Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-10
By BENNY LEONARD.

Retired Lightweight Champion of the World
w WHENEVER a bunch of sport
M fans get together, the con
~ " versation sooner or later
turns to the time-honoreC
topic: Are the fighters OF
today as good as the old timers?
And then YOU have a discussion that
will last till the party breaks up
There will be those who are all for
the "old timers" and there will be
few who will hold that the fighters
of today have a chance with the old
timers. But as rule, the "old
timers" have it.
Invariably there is at least one old
fan who has seen practically every
fighter worth seeing in action. and
sometimes there are more than one.
In any case. old Renaissance rears its
head, and the veteran will tell many
interesting-and in many cases Origi.
nal-stories Of some feat or incident
concerning one of the "old timers"
Listening time and again to these
discussions. / have often wondered
just what constituted an "old timer"
l would hear this veteran talk of Sam
LangfOrd in his palmy days, and I'd
hear that patriarch eXtol the fighting
virtues and qualities of John l.. Sui
livan, Fitzsimmons, Corbett, Jack
Dempsey, the Nonpareil Kid Mccoy
Tommy Ryan, and last. but by no
means least, Joe Gans-all would
come in for praise and historic anec-
dotes.
Entertained Secret Hope.
And so subconsciously 1 came to
think of the ''old timers" as of diff
re
back in the dim past, whose memories
were to be revered At times 1 was
bold enough to hope that some day
far in the future. at gatherings like
these, perhaps the name of Benny
Leonard might be recalled, and while
l thrilled at the idea, l blushed at my
presumption.
OF course, at all these learned con
fabs [ was always a silent listener;
There was no "Reminiscences or story
| could tell that wouldn't CRATE on
the ears of the "old timers" l felt.
And then one day. some months ago,
when l was out on a theatrical tour.
it happened-I got what l consider
the greatest compliment ever paid to
my fighting ability, and, incidentally.
one of the biggest shocks l ever got
outside of the roped arena.
We We're in San Francisco. the land
to which the ''Old timers" Is peculiarly
Indigenous. Believe me, there are
more old 'old timers" to the square
inch in Frisco than there are in any
other spot on earth.
Veterans Among Spectators.
I was keeping in pretty good trim
then. was in great shape to tear off
three or four rounds at top speed. One
day / dropped into Moose" Tausie's
gymnasium to do a little boxing. l
went through the usual routine of
shadow boxing, rope skipping and in
dulGed in a hit of bag punching.
l saw Spider Kelly, one of the
rings most famous seconds and prob
ably as historic a character as the
ring has today, and | gave him
hello. He sat down and watched me
idly.
A few minutes later Eddie Graney.
noted old referee. and Billy Nolan. the
man who made Battling Nelson world
champion came in, and they festooned
themselves in comfortable positions
alongside of Kelly. Tim McGrath
then sautered in. followed a minute
or two later by Larry McGrath.
/ didn't pay much attention to
them. but went on about my work,
and then | put on the gloves to do
bit of boxing. There was fast little