The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-12-08
LEONARD TO RETIRE
AS LIGHTWEIGHT AND
SEEK WEI TER TITLE
p.rrv Doesn't Need the Money and He Has Such Hard
Time Making Weight He Fears for His Health
Haunting Fear of Tuberculosis Worries Him-Demp-
.ev Another Who Has Hard Time Keeping Fit.

gagements. As a welterwcieht he
don't noed to weaken himself
Leonard Is noted among athletes
as oral, clean living fellow. lie
Is in his prime. But he needs to
box In actual contests more often 10
he IN to Keep his fine fighting form.
and he can't do II as a lightweight.
Lacking tho urge OF ambition
which usually comes from a need o:
money Benny may rot box much
moro even as weltcrweight. In
that case II won't be long before he
reures TO business life, for which
he has shown some llking already.
Easy to Get Soft.
ia Dempsey IL another hoNc~
who Is likely 10 feel the effect o..
too little ring activity. Jack IL In
the unfortunate position OF outclass
ing all his rivals so far that he can't
get match that would interest the
public more than once a year.
Jack Dempsey became great
fighter through fighting every week
He was hard as steel when he
whipped willard, and his eye was
keen 10 measure distances, his brain
lightning fast to figure chances and
drive home his crashing blows
Dempsey doesn't care much for a
life OF ease, but circum stances have
forced 1t upon him. lie is becoming
resigned and careless. Also he puis
on a lot OF evenly distributed extra
weight--soft flesh.
l think Jack Dempsey saw his
best day In the ring when faced
Jess Willard at Toledo, Or even be-
fore that, when he fought Fulton.
He was slow when he fought
Brennan. The terrific tearing power
OF his punch was gone. and every
attempt to put over n winning blow
was a dragging physical and mental
effort instead OF a spontaneous and
natural movement in which the blow
followed the thought as a powder
flash follows the spark.
What Is Lacking.
Dempsey was down to weight and
looked fine for the bout with Car
pentier. He knew more about box
ing than he did at Toledo. He was
apparently perfect fighting ma
chine. But the explosive quality
that tore willard apart wasn't In
him. He was stili one OF the great
est champions we've ever seen, but
lacking something
Ho boxed with perfect judgment,
hit hard and cleanly. showed plenty
of endurance when he was hit on the
chin. but lacked some part OF tho
thing that made the fighting terror
he was when he knocked Fulton out
In less than a quarter OF n minute
and put the gigantic Willard down
for a seyen-seCond count almost as
quickly.
II Dempsey goes on travelling with
the vaudeville show, in pictures. liv-
ing an easy life. he'll drop back like
all other champions before him.
And I'll say that no other champion
I've known in the past 80 years ever
tried as hard AZ Dempsey 10 keep
tit. He works incessantly TO keep
up his boxing when not matched
for n fight. but no amount OF gym
nasium training can make up Tor
lack OF real contests.
As Jack says himself: II wish
could fight every week. I used 20
be 80 NJ all the time that l didn't
need more than couple OF DAYS
training for any fight, Now when
| fight know / have 10 go through
a grind for n couple OF months be-
fore I'm down to weight and feeling
like myself. II takes all the fun out
OF It,"
Dempaey will be champion for
some time to come, but the easy Nte
is going to get him as It gets all the
rest. Eventually some hungry
husky, hard youngsters will topple
him over. The bubbles always come
up from the bottom. and the froth
goes into thin air.
Copyright, the Bell Syndicate. Inc
1919