Before an estimated 60,000 spectators at Boyle’s Thirty Acres in Jersey City, New Jersey, Benny Leonard survived one of the closest calls of his championship reign against southpaw Lew Tendler in a memorable 12-round battle on July 27, 1922.
The outdoor arena, built for the previous year’s Jack Dempsey vs. Georges Carpentier heavyweight spectacle, drew a massive audience as promoter Tex Rickard matched the dominant titleholder against the division’s most dangerous challenger. Under New Jersey’s no decision law, Tendler needed a knockout to leave with the belt. If the fight lasted the scheduled distance, Leonard would remain champion regardless of newspaper verdicts.
Leonard struggled to establish his rhythm early. Tendler sliced open a cut over his left eye in the opening round, ripped punches to the body, then continually caught the titleholder off guard with sharp right-hand leads. The Philadelphia southpaw controlled much of the opening four rounds through relentless pressure and accurate punching.
Leonard found his footing in the middle rounds. Sharp uppercuts began landing with frequency, opening cuts on Tendler while halting the challenger’s momentum. The contest swung back toward the champion before a dramatic eighth round altered the fight completely.
Tendler uncorked a booming left cross after a right hand that left Leonard badly shaken. The champion’s legs buckled, forcing him to grab hold of Tendler to keep from going down. Leonard admitted years afterward that he deliberately kept talking during the clinches, complimenting Tendler’s punch to buy valuable seconds. The tactic worked. Tendler hesitated instead of pressing his advantage, giving Leonard enough time to clear his head and finish the round.
With the crisis behind him, Leonard closed the fight in commanding fashion. He stunned Tendler several times in the tenth round, then boxed confidently through the final two sessions as the challenger began to tire. Referee Harry Ertle judged the bout as “Leonard all the way,” though newspaper opinions varied. Some favored Leonard by a narrow margin, others called it even, and a minority believed Tendler deserved the edge.
The official verdict remained a 12-round no decision, leaving Leonard’s lightweight championship intact under local regulations. Leonard called Tendler the toughest opponent of his championship reign, an admission that reflected how close the Philadelphia contender came to ending one of boxing’s greatest title runs. Their rivalry resumed almost exactly one year later at Yankee Stadium, where Leonard earned a clear 15-round decision that settled the debate over the division’s premier fighter.
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Last Updated on 2026/07/27 at 8:47 PM
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