Benny Leonard vs. Richie Mitchell (2nd meeting)
Benny Leonard 134 lbs beat Richie Mitchell 134 lbs by TKO in round 6 of 15
- Date: 1921-01-14
- Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, USA
- Referee: Johnny Haukop
- World Lightweight Title
- Attendance: 13,000
- Gate: $166,000
This was Anne Morgan's benefit boxing program for the American Committee for Devastated France (sustained during World War I). The gate receipts were the largest in the history of the old Madison Square Garden, "which stood until it was razed," according to the June 27, 1949 Milwaukee Journal.
Mitchell was floored three times, and Leonard once--for a nine-count, in the first round. Mitchell thus missed becoming World Champion by one second.
- Leonard started quick, trying to emulate on a past knockout of his adversary in this mill. Leonard dropped Richie three times in the early going, the damage being done by right hands. Then, miraculously, Richie fired a left to the body setting up a right hand that dropped Leonard very hard. Leonard wobbled to his feet and then using all the guile he possessed, waved Mitchell in, taunting him. Mitchell, confused, let a kayo of Leonard slip through the palms of his hands and Leonard regrouped his bearings and made it out of the round. Mitchell wobbled Leonard on several other occasions and held a lead in the bout until the sixth came. Leonard used his right hand effectively setting up several more downings of his rivals prompting the referee to stop the battle.
- Source: "Leonard the Magnificent" by Nat Fleischer
Benny Leonard Quote
"The toughest fight I ever had was with Richie Mitchell in 1921. I almost lost the title then because of Arnold Rothstein, the gambler. Before the fight, Rothstein asked me whether I thought it would be a tough fight. Four years earlier I had knocked out Mitchell in seven rounds, and I told Rothstein this time I thought I could take him in one.
"That prospect intrigued him, and he said he could get good odds on a first-round knockout and would put $25,000 on it. He said he would give me a piece of the bet for nothing. Well, Arnie was a good friend and I didn't want to disappoint him. I also wanted to pick up some of that money, so I tore into Mitchell at the opening bell. In less than a minute, I had Mitchell down for a nine count. He got up, but I put him down again for another nine count.
"With a little more than a minute left, I landed a solid left hook and Mitchell crumpled again. He went down as if he could never make it up before the 10 count, but he made it at eight. I knew one more solid punch and it would be over. It came quickly, but I didn't land it. Out of nowhere, Mitchell dug a solid left to my stomach and all the air went out of me. He followed with a right to the chin and I went down. I didn't know where I was; I was in worse shape than Mitchell had been in.
"They tell me I got up at seven—it must have been out of instinct—and I held on till the end of the round. I finally knocked him out in the sixth. Rothstein came into the dressing room after the fight and told me he could never get the bet down!" - Benny Leonard (per BoxRec Forum Topic: [1])