Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-07
LEONARD EASILY
0UTP0|NTS KANSAS
Eliminates Rocky Person as
Lightweight Contender in
Jersey Bout
MARGIN OF VICTORY 80
BY LOUIS II. JAFFE

| q.
Kansas, of Buffalo. today is eliminated
as contender for the lightweight
championship. without even half try
ing Benny Leonard had little troubl,
detendlng his diadcm against the Rock,
person in scheduled twelve round
no decision contest here last night. TIL,
champions margin of victory was eigh,
rounds to two. The other pair ot
frames were even. There were severn
times that Benny really dropped a
right. handler on Kansas chin. On such
occasions Rocky was rocked. but the
New Yorker appeared contented not tC
follow up his blows. As early as the
hrst round Leonard shook up his Buff
talo opponent, but Benny danced away
ana waited for Kansas to come to him.
During a greater part of the set to
Leonard permitted Kansas to be the
aggressor. Rocky bored in all right
but he was unsuccessful in his at
tempts to connect with a telling punch.
left hook seemed TO be the Buffalo
mans best blow. He tried to connect
with 1eonard's chin. failing dismally
Switching to the body with the same
blow, Kansas also was unable to con
meet.
Kansas Lands With Fouls
| Kansas landed with number of foul
punches at different times. He invari :
ably, scored with back hand punches,
apologizing on each occasion that he
dldnt mean it. There were other times
when Kansas blows found Judgement
| below the belt, and when cautioned by
Referee Danny Sullivan. Rocky further
announced the foul tactics as being un-
intentional.
For three rounds Leonard was like
streak of creased lightning. He was
IKE shadow. in and out and around
hansas,' scoring with straight leftS,
hooks and right crosses. Although Benny
staggered Rocky twice he sort of let
up and gave the Buffalo man a chance
to regain his bearings. In the second
round incessant left jabs reddened Kan
sas' right eye, but little damage was
done.
Kansas opened up wide in the fourth
session. He tore into Leonard with both
arms swinging and forced the champion
to break ground. Rocky rushed Leonard
against the ropes and ripped in a series
OF hard wallops to the head and body.
Benny was on the defense almost
throughout the round, and while Kan
sas succeeded in delivering number
lot punches, Leonard's cleverness in
blocking and ducking enabled him to
ger away from most Of the Italians
| otense. The round belonged to Kansas.
hanSaS continued to set the pace in
the fifth round Rocky appeared TO
have a lot of confidence because of the
champion defensive tactics, and he
put on a rushing battle. But Lponard's
cieverneSs was always in evidence,
and he succeeded in keeping the
milling even with his short punches.
despite the wild swinging blows of the
contender. Both scored their hardest
punches in the fifth session when they
exchanged right handlers simultaneously
on the chin. Leonard's blow was timed
better and carried more steam: still
Benny fell into a Clinch. and when they
parted neither appeared to be hurt in
the least.
Rocky's Judgment Bad
Kansas came rushing out Of his corner
in the sixth and he had Leonard on the
run. But Rocky's judgment of dis
tance was terrible He missed punches
by inches, while others went wide of
their mark by feet. Before the round
ended Benny scored with sufficient
straight lefts to be entitled to the ses-
sion. In the seventh Leonard landed n
few hard rights TO the head and body,
Kansas slipping to the floor after suf-
fering one of these blows to the mid
section, but it really was not a knock
down.
The eighth and ninth belonged to the
champion by mile. Benny twice shak-
ing up Kansas with right crosses to the
chin. Neither time, !:owcyer did Tho
titleholder make much of an effort TO
follow up his punches. Leonard had
Kansas little rocky in the eighth and
he took the ninth by very large
margin.
The tenth was the only other round
which was won by Kansas. Leonard
backed up almost throughout the session
before series of blows uncorked by
Rocky, none Of which, however. was
effective. In fact, Leonard evidently
was giving pure exhibition of defensive
boxing without trying to score with any
punches himself. Near the finish of the
round Leonard came through with n
number of left iabs that almost blinded
the contender, but Benny's rally was
shy of evening up the round.
Rocky's Lip Ripped
First blood of the battle was spilled
in the eleventh round. A right hand
upperCut, beautifully timed blow,
ripped Rocky's upper lip and before
the finish of the session Kansas mouth
was bleeding profusely. Straight lcfts
puffcd ROcky's face and his features
were battered when the round ended.
Kansas crowded Leonard in the final
frame. forcing Benny against the ropes,
but the Buffalo battler didn't have d
chance. lie wasn't in the running at
all whenever the champion wanted to
open up.
With about half minute to 90 both
Leonard and Kansas began to take
| chances and sockcd each other around
pretty good. More action was put on in
the final thirty seconds than in any two
rounds.
They weighed in about two hours be.
fore entering the ring. Leonard tipped
the beam at 1876. Kansas was two
pounds lighter.
just before the bout started odds of
3 to / that Kansas would stay the limit
were shouted around the rugside.
Several hundred PHILADELPHIA fans
were among those present of the csti-
mated 2S 900 crowd. Among those who
came over from the Quaker CITY in
cluded Herman Taylor, Bobby Gunnis.
Leon l.. Rains, Phil Glassman, Judge
John NJ. Patterson, Pete Moran, Willis
Britt, Jack Weinstein and Ray Camp
bell.