Evening star., 1932-06-09

LcOlldIU, OIlc VI IllC SICoI
l lightweight champions of
all time, who has returned
to the ring as a welterweight,
thinks that Max Schmelirg is the
choice over Jack Sharkey in their
bout on June 81.
when they met before I picked
Sharkey," said Leonard. Il knew
that Jack was a better boxer and
I also knew that Schmeling was
not in the best of shape. You re-
member that he hurt an ankle
and couldn't train properly.
But now," asserted the former 1885,
pound king, conditions have changed.
Schmeling is lot better than he was
and he has the added confidence and
cockiness which always is the asset OF
a man who holds the title.
Max" said Leonard, lis a smart,
keen, tricky fighter and a patient and
determined fighter. He reminds me OF
Leach Cross. There was a man with
little more than a good punch and
fighters brain, but he sure was tough
to beat.
tCCHMELING is tough to beat. He
- always Is edging in, sneaking up
on you, wearing you down. He
outjockeys a boxer That strong body
of his IS always moving forward. 1t
makes determined, relentless advance,
until, all at once, an opponents body
willis. Schmeling doesn't wilt.
"Sharkey's main asset" said Leonard,
'is his boxing ability. One of his
weaknesses is that he doesn't take full
advantage of that ability. He may jab
beautifully for a couple of rounds and
open a man up for that right he shoots
over. but. if the man doesn't 60 down,
or if he happens to hit Sharkey sharply,
Jack starts 10 fight. He sees red and
tries to knock his opponents brains out.
Then, when he attempts to 60 back to
boxing, he doesn't do at all well. He
has lost something. His balance isn't
rs perfect.
"Schmeling," Leonard went on, twill
take a lot of those left jabs and then,
the first thing you know, he manages
to get under one of them and sock you
He fights with brutal determination
and he knows exactly what he is trying
to do. l think Max in this coming
bout, is the better bet"
7 EONARD now weighs $50 pounds,
- but looks as slender as when he
was champion. He thinks that
he is a better boxer than he was, and
also that he can hit more sharply. One
of the Smartest of boxers inside the
ring and out, he has retained his keen
sense of humor.
When 1 used to make them miss
badly" he says, Everybody cheered
and called me great boxer. Now, if
I make some big, strong youngster look
foolish, all the doubters want to know
whether the match is on the level.
Did ever tell you the real story
of how I happened to return to the
ring? Well, I got mixed up in hockey
and real estate and other things which
didn't add to the bank roll, but did add
to the belt line. I got fat and loggy
and I made up my mind that it was
silly to let myself get into that con-
dition while I still was comparatively
young. I needed exercise, and the ex-
ercise I knew best was boxing.
"CO," said Leonard, IT went to
- Orangeburg without the slightest
idea of doing anything more than
taking some walks and runs which
would melt the flesh off. If some of
the boys said or wrote that l was plan
ming a comeback, why that was
good story-and a good joke.
But, to my surprise. I found, as I
began TO exercise, that 7 still could box.
l put the gloves on with everybody,
lightweightS. heavyWeights, amateurs
and professionals. I discovered that 1
could handle some of the toughest
youngsters, just because knew so much
more than they did And little by
little, began to get my coordination,
timing. and hitting back. Still it was
only exercise with me.
Then Mickey Walker and Teddy
Hayes came up there. They watched
me work and began to urge me to go
back to the ring. They said I was
plenty good enough to get lot of
money, and that was a sucker to pass
1t up. But even then I didn't think SO
much about fighting again. until Jack
kearns arrived. He looked me over in
action and then he said:
I'D Emmy, in the shape you are in
- now, the fight game owes you
about 100000. I don't want
cent of your money. but I'd like to help
you get it. What are you doing for a
living?
well I said. I'm in the real estate
racket
III bet said Jack, that there are
q lot of landlords right now who wish
they could fight
Il got to thinking" continued Leon
ard, "and made up my mind that there
was something in what he said. I
still had my old shoes and fighting
trunks" grinned Benny, so there was
no investment And all the hockey and
real estate business I IVES doing took
almost an hour day. So got myself