I recently read a January 1919 newspaper article that reported this (I'm paraphrasing):
Not too long ago World Champion Benny Leonard agreed to referee the main event of a Brooklyn benefit boxing carnival. The bout featured Soldier Bartfield and Jack London. As the fight progressed Leonard, displeased with the effort Bartfield was giving, instructed him to "do a little more fighting and less hippodroming." Leonard continued to criticize Bartfield's effort to the point where Bartfield got upset and began to cast aspersions upon Leonard's refereeing. They both continued to "talk trash" (my modern terminology) to each other.
Finally Bartfield hazarded the guess that Leonard "was just as much a false alarm as a fighter" as he was a referee. Leonard said words to the effect that "You're about to find out!" He immediately pushed London back into his corner and proceeded to strip his clothing off right in front of the startled crowd. Leonard then ordered London to give him his gloves and asked him to remain in the corner to act as his second.
What next happened was described by the contemporary press - according to this January 1919 article - as "the most furious staged in New York in many years." The two fought all over and around the ring. Leonard had gone into the fray with an injured thumb, which had prevented him from going on tour, and the reason he had not fought recently. He could have injured it more and thus lost out on thousands of dollars in ring earnings, but he didn't care - according to this article.
Those fortunate spectators who happened to witness this bout say (again according to this Jan. 1919 article) that Leonard emerged from the battle without a mark, but the same could not be said for Bartfield.
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This is too good a story to waste. How should it be incorporated into the BoxRec database? Was this an actual bout between Bartfield and London, and thus be entered? A bout between the two is not currently entered. Or what?
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