F. Daniel Somrack is a boxing historian who authored his first book for Arcadia Publishing called Boxing in San Francisco. It examines the Golden Age of professional boxing on the Barbary Coast between 1890-1914. His subsequent titles include The Eddie Futch Interview, Jack Dempsey “Nonpareil,” Pancho Villa: The Filipino Legend, Kid Gavilan: The Cuban Hawk, The Great Benny Leonard: Jewish Legend of Boxing, Cuban Legends of Boxing and The Great Salvador Sanchez.
As member of the International Documentary Association, Somrack produced two documentaries on the fight game. The highly acclaimed Champions Forever highlighted the careers of heavyweight boxing legends Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton and Larry Holmes. During the 1990s, Billboard Magazine listed Champions Forever as the highest-selling, original sports video of all time. He followed that production with Latin Legends of Boxing that featured boxing legends Roberto Duran, Alexis Arguello and Kid Gavilan.
F. Daniel Somrack with Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and Ken Norton.
The following excerpt is from the upcoming book Kid Gavilan: The Cuban Hawk by F. Daniel Somrack.
Kid Gavilan – The Cuban Hawk
Kid Gavilan’s date with destiny came on a rainy, spring night in 1951, when he climbed in to the ring at New York’s Madison Square Garden to challenge Johnny Bratton for his undisputed world welterweight title. Gavilan was the number-one contender in the welter’s for two years running and was a 2-1 favorite to lift the crown from Bratton. The fight would be Bratton’s first defense of his NBA championship he won sixty-five days earlier against Charlie Fusari in Chicago.
Gavilan pressed the action from the opening bell, scoring almost at will with crisp jabs and lightning combinations. He dominated the early rounds and by end of the fifth; Bratton suffered a deep cut over his right eye, a broken jaw and had a double fracture of his right hand. Even though the fight was still close on the judge’s scorecards, by the seventh it was all Gavilan.
The Hawk continued to impose his will on the broken champion throughout the later rounds and after fifteen; he was declared the Welterweight Champion of the World scoring 11-2 twice and 8-5-1.
Gavilan stood in the center of the ring with the Cuban flag draped on his shoulders. As Latin rhythms pounded from his corner, Kid Gavilan’s hand was raised as the new welterweight champion. Twenty years after Kid Chocolate, Cuba had its second world boxing champion.
World Welterweight Champion “Kid Gavilan”
With his flashy style, white shoes and bolo-punch, Gavilan emerged as one of the most popular fighters of the post war, early television era. What he lacked in punching power, he compensated with his tremendous ring savvy, solid boxing strategy and elusive footwork.
Gavilan’s dazzling speed and non-stop offensive arsenal confused many opponents including Michigan State champion Chuck Davey. “When he’d switch to southpaw [left-handed] in the middle of a round, he’d really confused me and threw off my timing,” admitted Davey after their 1953 bout. “And, he’s a lot tougher than I thought.” Davey suffered his first knockout defeat against Gavilan bringing a forty-fight winning streak to an end.
Kid Gavilan was born Gerardo Gonzalez in the town of Berrocal, Camaguey, Cuba on January 6, 1926. At nine years old, Gavilan learned to wield a bolo-knife and went to work cutting sugarcane to help support the family. At twelve he enrolled in the Golden Gloves Boxing Academy to emulate his idol Kid Chocolate. In his first year as an amateur, he won the 75-pound championship and never looked back.
He was introduced to boxing manager, Fernando Balido, who turned Gonzalez over to trainer Manolo Fernandez. Fernandez wanted Gavilan to shave his head and adopt the name of Kid Concito. When Balido balked at the idea, someone suggested he take the name of Balido’s Havana saloon El Gavilan [the hawk] and it stuck. After 60 amateur fights, The Cuban Hawk made his professional debut on June 5, 1943 beating Antonio Diaz by decision after four rounds in Havana.
Gavilan was unique looking at 5’ 10 ½”, 145-155 lbs, with his smooth black skin and round face set with narrowed, almond shaped eyes that reflected his Chinese ancestry. Gavilan was a crowd-pleasing fighter who enjoyed putting on a show for the audience. His arsenal included lightning quick hand-speed, deceptive counterpunching ability and endless stamina.
Ceferino Garcia & Kid Gavilan “Bolo Punch”
He introduced fight crowds to his trademark “bolo-punch,” a looping, whirling, half hook, half uppercut that was more show than punch. Gavilan claimed he perfected the punch swinging the bolo-machete on sugar plantations in Cuba. The ‘bolo’ added to Gavilan’s flashy repertoire and made him a media darling to TV fight fans across the country.
After 14 bouts as a professional, Gavilan traveled abroad, fighting for the first time outside of Cuba. He beat Julio Cesar Jimenez by decision after 10 rounds in the first of three consecutive bouts in Mexico. During this tour, he suffered his first defeat, a decision at the hands of Carlos Macalara. In a ten round return match two months later, Gavilan reversed the decision.
The Hawk continued to soar in the rankings and by 1948 had attracted a wide fan base in the United States. He relocated from Cuba to New York City and quickly established himself as a main attraction. In November of that year, he signed to fight the rugged journeyman, Tony Janiro at Madison Square Garden. But one week before the fight, Janiro was injured in training and was replaced by the up-and-comer Tony Pellone.
The Gavilan-Pellone bout turned into a slugfest. While Gavilan concentrated on the body, Pellone did the head-hunting. The fight was even on all scorecards going into the tenth and final round when both fighters met a center ring and banged toe-to-toe for the entire round without either man giving an inch. At the final bell, Gavilan was declared the winner by a decision of 7-3 (twice) and 6-4.
Gavilan vs. Williams
1949 was a breakthrough year for the Keed. He fought a return bout in January against lightweight champion Ike Williams in a non-title match-up. Attempting to revenge an earlier loss the year before, Gavilan pressed the action throughout the fight and came away with the decision. They met for a third time four months later and the outcome was the same.
With the Williams victories on his record, Gavilan and proved himself as the division’s top prospect to steal Sugar Ray Robinson welterweight crown. Robinson was already being referred to as the best pound-for-pound fighter of the era, losing only once in 98 fights to Jake LaMotta, whom he had since beaten three times-while scoring 62 knockouts.
In a 1990 interview for the documentary Latin Legends of Boxing Gavilan remembered meeting Robinson for the first time. “I walked into Robinson’s bar Sugar Ray’s in Harlem,” said Gavilan. “I ordered two shots of whiskey. I said to Robinson, this one is for me and that one’s for you. ‘No!’ Robinson replied, ‘I don’t drink. I’m the world welterweight champion.’ “Not until you’ve beaten me you’re not” said Gavilan. I’m Kid Gavilan from Cuba. Robinson smiled and drank the whiskey. That’s how we met for the first time.”
