New-York tribune., 1921-12-25
Benny Leonard
Continues SWAY
In Own Sphere
Johnny Wilson, Jack Britton
and Johnny Kilbane Also
Retain Laurels for 1921
BY Fred Hawthorne

Oh tue pftzc ring curing inc year OF
1921, not only to the 10000 persons
who saw this snarling. relentless fight
ing man batter down the frail Georges
Carpenter at Royle's Thirty Acres
Park in Jersey City last July but also
to untold thousands both in this coun-
try and in countries overseas who had
read of Dempsey's exploits.
So great. so masterful is Dempsey in
his profession that there is no man in
all the world who figures to have a
chance of dethrcning the champion.
Attempts were made during the year
just closed to bring forth logical op-
ponent for this modern Goliath of the
ring. but Dempsey battered down
all opposition so quickly, with such
savage ease, that he has stood since
the Carpenter battle an invincible
champion with no new worlds to con-
quer.
After his victory over Jess Willard
st Toledo. the battle in which he won
the worlds championship, Dempsey met
various other "contenders" for his
laurels, among them Bill Brennan. of
Chicago, in a bout at Madison Square
Garden. This affair was great disap-
pointment to Dempsey's friends, for
the champion was slow in action and
mark for Brennan's long left. After
taking gruelling beating from his op-
ponent for eight or ten rounds Demp-
sey finally won with Knockout in the
twelfth round.
Nobody on the Outside" ever did
know the real facts Of that fight of
Dempsey's. There were those who in
sisted Dempsey was doing his best, but
that he had gone back as a pugilist.
and others who declared the champion
was merely stalling, with the Carpen-
tier bout in view. This is the more
logical conclusion when the results of
the battle with the courageous French
man are taken into consideration.
Many Notables at Ringside
There will probably never again be
such tremendous gathering at prize
fight as that which greeted Dempsey
and Carpenter in Tex Richards I'M
mense arena in Jersey City on that
day in July when worlds champion
ship was at stake. The gate receipts
totalled almost $1,500,000, and many
of the most notable men in the United
States were close to the ringside when
The bell started the men off on their
scheduled twelve-round fight
When they came to the center for in
structions by the referee Dempsey's
great bulk, his beetling black brows
and his hairy chest, as contrasted with
the young Frenchman's slender lines
and fair skin, formed striking study
in opposing types.
The result of that battle is now his
tory the world over. For one feeting
moment, in the second round, Dempsey
trembled on the brink of defeat, when
Carpenter shot terrific right to the
tip Of the jaw Dempsey tottered back
on his heels, dazed, unseeing. The
French champion, seeing his golden
opportunity, tried to end matters with
tremendous uppercut, bat the blow
barely grazed Jacks jaw, and the
Am erican Immediately fell into a clinch
until his head cleared.
From then until the end the fight
was all Dempsey's. Driving Carpen-
tier before him with merciless drives to
the body, the worlds champion quickly
battered his adversary into a state of
helplessness. His margin of superior
lty was so clear that even those who
came to root for the Frenchman were
compelled to admit that Dempsey was
the greatest fighting human of, the age.
Color Line Bars Wills
dempsey has done no fighting since
then, for no suitable opponent has an
peared who looks like a logical CON
tender. Tom Gibbons, of st. Paul. a
last, heavy-hitting fighter, who has
piled up long list of quick knock
outs IN the last twelve months, is be-
ing groomed to meet the champion, and
IL may be that he will be able to ac-
cG0,mpllsh what neither the gigantic
wizard nor the scientific Carpenter
was aole to bring about. Harry Wills
the great negro heavyweight. who
would probably press Dempsey closer
than any other man, was barred bv the
color line. ~ S"S
carpenter. though disappointed in
ms great ambition by his defeat at the
gnarled fists of Dempsey. still retained
his title of light heavyweight cham
plon OF the world, won through his vic.
tory over Battling Levinsky a year age
last October.
The middleweight class, poor in ma.
terial since the death of Stanley Ket-
cheli, showed even less promise during
l92l; Johnny Wilson, of Boston, left
handler far below championship caliber
is still regarded as leader of the diyi-
sion by majority of ring followers
although Bryan Downey, of Columbus
ONO, was recognized as the champion
following his bout with Wilson in Ohio
III lSGU. 1neSe Two met In return
match in New Jersey on Labor Day,
no official decision being rendered, al
though the prevailing opinion appeared
to be that Downey had the better of a
very poor bout.
Jack Britton still clung to his well
terweight crown, in spite of his ad-
vancing years, principally owing to the
lack of real class in this division. The
veteran, however, is one of the most
skilled boxers in the ring to-day, and
were he few years younger would
probably hold the title for another
five years.
Lightweight Contenders Scarce
Benny Leonard went through an
other year of championship supremacy
without seeing another contender who
seriously threatened his long sway as
lightweight king. Joe yelling, who was
battered down In fourteen rounds. and
Ritchie Mitchell, who lasted six rounds.
gave Benny more trouble than any
other opponents i'll recent years. Nit
chell scoring knockdown early in the
fight, after taking terrific amount of
punishment at the hands of the cham
pion. Unless he suffers a rapid de-
cline in his powers Leonard appears
in no danger of losing his title in the
year about to begin.
Another champion who retained his
championship laurels through 1921 was
Johnny Kilbane, of Cleveland, the
featherweight title-holder. Although
Johnny has been past his best fighting
form for the last two or three years.
he has been able to stand off all as