New-York tribune., 1922-12-24
New York Sets
Ring Fashions
OF Best Year
Leonard . Tender Bout Fea-
lures Banner Season, Re
suit of MuldOOn Policies
By lack Lawrence

ton. Inc game not onAl III t.ie 'N~t-f
but In All the others where the sport
Is legaliEed. has fourishsd and devei-
oped. In this state, under the guia-
ance Of On able boxing commission, the
game has reached high level and nas
received unprecedented support from
the poblic This fact alone is tribute
20 william Muldoon, chairman OF the
Boxing Commission. and those VINO
have Been associated with him IN me
srdUous business OF enforcing state
regulations
The year has seen New York assum.
ing the leadership in ring matters and
already there is a widespread move
msnt afoot throughout the country 70
adept legislation similar 20 that unaer
which boxing has prospered here be.
FORE another year has passed away u
Oould not be surprising 20 see Uni
FORM regulations adopted IN all the
states where boxing is legslized. Al
ready New Jersey is planning 70 SUD
stltuts ffteen-round decision fights FOR
the t~elve-round no-oeeision affairs
prescribed BY It's present law. Similar
action Is being considered IN various
other states. The movement In this d.
yection throughout the country might
UN TNAMTQEu - OUN VI NAAN AaHHH fAft
tant and significant developments OF
the wear. so far as boxing is concerned.
While the year was not marked by
any super-battle. such a. the Dempsey
Carpeutier extravaganza, there mas
been a great deal Of action N moS
of the divisions, from the heavyweight
right down the line 20 the hyWeight'
The most important fight Of the year
IN point Of public interest and the I'M
portance Of the title involved was the
Benny Leonard-Jew Tender battle Tor
the worlds lightweight ebampionship.
This never-to- o-be-fOrgotten match TOOK
place at Boyle's Thirty Acres IN Jer-
sey City last sumner and was VII
messed BY $4,000 persons, almost as
great q crowd as saw the Dempsey
Carpenter bout In the same arena ln
1921. In this battle Benny Leonsra
suceessfully defended his WORLDS
lightweight title after twelve ROUNDS
Of the hereest sort Of milling
Two Championships Change Hands
Only two worlds championships
changed hands during 1922, unless one
cares TO take into consideration the
abortive and thoroughly disgraeeful
AFFAIR in France in which Georges Car
pentier might be said 70 have lost tho
worlds light heavyweight championship
10 the Senagalese freak, Battling SKI.
Inasmueh as the latter appears 20 have
been ruled out Of boxing for his &C
tions following the defeat OF the
Frenehman, 20 say nothing Of the
charges OF eoilusion In connection with
this match. the titular change In this
division can be discounted.
The recognized world titles that
changed ownership during the year were
the velterweight and bantamveight. In
the frst named division Jack Britton
went down 10 defeat 81 the hands OF
Mickey Walker, Of Elizabeth, n J.
after holding the velterweight crown
FOR a long period. He was outpointed
in q hfteen-round fght az Madison
Square Garden last September Mickey
walker winning BY decisive margin.
In the bantamweight division Joe
Lynch. Of this city, regsined the title
he had previously lost to Pete herman
by stopping the ancient Johnny Bun
% Jersey City. IN a battle that was
staged In the New York Velodrome.
Buh had taken The title from Herman:
The year witnessed the creation OF
a new division and 3 new worlds cham
pion. This is the junior lightweight
class. This has come 20 be popular
and generally recognized division ano
IL ruled b. Johnny Dundee, the cham
pion who comes from this city.
During the year the New YORK state
Boxing Commission, in attempting 70
spur certain hghtless champions INTO
action. tried 20 create new worlds
champions in the featherweight and
middlcweight divisions by holding
series Of elimination matches. In the
middleweight class this synthetie title
was captured BY Dave Rosenberg OF
Brooklyn, who defeated Phil Krug, OF
Newark In the finAl bout a. the Velo-
drome. Dave subsequently, lost his
somewhat vague honors when he was
defeated on Thanksgiving Day by the
veteran, Mike ODowd.
In the featherweight class Johnny
Dundee came through vietoriously,
knocking out Danny Fruth In the
bout that give him the title Despite
this eommendGble effort on the part Of
the local boxing commission 20 put
life IN two lifeiess divisions, the pub
lie continues 20 regard Johnny Wilson,
az Boston, as the legitimate holder OF
the middleveight championship Of the
world. The same thing can be said Of
the featherweight division. Johnny
Kilbane, Of Clevelsnd, 10 still regarded
a. the holder Of the worlds title In
this class. despite the fact that he went
through the year Of 1922 without rails
ing . fst,
Two American titles changed owner
ship during the last twelve months. In
the light heavyweight division Harry
Greb. Of Pittsburgh. defeated Gene
Tunney. Of this city, in a Afteen-rOund
battle az Madison Square Garden and
10 now the recognized American light
heavyweight champion.
Paneho villa Real Sensation
In the ayveiEht division. which has
been active throughout the year,
Paneho villa. Of the Philippine Isl
snds. knocked out Johnny Buff, Of
Jersey City. IN a fight that was held az
Ebbets Field IN Brooklyn last sun.
msr and came into possession Of the
American hyweight championship.
Jimmy Wilde, Of England, continues 20
hold the worlds title In this division.
Jack Dempsey passed through the
yoar Of 1922 without having hit title a.
worlds heavyweight champion even re-
motsly threatened. The most impor-
tsnt development IN this division was
the rapid coming 10 the front Of Harry
Wills, negro heavyweight champion, as
the recognised contender for Dempsey's
honoTs. There hss been endless talk
throughout the year Of a match be.
tween the two most prominent heavy
weights Of the world. but the only real
action taken In this direction was the
signing Of an agreement IN which both
Dempsey and Wills consented 10 meet
within a given period after an accept
able bid was received. The year closes
without such bid having appeared, but
there Is every prospect that the two
will clash next sumner under the pro-
motion Of Tex Rickard
Fellowing i a list q the recognized I