New-York tribune., 1921-12-15
And Rickard Is Still
Waiting for a Reply
on 50 Per Cent Offer
BY Fred Hawthorne

Looks as if the next big bout at tn
Garden, following tomorrow nights
swatting bee between Lew Tender and
Sailor Friedman, viii be for the boz
fight promoters championship of the
world, with Billy Gibson in one corner
and Tex Richard III the other.
On Tuesday Tex offered Benny Leon
ard, Gibson's lightweight champion, SO
per cent of the gate TO meet the win
ner of the Friedman Tender bout.
Last night the following telegram came
to the sporting department from Glib
sen:
''Ir answer to stories published in
various papers to-day stating chat
Tex Rickard has offered Benny Leon
ard 90 per cent of the gross receipts
to defend his Championship in Madi-
son Square Garden, I will say that
Benny Leonard viii defend his title
at the stipulated lightweight limit,
loo pounds at p. m, for any pro-
moter or organization in the United
States, but not Tor Tex Rickard.
Benny Leonard's name seems to
pc used extensively every time Mr.
Richard has . lightweight contest in
the Garden. The winner is always
to be matched with Leonard for the
title. To make myself clearly un-
derstood, Mr.. Rickard cannot sign
Benny Leonard to box any one, even
If he were willing TO give the cham
pion all the receipts.
BILLY GIBSON"
If Messrs. Gibson and Riciard will
now come TO terms ard name the
weights and the distance at which they
viii mingle, we ought to sit in at one
OF the rosiest little frscases ever
Rlckard feud has been feuding for
many months, and any club that gets
this scrap should be able to label It q
"grudge" fight without stretching the
meaning of the adjective.
Rickard Awaits Answer
In the mean time from Richards
otfices at the Garden yesterday was
issued a statement declaring that Tex
was st;il waiting for reply from
Benny Leonard in regard to his offer IF
% per cent TO box the winner OF the
Sailor FriedmanLew Tender fifteen
round encounter at the Garden to-mor-
row night The prom oter is hopeful
OF receiving favorable answer from
the lightweight cham pion, calling for
tne latter's appearance in the cmphi-
theater to defend his laurels."
IN view OF Glhson's telegram of last
night, the only comment we. can make
IS that if Richard is still "hopeful" Of
matching Leonard for bout in the
Garden, then he is the most optimistic
optimist in an optimistic age.
In passing we might say that it IS
our by no means humble opinion that
Benny Leonard could take on Sailor
Friedman and Lew Tender in success
sion IN the same ring. on the same
night and do the same thing to both of
them-knock them "dooey."
The notes Of operate songbirds will
be succeeded by the sym phony of ne
humping fist IN the Lexington Avenue
Opera House, at Lexington Avenue and
Fifty first Street, next Monday night,
when a fine program of bouts for The
benefit Of the Christmas Fund will be
pUr II.
The headliners VIII be frankie Ge-
naro and Johnny Rosner, two fly
weights who both swing ''tanglefoot''
punches in their mitts. Ten rounds is
the distance called for, but that doesn't
necessarily mean that the tning will
last ten rounds. What bright little
reader can decipher the hidden mean
ing in the foregoing sentence?