Based on his winning record, Gavilan was matched with the welterweight champ Robinson for the first time in a non-title fight on September 23, 1948 at Yankee Stadium. Though he lost by a unanimous decision after 10 rounds, Gavilan proved to his fans he could dance with the best in the world. Their highly anticipated championship rematch the following year was set for July 11th at Philadelphia’s Municipal Stadium.
Due to the fact there was no live TV coverage or radio broadcast of the fight, 35,000 ticket-holders poured into the stadium on a perfect summer night to see the fight live. Robinson was 12-5 favorite to retain his welterweight title. Insiders knew that Robinson had trouble making the 147-pound weight limit and many believed that in his effort to make weight he make have weakened himself and unable to make it into the later rounds. If so, Gavilan would test him.
Before the start of the fight, Gavilan danced around the ring to the sounds of “The Kid Gavilan Rumba,” played by a Cuban band who had flown in from Havana. Kid Chocolate was at ringside as well as “The Brown Bomber,” Joe Louis who predicted that Robinson would be “skin and bones” if he was able to make the weight limit.
In contrast to the dance party Gavilan’s corner, Robinson looked serious across the ring as he shadow-boxed and posed for photographers. When the gong sounded for the main event, the referee Eddie Joseph called the fighters to ring center for instructions, Gavilan came out from under the Cuban flag he had draped over his shoulders, he faced Robinson eye-to-eye for the first time. Without saying a word, they touched gloves and returned to their respective corners.
The early rounds of the fight were fought cautiously by both fighters. Gavilan moved in and out of Robinson’s range, trying to land the jab and find his rhythm. Sugar Ray concentrated on his hooks to the body following with overhand rights to the head. Gavilan remained elusive, dancing on his toes and jabbing and moving trying to score points and stay out of harms way. At times, he’d even feint grogginess to lure Robinson into a trap, but the seasoned veteran would wait cautiously until The Hawk resumed the action. Robinson kept Gavilan off balance with dazzling footwork and powerful jabs.
The fourth was Gavilan’s best round. A blazing left hook opened a cut over Robinson’s right eye and the Kid targeted it throughout the round. Sugar Ray went into survival mode to minimize the damage. He stayed on his toes till the end of the round to avoid Gavilan’s relentless attack. Between rounds, Robinson’s corner went to work on Sugar Ray’s eye. Robinson’s cut-man applied Monsell solution, a coagulant banned in Pennsylvania because it contained iron, which could cause blindness if used improperly. But, the gamble worked and the flow of blood from Robinson’s eye was brought to a halt.
In the next round, Robinson went on the offensive and began attacking Gavilan from all angles. He danced and fired at the same time, looking for openings and beating Gavilan in every exchange. He was able to tag the hawk
Robinson vs. Gavilan World Welterweight Championship
with tremendous body shots and follow- up with the devastating hooks to the head. By the end of the round, the champ was in total control.
Although staggered in the eighth, Robinson was able to ‘stick and run’ until the fifteenth and final round, building a confortable points lead along the way. Towards the end of the last round, Gavilan was staggered with a head shot but refused to go down. Gavilan held his own with Robinson finishing the fight with a non-stop flurry of punches that had the crowd on their feet.
When the bell sounded, Robinson was declared the winner by unanimous decision with scores of 9-6, 9-6 and 12-3. Sugar Ray Robinson retained his crown but Gavilan had shown the world he was a gallant fighter and a true contender for a world title.
The 1950s started on a downbeat for the Kid losing a 10-rounder to Billy Graham at Madison Square Garden. Ringside writers covering the fight thought that Gavilan won the contest, though Gavilan himself admitted he wasn’t as prepared as he should have been. “I was coming off my honeymoon,” said Gavilan in a later interview. “I had less than two weeks of training, but I fought a close fight.”
Six months earlier, Gavilan had been stabbed in the neck in a late night altercation with three men causing cancellation of his previously scheduled rematch with the former lightweight champion Beau Jack. Gavilan’s lackadaisical training regime when it came to non-title bouts caused the hawk numerous setbacks throughout his career. He was inclined to let up in training and lose his usual intensity.
Gavilan vs. Graham
On November 17, 1950, Gavilan had his rematch with Billy Graham, a man he would face four times in his professional career. This time Gavilan was trained and ready for the challenge. Fighting again at Madison Square Garden, Gavilan won a majority decision after 10 rounds. Their next meeting would be for the Welterweight Championship of the World.
The ‘50s were a time of tremendous growth in fight promotions which centered around the man who ruled the roost, Jim Norris. A millionaire, Norris was the Don King of his era. In addition to his controlling interest in Madison Square Garden, he headed the International Boxing Club, which meant he promoted every fight from lightweight to heavyweight. His business associates included reputed New York underworld figures, Frankie Carbo and Blinky Palermo.
In the mid-50’s, the federal government began an investigation on Norris and his associates regarding violation of anti-trust laws, and in 1958, his empire was dissolved by court order. Television then reduced the significance of individual promoters like Norris. Soon television rights surpassed the “live gate” as the promoter’s primary income. The network and their advertisers became boxing’s major players. The emergence of TV sports programs like Gillette Cavalcade of Sports gave unprecedented exposure to hundreds of young fighters.
As one of the most popular star of the early television era, Gavilan headlined the program the record 34 times. Broadcast live on Friday nights from Madison Square Garden, Gavilan brought an excitement to the fight game that hadn’t been seen in years. Along with his handlers Balido, Medina and Lopez, they gave TV audiences what they wanted. Mundito Medina was a trainer who also composed music and loved to sing for the cameras. When their Cuban tempers flared, in-fighting in Gavilan’s corner between rounds was as exciting as what was taking place in the ring.
As they faced off, spewing Spanish adjectives into each others faces as The Kid sat stoically on his stool, seemingly oblivious to the action taking place behind him. Gavilan and company became a popular, sideshow attraction on the weekly TV program.
When Sugar Ray Robinson vacated the welterweight division to campaign as a middleweight, Gavilan was offered another opportunity to become Cuba’s second world boxing champion. On May 18, 1951, at Madison Square Garden, Gavilan faced Johnny Bratton who had won the NBA version of the welterweight crown only sixty-five days earlier by defeating Charley Fusari in a elimination tournament at Chicago.
