The New York herald., 1922-07-28
LEONARD wins over |
TENDLER ON POINTS;
BATTLE GOES Limit
Worlds Lightweight Cham
pion Hard Pressed in
Twelve Rounds.
IN DANGER IN FOURTH
Title Holders Knees Sag,
but He Makes Quick
Recovery.
$4,000 SEE THE CONTEST
Record Crowd for That Boxing
Glass Gathers in Jersey
City Arena.
$4,000 SEE THE CONTEST
BY w. o. McGEEHAN.

By W. u
Benny Leonard, lightweight cham
pion of the world. retained his title last
night. having outpointed Lew Tender,
the left handler, at Boyle's Thirty
Acres. He outpointed him only
slightly at that, though he landed
blows to Tenders jaw that only Sec
ond Battling Nelson could take and
stand up.
Once, in the fourth round, 1t looked
as though there would be new light
weight champion. Tender landed that
powerful left flush on the champions
jaw. There was an almost audible
thud as the jaw OF Billy Gibson. sitting
in Leonard's corner. sank to his chest
Leonard reeled and for just the frac-
tion of a second he seemed about to
sag to the floor. But hes shook his
head, slipped quickly away from
Tender and started to cover up.
Tender went after the champion
eagerly. He seemed to sense the fact
that the fight was within his grasp.
But Leonard has about the quickest
brain in the boxing game. 1t cleared
quickly. Before the round was over
he was able to keep Tender off with
his right.
The first thing that Leonard said
after the bout was: 1T is hard to- solve
a southpaw.' He spoke with consid-
cradle sincerity. There was gaping
cut over his right eye from which the
blood still gusheti as he stopped over
the ropes to make the announcement.
Tender Toughest Yet.
Tendler certainly was the toughest
customer that the champion has met
since he became the champion. He was
nearer to losing that highly profitable
title than. he was even when Ritchie
Mitchell dropped him TO the floor at
Madison Square Garden. For Ave
rounds It seemed that Leonard never
would solve the problem of this left
handler. 1t seemed that the contender
would surely land knockout with his
left
Tender handled himself we'll He
acted as well as fought in that bout.
He chartered to Leonard as they went
into the clinchcs and his talk was not
casual business conversation either. He
was going through the motions of getting
Leonards goat, as the saying Is. but the
Leonard family goat being Harlem bred
was not to be got by mere conversation.
Conservative guessers at the size OF
crowds say that there were $4,000 per-
sons in the huge. pine saucer. The pre-
dctions that the house would go over
100000 seemed to be verified. After
a few attempts on the part of those
perched on the rim Of the saucer to
crowd down lower into the bowl 1t
was an orderly crowd, and a critical
crowd too.
That thing they call championship
class showed in Leonard's every move.
It showed most clearly in that early
mart of the bout where Leonard seemed
in actual danger. The frank way In
which he admitted that Tender was
bothering him indicated that he was
for once in his career close to being be-
wildered by the style Of the left handler.
When Leonard did solve his problem
he was worried by something else. That
Vas the toughness and the vitality Of
Tendler. The champion ripped rights to
the body that would have crumpled
other fighters with whom Leonard had
toved. He banged rights to Tenders
law that should have dropped him.
challenger Always Safe.
But Tender never was near drop
ming He seemed to have the same en-
durance that carried Battling Nelson
through his long and gruelling fights.
Certainly Tender seemed to show some
of the durability of the little Hegewisch
man whom they called the Durable
Dane.
He IL not a beautiful fighter to watch,
This Tender. but neither was Nelson.
,rendler Keeps coming on In the same
way. apparently insensible to pain. ap-
parently always ready to take two to
land one.
Certainly Leonard and Tender can
not arrive at any decision in the ring In
any fight as short as twelve rounds.
I.eonard's boxing would have won him a
referees decision last night on points
for the twelve rounds. but IL Ii had
gone for the old distances over which
lirhtweights used TO fight Tender might
have worn the champion down. Leonard
was outboxing him at the end of this
bout, but apparently he was not damag-
ing him.
Cuts Leonard's Eye.
In the first round a cash opened over
Ieonard's right eye. Despite the per-
eistent first aid treatment given him by
hic seconds between rounds the cut bled
all through. In the sixth round Leonard
landed a right flush to Tenders mouth
and Tender bled from that time on.
There was no melodrama to this bout.
There was a little suspense at the start
rhen the champion loomed UP so badly
and the contender looked so effective.
self-conhdent and smiling. That punch
in the fourth round that almost brought
out the big drama-the passing OF
champion--was seen only by those close
10 the ring. Those on the rim OF the
big saucer only knew that something
Continued on Page Nine.