Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-09
LEONARD DEFENDED
AS REAL CHAMPION
by JIM CORb[IT
Lightweight Titleholder Fully
Up to Form of Old
Days.
By M J.

Copyright. 1922, by King Feature Service
Quite a few well informed persons
seem to be of the belief that Benny
Leonard has gone back some during
the last year or so, probably basing
their opinion ON the ract that Lew
Tender managed to muss him up CON
siderably in that Jersey City meeting
of theirs.
To my mind that fight didn't prove
that Leonard had slipped. On the con-
trary, l thought he fought one of his
greatest battles. And still / thought
he lost. AS / saw it, he hadn't gone
back. He just was outfought by a
first class lightweight, if / ever saw
one.
A lot of other sharpshooters try
to prove their case in this manner.
For three years after he became
champion by stopping Welsh in the
ninth round, Leonard was the marvel
of defense who never even had his
hair mussed by an opponent. IL that
unerring part down the middle was
so much as disturbed, the newspapers
made due mention of the fact.
Now, then, what happens during the
present year? He takes on the anci-
ent Soldier Bartfield in a benefit
bout at Madison Square Garden and
Soldier lambasts him to such effect
that Benny comes out of it with a
severe cut acros the bridge of the
nose.
Later, he fights Jack Britton and
gets the worst of it by a mile. the
bout finally coming to an abrupt end
in the thirteenth round with Britton
the winner on a foul. Benny. even in
his days of fistic boobdom, was never
made to look so bad, they say.
Subsequently, he stops Rocky Kan
sas out at Michigan City, but not be-
fore Kansas had damaged some of his
teeth. these were repaired while he
was training for Tender and then in
one of the early rounds, Lew smacks
him one with the left and out pops a
tooth.
Next on the program was Ever
! Hammer, and while Leonard won that
one easily. his mouth is now in such
bad condition from Eyer's punches that
/ he can sign for no more engagements
until his gums heal.
Therefore, they say. is this the great
champion who once became somewhat
/ irritated when a rival happened to
disturb the even folds OF his hair! No,
they say. Not a chance.
That sounds like a plausible line Of
reasoning. Yet / have no faith IN 1t.
If Leonard has gone back, he couldn't
have fought as he did against Tender.
If he is easier to hit than he used to
be than Tender would be the light
| weight champion today. because Lew
| had the title in the palm of his glove
in the eighth round and yet couldn't
penetrate that amazing defense with
the one solid punch that might have
ended it then and there.
No, Leonard has not slipped an inch.
To my mind, it is simply a case of the
lightweight division having improved
as a class. 1t is getting better every
day and some of the veterans like
Johnny Dundee and Charley White are
more than keeping step with the rest
of them by improving as they go on.
Leonard had never met Tender be-
fore. Then. how was anybody to de-
termine which was the better man un-
til they faced each other in the ring ?
Leonard wasn't o~ver-rated before the
fight. 1t was just that Tender was
moderated.
As to the bruised condition of the
champions mouth, l can only say that
any man who contracts to meet three
men Of the calibre of Jack Britton,
Rocky Kansas and Lew Tender with
in a period of a month will certainly
not escape scott free in the matter of
bruises. Indeed, in successfully carry
ing this unusual burden, Leonard, TO
me, proved more than ever that he is
every inch a champion.