On fight night, Gavilan was 2-1 favorite to take the title back to Havana. From the opening bell, Gavilan pressed the action, scoring almost at will with crisp jabs and lightning combinations. By the end of the fifth round, Bratton had been cut over the right eye, had suffered a broken jaw and had a double fracture of his right hand. Although the fight was still close on the scorecards going into the seventh, by the gong, it was all but over for Bratton. Gavilan dominated the remaining rounds with Bratton only tossing a few half-hearted punches. Winning the fight with scores 11-2 (twice) and 8-5-2, Gavilan was declared the new Welterweight Champion of the World. With the Rumba playing in his corner, and the Cuban flag draped over his shoulders, Kid Gavilan became only the second world boxing champion from Cuba.
In the first defense of his welterweight title, a rubber-match against Billy Graham, Gavilan won a bitterly fought and controversial decision. In fact, the fight was so close that it prompted some disgruntled observers to dub Graham the “uncrowned champion.” With his split-decision over Graham, Gavilan gained universal recognition as the world champion when the EBU joined the NBA and New York Boxing Commission.
In 1952, the Keed defended his crown against a Miami based Texan named Bobby Dykes. This fight would be the first mixed race boxing contest in the then segregated Florida. The fight was held at Miami Stadium in front of 17,000 fans. After the Hawk scored a knockdown in the second round, the southpaw from San Antonio proved a tough challenge for the champ. The middle rounds went to the long, tall Texan who found his rhythm and was able to score effectively from the outside. The fight was close going into the championship rounds but Gavilan was able to accelerate the action and take a split-decision with scores of 142-141, 145-139, 141-142. Dykes proved he had the style and skill to pose a serious threat to Gavilan’s title.
Later in the year, Gavilan defended his title again, this time against a popular Philadelphia fighter named Gil Turner. Turner, only 21 years old, had an unbeaten record of 31-0. Gavilan-Turner drew 39,045 that paid a welterweight record of $269,667. In the opening round, Turner started with a flurry of punches attempting to put the champion on the defensive, but the crafty Cuban proved too much for the young challenger. By the middle rounds, Turner started to tire and The Kid took over from there. By the eleventh, Gavilan was scoring at will with clean combinations that kept Turner with his back against the ropes. A right-cross and left-hook sent Turner tumbling through the ropes and referee Pete Tomasco stepped in to stop the slaughter with 13 seconds remaining in the thirteenth round.
In October, Gavilan returned home to Havana to meet his old nemesis, Billy Graham. With their last meeting ending in controversy, Gavilan wanted to end the speculation. Gavilan dominated the bout throughout and after fifteen rounds winning a unanimous decision in the first championship bout ever televised outside of the United States.
Gavilan’s made his fifth defense of his welterweight crown on February of ‘53 against Michigan State boxing champion Chuck Davey. Gavilan non-stop style confused the young southpaw who entered the ring with an undefeated record of 37-0-1. Davey had established himself as a popular main attraction and was dubbed “Kid Television,” being featured regularly on Gillette Cavalcade of Sports. But on this night, Gavilan proved he was the best welter in the world.
Gavilan’s style confused the Lansing College graduate. “When he switched to southpaw,” said Davey, “ he completely confused me and threw off my timing. And, he’s a lot harder to hit than I thought.” “I lick all welterweights,” said Gavilan after the fight. “I mush them like spaghetti mush.” By the end of the fight, Davey’s face looked spaghetti mush splashed with marinara sauce. He was dropped from a Gavilan right in the third, cut deeply over right eye and floored three more times in round nine. The challenger remained on his stool after the bell sounded for the start of the tenth, claiming he couldn’t continue after being hit in the throat.
Carmen Basilio
In September of 1953, Gavilan put his title on the line against future ring legend Carman Basilio. The fight took place in Basilio’s home town of Syracuse, New York at the newly constructed Syracuse War Memorial Stadium. Basilio, “the upstate onion farmer,” entered the ring a 4-1 underdog but fought like a champion in his first attempt to win a world boxing title. From the opening bell, Basilio pressed the action and in the second round caught Gavilan on the point of the chin, dropping him for a nine count; the first and only knockdown of Gavilan’s career. Finding his range with his hook, Basilio was able to land it throughout the fight.
As Basilio continued to dominate, the Syracuse fans thought they were witnessing an amazing upset, but The Kid was famous for his second wind. In the seventh, Gavilan began to score repeatedly with perfectly timed jabs and counterpunches from outside of Basilio’s range. With a badly swollen left eye, Basilio rallied in the fifteenth to end the fight strong. The New York Times and The Daily News both thought that Gavilan won by a single round. But, when the split-decision was awarded to Gavilan 8-6-1, 7-6-2 and 5-7-1 the fans got ugly. Both fighters had to be escorted from the ring under police escort.
Johnny Bratton
In November, Gavilan offered a rematch to former champion, Johnny Bratton. In front of his hometown crowd of 19,260 at Chicago Stadium, Bratton attempted to reclaim his welterweight crown. Friday the 13th proved unlucky for the former title holder. From the first round, Gavilan was able to score on Bratton almost at will and by the seventh; it was evident that Bratton didn’t stand a chance. With the heart of a champion though, Bratton went the full fifteen round distance. As Gavilan was announced the winner by unanimous decision, Bratton stood silent in his corner with his right closed and his left badly swollen.
After ruling the welterweight division for 2 ½ years with seven successful title defenses, Gavilan decided to move up in weight and take on the middleweights. In April of ‘57, he squared off against the middleweight champion from Hawaii, Carl “Bobo” Olson. From the opening bell at Chicago Stadium, the fighters attacked each other with bad intentions. Gavilan was the busier of the two, but moving up in weight zapped the little punching power he possessed. Slower but stronger, Olson banged away with both hands to the body and head of his Cuban challenger, trying to keep it close.
Olson vs. Gavilan World Middleweight Championship
In the middle of the tenth, Gavilan and Olsen met in the center of the ring and started banging each other in a flurry, with neither fighter giving an inch. This two minute, toe-to-toe exchange, was later described by New York Times writer, Joseph P. Nichols as “one of the most grueling and furious exchanges in ring history.” After 15 rounds, Olson was announced the winner with scores of 147-141, 147-139 and 144-144. In the end, both fighters were still champions of their respective divisions but the hawk had soared to the heavens for the last time.
Kid Gavilan’s championship reign came to an end on October 2, 1954 at Philadelphia’s Convention Hall. Only six weeks after battling a case of the mumps, Gavilan defended his crown against New Jersey’s Johnny Saxton. The only one with a hometown advantage in the fight was Saxton’s manager, reputed underworld figure, Blinky Palermo. With Palermo in Saxton’s corner, he was guaranteed a victory if he stayed in his feet.
