In boxing, the spectacle of a once-great champion humbled by Father Time is each profoundly disturbing and, sadly, all too widespread. With treasured few exceptions, the best fighters nearly at all times come again to the ring one time too many, pondering some measure of their expertise stays, believing that when the bell rings they’ll nonetheless have what it takes to tug out one other nice win, one other evening of glory.
By the Twenties, Benny Leonard had established himself as nothing lower than a legend of the prize-ring. Champion of arguably essentially the most aggressive light-weight division in boxing historical past, he was acknowledged far and extensive as, pound-for-pound, one of many most interesting to ever step via the ropes.
When at his greatest, Leonard’s nickname, “The Ghetto Wizard,” was completely apt. His capability to hit with out being hit, mixing wonderful footwork with excellent blocking, feinting and countering, appeared at occasions uncanny, the stuff of necromancy. And after befuddling his opponents together with his abilities, Leonard had the punching energy to place them down and out together with his lethal proper hand, scoring over seventy knockouts in his lengthy profession.
As nice coach Ray Arcel put it: “He was the quickest pondering fighter I ever noticed. Having been round Benny, if anybody was ever near him it was Sugar Ray Robinson. When folks ask me who was the best boxer I ever noticed, I hesitate to say both one. However Leonard’s psychological power surpassed everybody else’s. He was … the one fighter who I felt might title the spherical with anybody.”
A hero of New York Metropolis and a legend among the many Jews, Benny Leonard retired in 1925, nonetheless the reigning world light-weight champion, a really wealthy man and as well-liked as ever. However then, in 1929, Black Tuesday occurred. The inventory market crashed, and Leonard, like so many different Individuals, noticed his financial savings worn out.
Reluctantly, the previous champion returned to the prize ring. Not the short caster of spells, Leonard had turn out to be a balding and considerably pudgy 35-year-old ex-athlete, his as soon as splendid reflexes and intelligent strikes lengthy gone. On the conclusion of his preliminary comeback bout, Leonard discovered himself booed by the gang for the primary time in his life, his opponent’s dive within the second spherical apparent to all.
Determined for money, Leonard fought as usually as as soon as every week over an eight month span, placing collectively a run of twenty wins towards boxers who had no enterprise being in the identical ring because the legendary ex-champion. Nobody can say what number of of those bouts had been legit, however everybody knew the rationale for Leonard’s comeback was all about cash and had nothing to do together with his legacy. Nobody appreciated seeing the nice Benny Leonard in such straits and nobody might maintain any doable mounted fights towards him, contemplating the circumstances. Thus the sporting public tolerated these straightforward, if not questionable, wins.
Nevertheless, it couldn’t go on without end. Sooner or later Leonard needed to face a reliable contender and thus seven months after this unlikely comeback had begun, Leonard squared off with future nice Jimmy McLarnin. Solely essentially the most sentimental of Leonard’s followers thought he might win it, however there have been greater than sufficient die-hards who vividly recalled the previous glories of the nice Benny Leonard to sell-out Madison Sq. Backyard.
A yr away from profitable the welterweight crown, McLarnin, also referred to as “The Dublin Dynamiter,” possessed real knockout energy and he confirmed the previous man no mercy. He put Benny down and nearly out within the second spherical with a left hook, however the champion of the Decrease East Facet rose and bravely continued, absorbing a horrible battering earlier than the referee lastly halted the unhappy affair in spherical six.
Leonard was bruised and bloodied like by no means earlier than, a miserable sight for all those that remembered the nice Benny Leonard in his superb prime. However for Leonard himself, there was no time for sentimentality or dwelling on the previous. He had earned a cool twenty-five grand on the evening, greater than sufficient to appease the following a number of days’ aches and pains. And simply sufficient to make sure he by no means fought once more. — Michael Carbert
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