The Washington times., 1922-08-18

why they told me you could hit,
Lew?" said the champion. "Shucks,
it's got me laughing SO that I can't
fight a lick" and with that the
champion haw-hawed as IL he had
just heard a pippin.
In another round Tender landed
hard and the titleholder was badly
stung. He tried to clinch, but Tend.
Ter punched him away. With his
legs panicky under him and his heai 4
whirling like q top. Leonard did an.
other bold thing. He held out both
gloved hands and beckoned to Tend.
Ter as you would a child.
Come on I'm close so that I can
mix with you, Lew. Must give
these people q run. By the way,
have you looked the house over?
Lucky you got q chance to fight
me for all this dough-"
Tender was so fiabbergasted and
interested in what Ben was saying
that he forgot about the punch that
had spun the king. He mumbled
answers. The men in Tenders cor.
ner knew that Lew was being blar.
neyed and they yelled for him 10
stop talking back.
Lew couldn't stop. He was like
the bird before the snake. He was
hypnotized, II ever a fighter was in
this world. Leonard didn't lose his
superb command of the situation for
an instant. He allowed Tender to
set all the pace and do the hard
work.
If Benny got tired. and he did tire
dreadfully at times. he held and then
chided Tender about seeking a
match only to come into the ring 10
hang on to the champion like a
grapevine. ...m
It's going to take a smart fighter
as well as q good one to whip Benny
Leonard. He has saved his title
twice by matchless quick.wittedness
when things looked too blue.
The night he fought Richie Mitch.
ell in Madison Square Garden ne was
groggy for four whole rounds after
Mitchell had floored him in the first
round, but with rare coolness under
fire Leonard kept up a running blast
of conversation, all Of which belittled
Mitchell and really kept him from
closing in to win q title that he had
in the grasp Of his hand.
IL may come to pass that Leon.
ard will some day find q man
who will not listen to his blarney
I'm the ring, but that man hasn't
come along and he doesn't seem
to be looming up on the horizon.
Leonard isn't the only fighter
kAt .,
out Of a fight. Jim Corbett was
given to chiding the other fellow.
Young Corbett was a master at It.
He enraged Terry McGovern to
such a pitch that Terry deliber-
ately walked into defeat at Hart.
ford and did the same thing over
again in Frisco.
The first time Terry was floored
in California, Corbett stood over
him and said sneeringly: "Ha-
quitting again, Ell? Just like you
did at Hartford"
There wasn't a spark OF the quit.
ter in little Terry and he was up
before he should have been. Cor.
bett weakened him so with punches
that he was finally knocked out.
Jack Johnson talked Jim Jeffries
blue in the face at Reno. Joe
Cans was talked out OF a victory
over Spider Kelly. The Spider was
not doing so well, and when 4.
seemed certain that Cans would
win with a knockout, Spider whis
pered in n clinch. "I'm a nice sort
Of guy to you, Joe. II my friends
weren't betting on you to stay
ia knocked you out five rounds
ago. You're a lucky guy"
And Cans fell for IL. He became
overcautious and the Spider es
capped without the black mark ol
X. o. at the hands OF Cans.
Tender may never live to ses
the day. he can whip Leonard. hnt
this much is certain: He II nevei
eoinR to do that little thing Will,
Benny Is able 20 talk. There !,