The bout was uneventful and appeared at times a laborious affair with Saxton refusing to lead and Gavilan waiting to counter. The shadowed each other around the ring, round after round, and held each other when they got too close. After 15 uneventful rounds, Saxton was declared the winner by scores of 9-2, 7-6-2 and 8-6-1.
The ringside press, poled after the fight voted 20 out of 22 for Gavilan, but the fix was in. Kid Gavilan would never challenge for another world boxing title. The welterweight roost that The Hawk had sat atop for four years would see six different title-holders over the next three years. Johnny Saxton would be dethroned in his first title defense against Tony DeMarco.
Always popular, Gavilan continued fighting in places like Cuba, England, Argentina, Brazil and France drawing tremendous crowds wherever he went. After four years and twenty-five more contests, Gavilan lost a decision to Yama Bahama in June 1958 and called it quits. He officially announced his retirement on September 11th of that year.
After retiring form the ring, Gavilan moved back to his beloved Cuba. Revered as a national hero, he was given a $200 a year retirement allotment from the Cuban Government. When the Castro revolution confiscated his finca (farm) in 1968, he defected to Miami penniless. He left behind a wife and children and never returned.
Long before Muhammad Ali, Gavilan danced his way into the hearts and minds of boxing fans around the world. He introduced the “Shuffle,” “Shoeshine,” Dancin’ off the Ropes,” “the Stick and Move” and his trademark, “Bolo-punch.” Gavilan was boxings first TV star, and was also the first fighter to ware white shoes, enter the ring with a live band, and carry a flag on his shoulders. Kid Gavilan was a true original.
Gavilan’s Business Card
For a brief time, he was part of Muhammad Ali’s entourage. Kid Gavilan was always proud of the fact he was never knocked out in his entire professional career. In 1966 he was inducted into the original Boxing Hall of Fame and in 1990 he was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastoda, New York. Gerardo Gonzales died of a heart attack in Miami, Florida, February 2003.
Film Producer F. Daniel Somrack with Kid Gavilan and Beau Jack at the 5th Street Gym, Miami FL. 1992.
The Book Kid Gavilan: The Cuban Hawk by F. Daniel Somrack will be available November 1, 2019 at Amazon Kindle.
One hundred years ago this month, a Michigan farm boy was murdered while eating a leisurely breakfast on a cool morning in Missouri. A small, .22-caliber bullet, killed a larger-than-life figure and changed the world forever. When Stanley Ketchel died October 15, 1910, he was the middleweight boxing champion of the world during the Golden Age of pugilism when title holders were hailed as superstars. Stars who came later, like actor James Dean, another farm boy who died at 24, Stanley Ketchel became America’s first symbol of unrealized potential.
By age twenty-one, this legendary boxer had climbed to the top of the world to become one of the most feared and proficient fighting machines in the history of the prize ring. He became a national folk hero when he jumped two weight classes to challenge the dangerous and unbeatable Jack Johnson for his heavyweight crown. Outweighed by over thirty-five pounds, Ketchel withstood the pressure by white America to defeat the first black heavyweight champion in this David and Goliath mismatch.
Stanley Ketchel’s journey to this historic event was a long and arduous one. It began in Grand Rapids where he was born Stanislaus Kiecal, September 14, 1886 to parents of Polish decent. His father Thomas Kiecal, a native of Russia, was a laborer and his mother Julia Oblinski, a Polish-American home-maker. She gave birth to Stanislaus at fifteen and a second son John the following year.
Growing up on a dairy farm, Ketchel worked with his father and filled his spare time with dime store novels about frontier outlaws like Jessie James, Wild Bill Hickok and Billy the Kid. He discovered early he had a knack for fighting and was expelled from school in the eight grade beating a local bully. After laboring at home for a couple of years, he ran away at fifteen on a westbound train.
Looking for odd jobs or handouts, he wandered across the country, sleeping in mining camps and working for food. Stanislaus passed through Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and Utah before landing in Butte, Montana as Stanley Ketchel at sixteen. Butte was a booming copper mining town and home to the giant Anaconda Mining Company. Butte was prosperous and a center of night time entertainment with its saloons, theaters, hotels, honky-tonks and fight clubs and the city that offered the opportunities he’d been searching for.
At a fair in Butte, Ketchel saw a boxing booth and decided to try his luck. A ‘barker’ tossed him a pair of gloves and challenged him to last three rounds with the champ for a dollar. The teenager knocked out the star with one punch, took the money and deciding that fighting was the easiest way to make a living. He was immediately offered a job as bouncer and boxing booth fighter at the Casino Theatre taking on all comers for $20 a week. “I hit them so hard they use to fall over the footlights and land in people’s laps,” Ketchel later recalled.
Without formal training and with little more than natural strength, quick reflexes and strong chin, Ketchel turned professional in May 1903. In his first recorded fight he knocked out Kid Tracy in one round then lost a six round contest to a boxing instructor named Maurice Thompson. Undeterred, Ketchel continued in Montana, honing his craft and fought his first 41 matches there, building a impressive record of 36 wins, 2 losses and 3 draws.
Wild Bill Nolan, the owner and operator of the Casino Theater wanted to introduce his rising young star one night as Kid Ketchel or Cyclone Kid Ketchel but Stanley refused. Ketchel admitted later he was surprised when Nolan introduced him before a main event as Stanley Ketchel, “The Michigan Assassin.” The ‘Assassin’ moniker stuck and the newspapers loved it.
Ketchel’s explosive, non-stop ring style and high knock-out percentage was beginning to attract a large crowds to his bouts and fight promoters were now out bidding each other for his services. Considered handsome with his clean cut profile, blondish hair, and muscular physique, women began reading about him in the daily papers and turning out to his fights in large numbers. Ketchel enjoyed his new found popularity and earned a reputation as a womanizer.
Short on competition in Butte, Ketchel moved his campaign to California in 1907. He won his first three fights there and fought a 20-round draw against Joe Thomas, who touted himself as world‘s champion. In attendance for the Thomas contest was promoter James W. “Sunny Jim” Coffroth who had bet heavily on Thomas. Impressed with Ketchel’s commanding performance, Coffroth invited the fighter to stage a rematch at his newly built Mission Street Arena near San Francisco. Ketchel won the scheduled 45-rounder by knockout in the 32nd and claimed the world middleweight championship for himself.
