The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-12-17
TALKING
IT. over
BY JOE WILLIAMS

n EW YORK, dec. lI.-Iney are
IN saying this King Levinsky who
is from the Bronx by way of Chi
csgo and who battles Tommy
Loughran this week is the best look
ing Jewish heavyweight that has
come along in a long time. He
wouldn't have to be a world beater
at that. There haven't been many
good ones in recent years.
suppose you'd have to agree that old
Battling Levinsky (no kin 20 the gentle
man who calls himself King was the best
Of the moderns. and the battler was only
a light heavyweight. The old battler was
a real good fighter. Don't remind me that
Carpenter knocked him out. There we're
more angles to that night than a saw hsh's
snout.
or course. the greatest Of all the Jewish
heavyweights was Joe Choynsh. The last
I heard Of him he was still fooling around
with the game as an instructor in Pitts
burgh But whether Choynski was any
better or as good as the FIRST great Jew
who fought heavyweights, meaning Daniel
Mendoza OF England, is something nobody
knows.
To get a line on Mendoza you have to
90 10 the ancient histories Of the game. He
was active away back in 1881. The records
show he weighed only 100 pounds. You
learn that he was remarkably fast and
strong and had peculiar style Of boxing
that he studied out himself. Apparently
he was the first innovator and idea man
that boxing ever knew.
JUDGING by the old time prints showing
Mendoza IN action he must have been a
popular swatter in his day. He fought
with bare fists, for the good reason that
gloves we're unknown in those days, and
was known as "gamester."
n n
THOUGH an ancient to the pres
Il ent generation, Choynski was
much more modern than Mendoza.
He fought some famous battles with
Corbett, Fitzsimmons, Jeffries, Ma
her and other big heavyweights, and
he seldom weighed more than 1876
pounds.
That was his weight when he fought a
twentv-round draw with Jeffries. fight
which by Jefries own admission brought
him the hardest blow he ever suffered
Choynski was a tremendous hitter. and
II he had carried more heft he would have
been one OF the greatest OF all the heavy
weights. He knocked Fitzsimmons down
and had him almost out. he 1attened
Mccoy, knocked out Maher and drew with
sharkey and JEFF. A peculiar thing about
Choynski was that he was Just as liable
10 knock his man out as he was to get
knocked out himself.
The records show he was stopped by
Maher Mccoy. Walcott. Goddard and
bunch Of others. He was the first man to
knock out Jack Johnson. This was early
in the Negroes career but even in those
days Johnson was giant and not easy
to hit, Old timers tell me Choynsh
couldn't take a punch on the jaw, and I
am disposed TO ask who can?
There has been a strikingly large num-
Der of Jewish lightweights Of skill. Benny
Leonard Of course was tops. In his days
as champion he had everything cool,
deliberate mind. speed. strength, natural
and acquired skin, endurance, gameness
and real fighting aggressiveness. With all
that you don't need much more. Whether
Leonard topped Cans and Lavigne is hard
" important. How can anyone prove that
he did or didn't, anyway?
Willie jackson was one of the hardest
hitters the lightweight division ever saw.
It is hardly necessary to remind you that
he hit hard enough to stop Johnny Dun
dee with a punch. contemporary of
Leonard, southpaw Lew Tender was The
champions closest and most dangerous RI
val. and a real good fighter on his own.
Charlie White, the Chicago left hooker,
was almost as mechanically good as Leon
ard but he lacked Leonard's sharp intui-
tiveness and keen generalship. White had
several shots at the championship but
always when opportunity beckoned he was
reading the funnes.