New-York tribune., 1921-12-14
Benny May Meet Tender
or Friedman; Wilson
Gets Long-Held-UpPur Purse
By Fred Hawthorne

If they keep picking on Benny Leon
ard much longer Benny is going to get
mad and do something about it. Tex
Rickard, who has been trying to lure
the lightweight champion into the ring
at Madison Square Garden for. many
months, came out with anothes offer
last night, and this is what he hangs
out under the Leonard nose: Fifty per
cent of the gate" for the title holder
to meet the winner of Friday nights
fifteen-round bout at the Garden be-
tween Sailor Friedman and Lew Ten
dler; the weight for Benny to scale to
be 1876 pounds at 2 o'clock and the dis
tance fifteen rounds to a decision.
Tex declares this is the largest per-
centage ever offered to a fighter. and
that in order to make good on it he has
agreed to give either Friedman or Ten
dler, in return for their services,
NOTHING, from which their training
expenses will be deducted
Rickard. following a conference with
Tender, Friedman and their managers.
got the promise Of Lew and the Sailor
that it would be so exquisite pleasure
to meet Benny that they would be more
than tickled to death to take the cham
pion's wallops for nothing.
No Word From Champion
Up to midnight last night Rickard
had not heard a word from Leonard or
Billy Gibson, his manager, and so he
does not know yet whether Benny will
demand that the winner of Friday
nights bout PAY for the privilege of
being thumped by the Leonard lunch
hooks, instead of merely taking 'em for
nothing.
After their consultation with Rick
ard. Friedman and Tender went right
back into hard training. The Sailor is
doing his training at Grupps gymna-
SUM in Harlem, and yesterday he was
using his right hand which he injured
on Leonard when they met in Philly
recently. as though nothing had marred
its classic outlines. Tender is due to
arrive from the Ostermoor City on Fri
day morning for the purpose Of weigh
ing in at 1876 pounds at o'clock.
The ten-round semi-fnal between
Harvey Bright and Pepper Martin. RI
walls for the featherweight crown. has
all the earmarks of heluva evening.
not to mention two eight-round prelim-
inaries.
The life of promoter is not all
bed of daffodils. Yesterday Tex
Rickard telephoned to Johnny Wilson.
the more or less middleweight cham
pion, and asked Johnny to step into
Iex's offices at Madison Square Garden.
When Mister Champion had parked his
No. IFS under Richards best mahog-
any desk, Tex handed Wilson certi-
fed check for $4,000, all for Thank
you"
Johnny Wilson Gets $4,000
The check was in payment for Will
sons end of the purse for the bout
with Bryan Downey in Jersey CITY
last September, an affair oted by
Rlckard, and which lavish use of the
most powerful disinfectants has not
yet succeeded in robbing of it's strong
odor. The Jake" has been held un
since then by the New Jersey Boxing
Commission and Richard, on the
ground that Wilson was not trying his
best
When Johnny realized that the check
was a yard wide and all wool, he was
overcome with remorse, or something.
and kissed Tex right on his cigar
holder, and promised to meet any
middleweight in the world that Rickard
may select before January 5, the bout
to take place at the Garden in the
middle of February. No terms were
mentioned yesterday, but these will be
arranged when Tex names Wilson's on
ponent next week.