On February of 1908, Ketchel faced off against Mike “Twin” Sullivan, an east coast fighter who also claimed to be champion. Ketchel knocked him out in the first round and gained general recognition as the undisputed middleweight king. Today boxing historian’s agree that Sullivan was the lineal middleweight champion at the time.
Ketchel first title defense was a knock-out in 20 rounds against Sullivan’s brother, Jack “Twin” Sullivan, also a former champion and then beat Billy Papke, the Illinois Thunderbolt by decision in 10. He topped Hugo Kelly by a knockout in three, than beat Joe Thomas for a third time. Then in September 1908, he lost his championship belt to Papke by a knockout, but the bout was marred in controversy.
Before the opening bell, it was customary for fighters to touch gloves. As referee James J. Jeffries finished his preflight instructions, Ketchel extended his hand for a shake and Papke smashed him in the face with an explosive, blinding punch that drove him into the ropes. As Papke pressed the action, the dazed and confused Ketchel was unable to defend himself. He was knocked down four times in the first round and his right eye was closed at the start of the second. He fought round after round with determination and heart but it wasn’t enough. The fight was stopped in the 12th and Billy Papke was declared the new middleweight champion.
The Sept. 8, 1908 San Francisco Chronicle reported the event, “When James J. Jeffries, the referee, called time and Ketchel walked to the center extending his hand for the shake, Papke ignored his hand and sailed into the Michigan killer with the fiery tempestuous spirit that entitled him to be called the “Illinois Thunderbolt.”
Billy Papke – The Illinois Thunderbolt
Ketchel was enraged by the cheap shot and immediately petitioned for a rematch. This time Ketchel was in complete control. At the first bell, he met Papke in the center of the ring with a barrage of punches from every angle and never let up. Ringside reporter W. O. McGeehan wrote, “Hatred inspires every blow in the fight. Papke’s stubborn courage is of no avail before the power of the Assassin.” A pulverizing body blow crumpled Papke in the first round and from then on, it was all Ketchel.
Ketchel told his rival, “It took you 12 rounds to stop a blind man. I’m going to let your eyes stay open until the 11th so you can see me knock you out.” In the 11th, an explosive left sent Papke crashing to the canvas. “It was a punch that shook his entire frame and sent his head crashing against the wooden platform,” wrote McGeehan. “Pain racked and with his heart beaten out of him by body punches in the first few rounds…it was all over in that punch.” Stanley Ketchel became the first boxer in history to win the middleweight championship twice.
Nat Fleischer, boxing historian emeritus and founder of the Ring Magazine wrote, Ketchel was one of the greatest fighters of my time. All stone and ice concentration when he entered the ring. The moment he entered the ring, his eyes were the eyes of a killer. Ketchel scorned the word retreat. A demon of the roped square, he made his opponents think that all the furies in Hades had been turned loose on them. He got his punches away from all angles. If he missed with one hand, he would nail him with the other. He was game as a bulldog and tough as a bronco.”
Philadelphia Jack O’Brien
Ketchel began 1909 defending his title in a 10-round no-decision affair against reigning light heavyweight champion “Philadelphia Jack” O‘Brien. In the rematch a few months later, Ketchel knocked O’Brien out cold in three rounds. He beat Papke by decision in their fourth and final brawl that went the full, 20 round distance and left both fighters with broken hands. Next he set his sights on the crown jewel of sports, the heavyweight championship of the world.
Jack Johnson had been the number one contender for the heavyweight championship for several years and because of his race, he was forced to chase champion Tommy Burns around the world for a shot at the title. In December 1908, an Australian promoter, Hugh D. (Huge Deal) Mcintosh offered Burns the sum of $60,000 to fight Johnson in Sydney. Outclassed by Johnson, the mismatch went on for fourteen rounds before the police intervened and stopped the massacre to save Burns the embarrassment of a knocked out. Johnson became the first African-American world heavyweight boxing champion.
Once Johnson had the title in his possession, he flaunted his superiority and remained cocky and bitter. He was instantly despised by white America for refusing to abide by the ‘unofficial’ rules of conduct imposed on Negro’s at the time. In an age where a black man could be lynched for even flirting a white woman, Johnson courted white women openly and married two of them.
White America was desperate to find a successor for their black menace. This period in boxing became known as the “great white hope” era. The search for a white contender who could return the crown to the white race officially began when Jack London, working the Johnson-Burns fight as a special correspondent for the New York Herald, issued his famous proclamation: Jeffries (James Jeffries, the retired, undefeated heavyweight champion) must emerge from his alfalfa farm and remove the golden smile from Johnson’s face. “Jeff, it’s up to you . . .”
— New York Herald, December 27, 1908 [America’s search for a Great White Hope ended on April 5, 1915, when Jess Willard’s defeated Johnson in Havana, Cuba].
Johnson enjoyed his title, defending his crown several times against lesser opponents. All challengers were easily defeated by his far superior ring skills. The only fighter on the horizon who could test Johnson was two weight classes below the heavyweight limit. By now Stanley Ketchel had beaten all competition in his division and was considered a legitimate challenger for Johnson’s throne.
Coffroth offered Johnson $65,000 to defend his title. With Johnson weighing in at 205 ½ against Ketchel’s 170 ¼ the ‘Galveston Giant’ felt confident in the outcome. A preflight agreement was reached between both camps to “carry” the fight for the full 20-rounds so motion-picture cameras could record the action. The fight film would later have a worldwide theatrical release and the fighters would split the box-office profits.
Jack Johnson vs. Stanley Ketchel
The film shows the muscular heavyweight man-handling Ketchel around the ring, knocking him down in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. By the 11th, Ketchel, bruised and bleeding from Johnson’s rough tactics feels their preflight agreement was violated. In round 12, we see give-and-take exchanges when suddenly Ketchel explodes with a right hand and Johnson crashes to the canvas. Ketchel steps back as Johnson rolls around for a few seconds before pulling himself back up.
Sensing a double-cross, Johnson retaliates with a devastating right uppercut punch that topples Ketchel like a fallen tree. The power of the blow carried so much force, it ripped several of Ketchel’s teeth off at the root. (found later embedded in Johnson’s right glove). The Johnson-Ketchel bout was called the Fight of the Century and it made Stanley Ketchel an international icon. A rematch between the champions was assured.
