The New York herald., 1922-02-11


interfering with his breathing.
1t may be that Benjamin was acting
j so he had some OF the wise ones
. guessing. Ii is true that while Rocky
Kansas looks a little like Ad Wolgast
he does not fight like him. He has no
particular style and no particular trick
70 his punches. Most of his best blows
are club-like. But if Leonard were
acting as some maintain, he went
pretty far to get some realism when
he let a person like Kansas last
Kansas certainly gave the 1900 and
upward who were crammed into the
Garden a Thrill al the early part of
the fight.
There was the chunky little person
from Buffalo forcing the fight with
Leonard on the defensive. Kansas landed
the clean punches. and more than a few
times rushed the champion to the ropes
The wolf pack. crowded close to the ring
began to growl. They sensed for a
while the possibility Of a new champion.
Between the rounds Leonard appeared
more and more annoyed. The flow of
blood from his nose seemed to choke
him. Billy Gibson. with his lips TO the
= champion ear seemed worried or
8 could it have been that William was act
ing too?
Leonard Begins TO Fight.
Up TO the eighth round it seemed to
be all Kansas on the matter of points.
Then in the ninth leonard hpoqn
hight. He was no longer the pale and
jaded looking boxer of the early rounds
He was flushed, angry and bloody.
There was no doubt after that of a
Leonard victory. Left jabs began to
shower into the face of the boy from
Buffalo. He would shake his head dog
gedly and keep coming. A strong tough
boy is this Rocky Kansas. who was
christened Rocco Tozzo. lie kept COM
ing with sullen and dogged persistency
and he dubbed his chubby arms against
Leonard's guard.
Leonards following was shouting for
knockout. but Benjamin was cool and
picking his spots for the punches. The
melodrama came in the eleventh Kansas
was doing nicely. clubbing away at the
champion. They went into clinch and. as
Leonard slid snakelike out OF 1t he drove
a crushing left hook against the tough
Jaw of Kansas.
The squat little Italian dropped to the
mat and rolled over. His seconds
shouted to him to take the full count
He took eight. That blow had dazed
him and he needed all the respite he
could get
Kid Mcfarland. In white silks
lowered over mir. waving the count
For an instant it looked like a clean
knockout. but the chunky Italian
sprang up just in time and covered
up. Leonard started to rain blows on
the head and body. but Kansas huddled
in the shelter of his arms like turtle
crawling into his shell.
Leonard could not bring him down.
After that the champion pecked or
slugged at him at will.
The Leonard contingent clamored for
knockout. but though Leonard once
more Jared Kansas from his flat head
10 his flat feet with a left hook to the
Jaw he did not or could not drop him
again. The Judges quickly turned in a
decision for the champion.
He is a tough boy" mused Leonard
just before he left the ring. ''I think
I handled him just right. J might
have broken a hand or something IL
! hit him too hard and anyhow what's
y the use OF knocking them all out?'
Maiden Fall for kansas.
Perhaps Benjamin was right. Mr.
Rocco Tozzo never before in his career
had TO dust the resin from his tights
II was his boast that he never had
kissed the canvas before last night.
= Then ne certainly did with great vehe-
mence and affection. In fact he almost
remained there.
There are some who are OF the
opinion that the champion is just be
ginning to show signs Of being read &,
for the skids. Early IN the fight it
might have seemed so. In fact
Leonard has not been so much an
noyed since the evening when Richie
Mitchell sent him TO sit upon the can
vas for nine seconds Of wondering n
II really could happen. But when he
champion started TO fight he fought
like a champion with his brain and
his fists. The cha smpionship class came
right out again in the flushed aud
bleeding Leonard. Aud the champion
ship class shows best when man is
stung and bleeding. IT stood out ir
contrast TO the chunky Kansas. jus
nm earnest. sullen podder with a stout
heart. n thick head and tough jaw
sf13.5f6 In Bov Once.
The evening was a profitable one foi
the promoters. 10 was announced thai
the official returns from the box or
flee were Sli45l6 net The returns from
the spectators were not I'm at q late
hour last night As they say In oul
set in The Bronx. Benny Leonard can
get more customers than any box
fighter IN our midst
A Even Leach Cross could not play 50
many fine tunes on The cash register.
The crowds started &c descend upon
the Garden long before seven O'Clock and
cavalry and infantry police reserve.
were sent out 10 block hose without
tickets BY nine o'clock the place was
crowded 10 its capacity. which. according
TO the statlsticiaps, Is exactly 1888
His estimate includes One Eye Connolly
Ivy Kaplsn and other gate crtlshers.
There were very few women IN th'
crowd The Tact that most Of the tLoic,
seats were peddled by Independent mer
chants may have something 20 do viii
this The tickets were retaiied at from
two TO three times their face value. Th'
y ladies, according to the students OF boz
.sa office economics will not pay premium
10 see pair OF specimens or the cas-!
sex maui each other
At a late hour Mr.. Ike Dorean. Najo
Domo or the Garden. maintained that n,
Tickets had fallen into the hands or III
specuatcrs ter still he admitted
that lew Of thc so-calIed covete'