The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-05-28

Meanwhile Benny will stick
around. and IL any particularly
tough ones come along before
brother joey is experienced enough
TO take care of tllem brother Ben
will tip them over and shove them
aside.
Two or three years ago the germ
OF this idea began to grow In Bennys
mind. Four years ago, when
brother Joey began to box In the
gymnasium where Benny trained.
Benny didn't want Joey to become a
fighter. He has been Ill the way
through the mill, from the rrc!!mi-
nary class to the championship, ana
he knows that success is only for the
few, and the others get little but
hard bumps.
Jocy's skill Surprises Benny.
At that time Joey was 10, ana not
very healthy or strong. He began
| boxing for exercise. Benny too him
on the road when he trained, ana
taught him n little about boxing. He
regulated Joey's diet and directed
his daily workouts, and after a while
Joey began TO fill out n show a
deep chest and broad sloping shout
ders where a rather skinny. SKINNY
torso had been before.
Still Benny had no thought OF
making n fighter OF Joe. He told Joe
that fighting was too tough a game
for the baby OF the family. joey
wanted to try It. Absolutely no!'
said Ben.
After n fey months joey suddenly
began to box with "a speed and skin
that surprised Benny and all mis-
friends. Then Benny put Joe
through a regular college course OF
boxing and taught him all the fine
points of the art. No other youngster
ever had such a teacher.
When he was 10 Joey could easily
bang the second-rate boxers around
the gym. Another year found him
WORKING steadily with Benny every
minute he could spare outside or
. school hours. He worked with
Johnny Dundee, too. and several
other clever boxers.
A lot of the boys train together at
| Billy Grupp's gym in Harlem. their
rivalrles forgotten while away from
the ring. II was when he saw the
kid brother standing up and trading
punches on even terms with Johnny
Dundee one day that Benny sud
denly realized he was watching ring
work OF a class seldom seen except
when champions meet.
Right there Benny decided that II
Joey wanted to become a profession
al boxer he'd back him TO the limit.
From that day on Benny taught
Joey all the inside stuff" that
makes a champlon-the ring strategy
that Benny had learned in a hun
dred hard battles.
Today benny believes that Joey
can beat any man in the lightweight
division except tho champion him
self.
Hes going to be a faster boxer
than / ever was, and a harder
hitter" Benny declares. He's GO
ing TO be the lightweight champion,
and he'll earn the title. / won't
have to give It to him"
81 firmly believe Joey can beat
them all, right now" Billy Gibson
told me the other day, Fighting
blood runs in his veins. Joe will be
the fourth in the Leonard family 10
was first. hut didn't follow II up,
and was Just fairly good.
joey Taller Than Benny.
Charlie developed int. a first
class lightweight and an amateur
champion, but he had no great
liking for the game in spite OF his
ability. His mind was set or
making a business success and he
thought one champion a. the fam
lily vas enough. He was Benny's
weight. so saw no chance to become
n title holder. Benny was a winner
from the start and fought his way
to the lightweight championship by
beating the best men in his class
m by one,
"All the boys think that Joey Is
going to be the best OF the lot, and
he certainly looks like a wonder &c
me, although I'll say that predicting
any kid will be a better man than
Benny with his fists is something oil
an assertion"
Today. 10 years OF age, Joe Leon
ard Is five feet eight inches tall
which tops Benny by just three
inches. He weighs 132 pounds
stripped. He has an exceptionally
ngreach and Is a terrific puncher
He ia very aggressive, boxes like a
master. and Is game and cool under
fire. His strength, like that OF
Benny Leonard, is far beyond the
strength of other boys OF his weight
and age.
It's a matter OF ring history tina
! fighting ability often runs through