In the months that followed, Ketchel moved camp to New York and engaged in several non-title bouts. He fought a draw with Frank Klaus and went six rounds with Hall of Fame boxer, Sam Langford. He then recorded knock outs against Porky Dan Flynn, Willie Lewis and Jim Smith. In his last fight at New York’s Sporting Club he soundly defeated Smith. At reporter at ringside covering the fight wrote, “Ketchel rushed and hammered Smith all over the ring, cuffing him with lefts and rights. Ketchel used little defense, relying on the sledge-hammer blows that he could deal out with either fist. An overhand right flashed through Smith’s defense and finished him. Laughing with joy over his win, Ketchel waved to the roaring crowd, hopped over the ropes, and left the ring, never to return.
Ketchel knew all the beer parlors and honky-tonks in New York City and his popularity made him a target to all the fast living women who frequented them. He had a brief, passionate affair with the famous model and chorus girl, Evelyn Nesbit. The Gibson Girl made headlines around the world during the murder trail of her ex-lover, architect Stanford White, by Nesbit’s jealous husband Henry Kenndall Thaw. Hollywood would immortalize her in the 1955 film, “The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing.”
Another court case involving Ketchel was reported by the Portland newspaper: Stanley Ketchel has settled a $10,000 breach of promise suit out of court. Miss Elizabeth Houman, a Grand Rapids, Mich., sued him for triffling with her affections.
“The girl’s charms intoxicated me,” explained Ketchel. ” I just couldn’t withstand those goo-goo eyes, those rosy lips and that dainty willowy figure.
In a careless moment I asked her to marry me, and now that I have come to my senses I have changed my mind.”
-Portand Daily Advertiser, June 28, 1909
Cashing in on celebrity, Ketchel was now earning $1,000 a week for Vaudeville appearances and exhibitions. He owned a bright red Lozier racer, one of the fastest and most expensive automobiles of the day. He had enough money to last a lifetime but the years of fast living and faster women were beginning to take their toll. Back in Grand Rapids for a rest on Little Pine Island Lake, Ketchel had a chance meeting with an old family friend, Michigan native, Rollin P. Dickerson. R.P “Pete” Dickerson was successful Missouri banker, business man, rancher and sports buff.
Dickerson had been a private in the Spanish-American war, but in Springfield he was known as “Colonel.” He owned an 860-acre ranch in the Ozark Mountains. He invited Ketchel down to the ranch to get his health back and take in some fresh air training. On September 15, 1910, Ketchel and his trusty Colt .45 pistol arrived at Dickerson’s Two Bar Ranch. He carried the Colt everywhere and slept with it when he was alone. Stanley was welcomed by the ranch hands and introduced to Goldie Smith, Dickerson’s attractive housekeeper and cook and her common-law husband, Walter Dipley.
On the morning of October 15, Ketchel was flirting with Goldie in the kitchen as she prepared his breakfast. Seated with this back to the door and his Colt .45 safely tucked in his belt, Ketchel was startled when Walter Dipley burst through the door brandishing a .22 caliper rifle yelling, “get your hands up.“ As Ketchel slowly reached for his Colt, Dipley shot him in the back. Ketchel fell to the floor mortally wounded. Dipley and Smith took a wad of money from Ketchel’s pocket and fled.
As Ketchel lay dying, he told the ranch Forman that Smith and Dipley had robbed him. Dipley fled from the scene but Smith was soon apprehended by the police. She told the authorities that Ketchel had raped her and Dipley was simply defending her honor. Goldie’s story soon fell apart and she admitted complicity in the shooting but claimed she didn’t know Dipley planned to shoot the fighter. Dickerson immediately offered a $5,000 reward for Dipley, Dead or Alive. He was captured the following day on a neighboring farm.
Col. Dickerson chartered a special train to transport the wounded champion to a hospital in Springfield. Two physicians were on the special to accompany Ketchel while a third worked to locate the slug that had entered the boxer below his right shoulder and lodged in his lung. At approximately 7 O’clock that evening, Ketchel whispered, “I’m so tired, take me home to mother,“ and died. He was 24 years old.
A century has passed and Stanley Ketchel is still remembered was one the greatest boxers of all-time. His individualism and raw courage helped defined America and prove that a man could be whomever and whatever he wanted to be. At the time of his death, he had his sights set on a rematch with Jack Johnson. He may have become the first and only middleweight to win the world heavyweight championship. We’ll never know.
The legendary champion was returned to Michigan where his funeral took place October 20, 1910. The procession to his final resting place at Holy Cross Cemetery in Grand Rapids, drew a crowd estimated in the thousands. Two years after the funeral, Dickerson paid $5,000 for the 10-foot high, solid Vermont marble monument placed over Ketchel’s grave. Inscribed on the Monument are the words:
Stanley Ketchel
Born Sept. 14, 1886 – Died October 15, 1910
A Good Son and Faithful Frien
Stanley Ketchel Grave
Both Walter Dipley and Goldie Smith were found guilty of first-degree murder at a jury trial in January 1911 and were sentenced to life in prison. Goldie Smith had her murder conviction overturned on appeal and only served 17 months for robbery. Walter Dipley stayed in prison for 23 years before he was paroled. He died in 1956.
The Legend Lives On…
Stanley Ketchel’s Professional Ring Record: 52 wins, 4 losses, 4 draws and 4 No-decisions, with 49 wins by knockout.
Stanley Ketchel was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1959.
In 1990, the legendary Stanley Ketchel was part of the inaugural class of inductees into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleicher rated Stanley Ketchel as the greatest middleweight champion of all time.
A 1996 Ring magazine reader’s poll ranked Ketchel the # 4 all-time middleweight in their All-Time Divisional Ratings and among the 20 greatest fighters of the 20th century in 2000.
Boxing Writer/Sports Historian Bert Randolph Sugar ranks Stanley Ketchel the eighth-best professional boxer of all time.
The 1909 Jack Johnson – Stanley Ketchel fight was ranked #24 all-time greatest fight in history.
A 2003 Ring Magazine poll voted Ketchel #6 among the 100 greatest punchers of all time.
The IBRO (International Boxing Research Organization) rated Ketchel the #3 all time middleweight in their 2005 member poll.
Biography: “The Michigan Assassin” – The Saga of Stanley Ketchel by Nat Fleischer, RING Editor 1946
Biography “Stanley Ketchel: A Life of Triumph and Prophecy” by Manuel A. Mora. 2007
Subject of the Book: The Killings of Stanley Ketchel” by James Carlos Blake. 2006
Subject of the Short Story: “The Light of the World” by Ernest Hemingway.
Marquess of Queensberry Rules, code of rules that most directly influenced modern boxing. Written by John Graham Chambers, a member of the British Amateur Athletic Club, the rules were first published in 1867 under the sponsorship of John Sholto Douglas, ninth marquess of Queensberry, from whom they take their name.
