Benny Leonard

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Benny Leonard boxer
Data
Birth Name Benjamin Leiner
Weight class lightweight
nationality US-american
birthday April 17, 1896
place of birth new York
Date of death April 18, 1947
Place of death new York
style Left delivery
size 1.65 m
Combat Statistics
Struggles 219
Victories 185
Knockout victories 70
Defeats 22nd
draw 8th
No value 4th
Benny Leonard (r) at a screening with Jack Dempsey (l) and Harry Houdini (m)
Jimmy Welsh versus Benny Leonard

Benny Leonard (born April 17, 1896 in New York as Benjamin Leiner , † April 18, 1947 in New York ) was an American boxer.

He is regularly rated by Ring Magazine as the second best lightweight of all time behind Roberto Durán and in front of Joe Gans , Tony Canzoneri and Ike Williams .

Leonard, a light-footed counter-boxer who was famous for his ring intelligence, is next to Barney Ross the best-known Jewish boxer of the pre-war period. However, he began his career in 1911 with a knockout loss. In the build-up phase he beat and lost to Johnny Dundee , whom he later faced several times.

In 1917 he won against Freddie Welsh in the fight for the lightweight world title by knockout in the ninth round. In the same year he beat Johnny Kilbane , in 1918 he defeated Jack Britton and in 1921 Rocky Kansas. In 1922 he was disqualified in the fight for the welterweight title against his ex-opponent Britton. As a result, he defeated the hard hitting southpaw two times Lew Tendler in lightweight title fights.

In 1924 he resigned, but after the " Black Friday " 1929 due to financial problems in 1931 and 1932 a welterweight comeback and won 19 fights until he finally lost to Jimmy McLarnin and finally ended his career.

During World War II, Leonard served in the US Navy. He then worked as a referee. He died of a heart attack at a boxing event on April 18, 1947. In 1990 he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame .

literature

  • Nat Fleischer: Leonard the magnificent: life story of the man who made himself "King of lightweights" , Norwalk: O'Brien Suburban Press, 1947
  • Leonard, Benny , in: Encyclopaedia Judaica , 1972, Volume 8, Col. 28f.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Leonard, Benny
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Leiner, Benjamin (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American boxer
DATE OF BIRTH April 17, 1896
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City
DATE OF DEATH April 18, 1947
Place of death New York City