almost lost his ball
ance. The frantic shouts from the cham
pions corner. STEADY. Benny. steady"
finally bore results and Benny steadied
himself and measured his man for the
knockout.
fitting Wille's head back with his
left. Leonard crashed right after right
to the head. Though grogsy and on the
verge OF a knockout, Ritchie kept his
right arm wrapped around his Jaw and
partly blocked many OF the punches.
Benny tried to pry off Hitch!c's protect
ing arms in vain. Ritchie was stagger
in, like a drunken man and knockout
WAS imminent.
Richie the AGSressor.
The bout was one OF the fastest and
hercest that has been fought in this neck
of the woods In many moons. Those who
g.,
boxing match were pleasantly surprised
The men fought like bobcats from the
first to the fnal clang of the gong. The
beaten man was the agressor and forced
the lighting all Of tho way.
Leonard. however. cut loose as never
before and he put every ounce of his
strength into many OF his punches.
Benny tried hard from the start for
Knockout, tried as never before, and II
abounds greatly TO Riches credit That
the best Leonard could do was to win by
technical knockout.
Leonard outboxed Richie by big
margin. He landed almost ten punches
TO Ritchie's one. Leonard's blows also
carried the greater power. 1t was
Ritchie's remarkable ability TO assimi-
late punishment and his bulldog courage
that enabled him to weather the nstic
gale.
There were several rounds IN which
Leonard grew punch weary hammerinE
the Californian. In those rounds.
Benny punched himself out Willie
took all the punishment and kept pluns-
ing in for more.
Left Hooks Most Damaging.
II was Leonard's accurately driven iert
hooks that did most of tho damage.
Benny nguratively and in the parlance
Of the ring fans left handed the Cali
fornian TO death" Willie could throw
out no defence against the lightning iefts
with which Benny bombarded him. The
champion started his singing left Jsbs
with lifting left hooks that would havo
spelled a quick X. o. for the average
\ lightweight. There were rounds when
Benny's face took on a perplexed look
AZ IL he could not fathom why Willie
stayed on his feet
Ritchis landed only occasionally. Once
or twice q round he would manage to
connect with long left or right. Benny
blocked or ducke6 most OF his punches,
~ aA1 tn