John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry (July 20, 1844 – January 31, 1900) was a Scottish nobleman, remembered for his atheism, his outspoken views, his brutish manner, for lending his name to the “Queensberry Rules that form the basis of modern boxing.
The rules are as follows:
Rule 1—To be a fair stand-up boxing match in a 24-foot ring, or as near that size as practicable.
Rule 2—No wrestling or hugging allowed.
Rule 3—The rounds to be of three minutes’ duration, and one minute’s time between rounds.
Rule 4—If either man falls through weakness or otherwise, he must get up unassisted, 10 seconds to be allowed him to do so, the other man meanwhile to return to his corner, and when the fallen man is on his legs the round is to be resumed and continued until the three minutes have expired. If one man fails to come to the scratch in the 10 seconds allowed, it shall be in the power of the referee to give his award in favour of the other man.
Rule 5—A man hanging on the ropes in a helpless state, with his toes off the ground, shall be considered down.
Rule 6—No seconds or any other person to be allowed in the ring during the rounds.
Rule 7—Should the contest be stopped by any unavoidable interference, the referee to name the time and place as soon as possible for finishing the contest; so that the match must be won and lost, unless the backers of both men agree to draw the stakes.
Rule 8—The gloves to be fair-sized boxing gloves of the best quality and new.
Rule 9—Should a glove burst, or come off, it must be replaced to the referee’s satisfaction.
Rule 10—A man on one knee is considered down and if struck is entitled to the stakes.
Rule 11—No shoes or boots with springs allowed.
Rule 12—The contest in all other respects to be governed by revised rules of the London Prize Ring. See London Prize Ring Rules.
The Broughton Rules of boxing were universally recognized until 1838 when the British Pugilists’ Protective Association introduced the London Prize Ring Rules. The London Rules expanded Broughton’s original seven rules to twenty and after further revision in 1853 to twenty-nine. The key changes are listed below.
1. The ‘scratch’ replaced Broughton’s ‘square of a yard’ chalked in the middle of the stage.
2. After the 30-second rest between rounds, and the umpire’s call of ‘time,’ each man is required to walk to the scratch unaided and was allowed eight seconds to do so. (This was instituted to prevent a boxers second from carrying the fighter to the scratch line who were, in reality, unable to continue).
3. Greater attention to the fighters dress’ particularly limiting spikes on shoes.
4. A man willfully going down without a blow is disqualified.
5. Fouls such as butting, gouging, biting, scratching, kicking, use of stones, etc. in the hand, squeezing on the ropes, were set out fully, though wrestling is permitted.
6. Provisions were made regarding wagers in the event of postponements, cancellations, and interference by the law or darkness, boxers quitting the ring and other unforeseen circumstances.
7. The fight ended when one of the men failed to come to scratch in time.
The London rules would govern bare-knuckle boxing until the Queensbury Rules in 1867 ushered in the modern, gloved era. The last bare-knuckle heavyweight title bout under the London Prize Ring Rules was July 8, 1889 when John L. Sullivan defeated Jake Kilrain in 75-rounds.
History recorded the impetus behind Broughton’s desire to write Rules of Boxing was a direct result of a bout he had in which Broughton’s opponent was killed. He defeated George Stevenson April 24, 1744 and beat him so badly, Stevenson’s died a month later as a result of his injuries. Recently, that claim has been disputed due to the fact London Newspapers reported George Stevenson in a subsequent bout with Anthony Jones in 1745.
One theory for Broughton formulating his rules was to regulate the outcome of contests thereby encouraging the support of gamblers, wealthy patrons and merchants. Broughton was himself backed by the Duke of Cumberland (son of the king). Broughton introduced the boxing glove called “mufflers” for that reason. They were offered as added protection to royalty studying self-defense at the Broughton Amphitheater..
Broughton is also credited with introducing scientific methods into the sport. He taught deferent methods of punching such as Milling on a retreat whereby a fighter retreats in position to lure his opponent into a trap. Then he quickly executes a direct counter-attack punch to increase the impact of the strike three-fold.
On August 16, 1743, Broughton’s seven rules of boxing were printed and framed at his amphitheater in London.
1. That a square of a yard be chalked in the middle of the stage; and every fresh set-to after a fall, or being parted from the rails, each second is to bring his man to the square and place him opposite to the other; and till they are fairly set-to at the lines, it shall not be lawful for one to strike the other.
2. That in order to prevent any disputes as to the time a man lies after a fall, if the second does not bring his man to the side of the square within the space of half a minute he shall be deemed a beaten man.
3. That, in every main battle, no person whatever shall be upon texcept the principals and their seconds; the same rule to be observed in the bye-battles, except that in the latter Mr. Broughton is allowed to be upon the stage to keep decorum, and to assist gentlemen in getting to their places; provided always he does not interfere in the battle; and whoever presumes to infringe these rules to be turned immediately out of the house. Everybody is to quit the stage as soon as the champions are stripped, before they set-to.
4. That no champion be deemed beaten, unless he falls coming up to the line in the limited time; or that his own second declares him beaten. No second is to be allowed to ask his man’s adversary any questions or advise him to give out.
5. That in the bye-battles, the winning man to have two-thirds of the money given, which shall be publicly divided upon the stage, notwithstanding any private agreement to the contrary.
6. That to prevent disputes, in every main battle, the principals shall, on the coming on the stage, choose from among the gentlemen present two umpires, who shall absolutely decided all disputes that may arise about the battle; and if the two umpires cannot agree, the said umpires to choose a third, who is to determine it.
7. That no person is to hit his adversary when he is down, or seize him by the ham, the breeches, or any part below the waist; a man on his knees to be reckoned down.
Broughton’s seven rules were regarded as definitive for about 100 years and they served as “statutes of the Ring until 1838.” At that time, his rules were superseded by new rules, called the “London Prize Ring Rules” that underwent modifications in 1843, 1853, and 1864.
The London Prize Ring Rules also “introduced measures that remain in effect for professional boxing to this day, such as outlawing butting, gouging, scratching, kicking, hitting a man while down, holding the ropes, and using resin, stones or hard objects in the hands, and biting.”
The Roaring Twenties, an era of sports legends like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Johnny Weissmuller, Bill Tilden and Jack Dempsey coincided with the generation of outstanding Jewish athletes who dominated the sport of boxing. Benny Leonard, “The Ghetto Wizard,” was the Golden Boy in the golden age of great Jewish fighters.
