The Washington herald., 1922-07-29
|LEONARD'S BATTLE
WITH LEW SHOWS
PUNCH ON DECLINE
Comparison Proves That
Champs Blows Lack
Former Power.
By wEsTBRooK PEaLER.

NEW YORK. July 2s-rhe only
real way to learn how hard Benny
Leonard can sail that right mitt il
to bite him on the knuckies when
it's coming your way. This kind Of
research has its drawbacks. To q
man who just casually wants TO
know whether Leonard still hits as
he used to. It seems hardly worth
the pains.
The next best way is to compare
Benny's recent shows with some OF
his older activities. And this makes
it appear that Leonard doesn't
shoot az hard or ~ straight as he
used to.
Benny spent the frst four rounds
of the Tender fight missing with
his right after touching up Leftie
Louies gigantic nose. which could
not be missed, with q very mild
left jab. Later In the night Leonard
seemed to gather . little speed ana
Tender seemed to run down. 90
Leonard was able to dump his right
cross against the awkward gentle
mans Jaw whenever he tried. sim
piy by beating Tender to the punch.
A dozen times. IL not nifty. the
champion hauled on and whackeo
this party square on the dental de-
partment with all his fading might,
and not once in the whole bout was
Tender on the carpet or in danger
of dropping from a punch. The only
time Tender went down he was
wrestled down through the ropes
Lew Often Dropped.
Tender has been knocked dowp
by lots of lads-knocked clear OF
his big, fiat feet a dozen times
Rocky Kansas bumped him over In
the Garden, and Kansas is more q
mauler than a clean, precise hit
| ter. So II Leonard could whack
away at that chin with every ounce
Of his power and not even spill him
| for a short count. Leonard's punch
| has gone away, or either Tender.
law has gotten much tougher.
| Kansas Is a tough man with
flint face but a sharp left hooi
to the chin, put him down for nint
in his fifteen-round fight with
Leonard last winter. Ritchit
Mitchell was hiking along like q
coming champion when Leonard
dropped him three times in a round
and actually punched all the figh'
out of him in their fight at the
Garden. Mitchell has been a has
been ever since. Joe Walling. too
has amounted to nothing since h,
got his beating from Benny.
Another Bout in Winter.
In the Britton fight Leonard
weighed about 140 pounds. Fighting
at catch weights he had ever,
chance in the world to be at hi
very best. A couple of times hs
dropped in his right on the old man:
chin and Britton isn't very strong
any more. But Leonard couldn't
drop the welterweight magician.
II he can't be strong at catch
weights neither can he be at hi,
best at 135 pounds. Benny savec
his forfeit last night by an ounc'
of weight and for all the public
knows. he may have spent SOM
time in a steam bath, getting dowI
to 1874 pounds, fifteen ounces
Some time this fall or next win
ter Benny and Lewie will have t.
box again in New York to a deci
sion. They did their best in a Jer.
sey twelve-rounder and Benny bare
ly won. II they had faxed it fol
return match that critical moi
would have called them before tn,
fifth round. They got a little NOR,
than S146.000 for this battle. bu'
there Ia no arena In New YorE
large enough to hold as much
money as the Jersey bowl held OF
Thursday night. So they will hav,
to be contented with perhaps hal
as much.