Born Benjamin Lanier in 1896, Leonard was raised by Orthodox Jewish parents in the Jewish ghetto on New York’s lower east side. After spending his boyhood fighting local Irish and Italian challengers on the streets of the city, he turned professional at 15 to earn some money for his family. His named changed to Leonard when ring announcer Peter Prunty introduced him as Benny Leonard and the record keeper recorded it.
After losing his boxing debut by knockout, Leonard made some adjustments in his style and adopted a scientific approach to training. His quick analytical mind allowed him to recognize weaknesses in opponent’s styles and capitalize on them. A student of the game, he used each bout as a stepping-stone to greater learning. Although he was KO’d in three of his first 13 bouts during his development phase, he wouldn’t be KO’d again until his last fight, some 20 years and 200 bouts later.
Like his predecessor and idol, lightweight champion Joe Gans, Leonard slowly transformed himself into a boxing master. Though Leonard’s intellect separated him from most of his peers, his physical abilities were second to none. Sportswriter Hayward Broun wrote in 1922, “Leonard’s left handed jab could stand without revision in any textbook. The way he feints, ducks, sidesteps and hooks is impeachable.“
On his march to the title, Leonard took on many past or future champions like Johnny Kilbane (Featherweight), Johnny Dundee ( Featherweight, Jr. Lightweight), Freddie Welsh (Lightweight) and Rocky Kansas (Lightweight). Leonard’s first shot at the title came against Freddie Welsh March 31, 1916 in a no-decision contest in which Benny could only win by knockout. The bout went the distance but the newspaper writers voted unanimously for Leonard.
Leonard engaged in twenty-five more bouts with two no-decision losses to Johnny Dundee and Freddie Welsh before getting another try at Welsh’s lightweight title. Under the shrewd boxing management of Billy Gibson, Benny now demanded bigger paydays and another title try. He faced off with Welsh May 28, 1917 at the Manhattan Casino for the Lightweight Championship of the World.
Now in his prime, Leonard was in complete control of the action and dominated Welsh throughout the fight. Welsh was down three times in the 9th before referee Kid McPartland finally stopped the slaughter with Welsh was dangling defenselessly on the ring ropes. New York’s Jewish community finally had their champion. Hayward Broun called Benny Leonard, “the white hope if the orthodox.”
Over the next several years, Leonard continued his winning streak and along the way, knocked out Leo Johnson in a 1918 title bout. A year later, Leonard fought the great Ted “Kid” Lewis in a no-decision contest with Lewis’ title on the line. The fight ended in a Draw with Lewis getting the newspaper decision. Benny also dropped a four round newspaper decision to former lightweight champion Willie Ritchie later that year.
Leonard risked his title several times the following year against the best of his star-studded division. Young Erne, Johnny Dundee, Joe Welling, Ritchie Mitchell, Rocky Kansas all took a crack at his title. On July 5, 1920 Benny was almost dethroned by Chicago’s master left hooker, Charley White. In their rough and tumble battle, Leonard was knocked out the ring in round five and rebounded to have White down five times in the ninth. Benny finally won the bout by KO in the 9th.
In his rematch with Willie Ritchie, Benny was dropped in the first round and came within two seconds of losing his crown. His ability to recover quickly allowed him to come out in the next few rounds and keep Ritchie on the defensive. Once in control, he knocked Richie to the canvas three times before the fight was stopped in the 6th.
In June 1922, in front of 18,000 fans at the New York Velodrome, Leonard challenged Jack Britton for his world welterweight title. According to ringside observers, Leonard was out shined by Britton and losing the bout on points when, in the 13th round, Benny threw an accidental low blow and Britton dropped to his knee crying foul.
As referee Patsy Haley was tending to Britton in the center of the ring, Leonard ran around Haley and banged Britton on the jaw with a hard right and Britton falls back on the canvas. Haley immediately disqualifies Leonard for the foul and Britton retains his title. Leonard’s motivation for ending the bout on a foul has remained a mystery. It’s one of the most disputed and controversial endings in the history of boxing.
The following month, Leonard put his title on the line against his toughest opponent among the lightweights, Philadelphia‘s “Lefty” Lew Tendler. The dramatic confrontation took place at Boyle’s Thirty Acres, New Jersey in front of 50,000 spectators. It was the largest money producer in the history of the lightweight division. Gross receipts were $327, 565 which gave Benny a purse of $101,755 and Tendler $62,000. Fight promoter “Tex” Richard grossed over $90,000 on the event.
Tendler dominated the early rounds and staggered Leonard in the first round. By the third Benny was bleeding from the nose. In the 8th, Leonard caught a left on the chin and dropped to one knee. He barely beat the count and distracted Tendler by talking to him and survived the round. Leonard won the 12 round No-decision fight but said later “ Lew gave him the worst licking I ever had in my life the first time we fought.”
In his second meeting with Tendler at Yankee Stadium in July of ‘23, it was a winner take all affair. With the experience he gained in their first fight, Benny was able make adjustments and control Tendler for 15 rounds and win a unanimous decision. Leonard – Tendler II was another financial success for “Tex“ Rickard with gross receipts over $450,000.
Following the second Tendler bout, Benny had two more non-title bouts and then to comply with his mother’s wishes, he hung up his gloves. Benny Leonard officially announced his retirement January 15, 1925. He had amassed a fortune during his ring career and had enough money invested in stocks and bonds to take care of his family. The Wall Street Crash October 1929 changed all that. It’s estimated Leonard lost several million dollars invested in the market.
In 1931, after a six year retirement, Benny was forced to return to the ring as a welterweight. Paunchy, slower, his wizardry gone, Leonard was still able to string together 19 straight victories against lesser talent before facing off against top welterweight contender Jimmy “Babyface” McLarnin. One of toughest welterweights of all time, McLarnin outshone Leonard in every possible respect. Benny was knocked down in the second round and the bout was finally stopped by referee Arthur Donavon when Leonard appeared defenseless in the 6th.
Benny Leonard retired for good in October 1932 with a professional ring record of Bouts 219, Wins 183 (70 KO), Losses 24, Draws 8, No-Contests 4. In retirement, Benny became a top fight referee. He died of a heart attack reffing a bout at St. Nicholas Arena April 18, 1947. He was 51 years old.
Boxing historian Herb Goldman ranked Leonard as the # 1 Lightweight of all time. Writer Charley Ross ranked him as the #1 lightweight of all-time. Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleisher ranked Leonard as the #2 all-time lightweight. Fistiana ranks Benny Leonard the #2 all-time lightweight.
Hall of Fame Inductions:
Ring Boxing Hall of Fame: 1955
International Boxing Hall of Fame: 1990
World Boxing Hall of Fame: 1980
National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame: 1996
International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame: 1979
