1919-06-09 Benny Leonard ND10 Charley Pitts [Theatre Francais, Montreal, Quebec, Canada]

1919-06-10 The Gazette (Montreal, QC) (page 10)

BENNY LEONARD ON EXHIBITION
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Lightweight Champion Gave Charlie Pitts a Boxing Lesson in Good Workout
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ASPIN KNOCKED OUT
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Roddy McDonald Showed Improvement and Scored Decisive Victory--Russel Scored Knockout
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Making his initial appearance in a local ring, Benny Leonard, champion lightweight of the world, pleased a well-filled house at the Theatre Francais last night, when he gave Charlie Pitts, of Australia, a boxing lesson and at the same time was having a good workout for his next bout. Leonard created a much more favorable impression than Jack Dempsey did here a few weeks ago. Leonard needs no recommendation, as he has earned his title and is without exception the cleverest boxer that has ever displayed his talent to a local public.

Leonard boxed with his opponent at all times and showed such clever defensive work that Pitts hardly laid a glove on him during the ten rounds. Leonard devoted a great deal of the time to shadow boxing rather than to administering punishment on his inferior opponent. Time and again he had Pitts at his mercy, but would stop his offensive tactics to allow Pitts to recover and start afresh. At times Leonard burlesqued the bout by dancing around his opponent, tapping him and breaking away, giving Pitts every opportunity to land, but the Australian was never able to take advantage of the offerings.

The champion is as fast as a featherweight. He has science and, when he lets his blows go, packs a hard punch, as was shown when he landed several times in the tenth round, staggering Pitts. Had Leonard followed up his advantage, he could have terminated the bout in any of the ten rounds.

McDONALD BEAT ASPIN.

The programme carried out by the Canadien Hockey Club furnished three knockouts. In the semi-windup Roddy McDonald, who was so decisively defeated by Marty Cross recently, knocked out Aspin, of the Canadian Vickers, in the fifth round of a scheduled ten-round bout. McDonald was fighting a man in his own class when he went up against Aspin, and for the first two rounds there was little advantage to be claimed by either.

In the third round Aspin landed a right cross that sagged McDonald's knees. The Glace Bay fighter did not go down, but hung on to his opponent until he rallied. Shortly after Aspin landed, McDonald put over a short left jolt that sent Aspin to the floor for the count of eight. On resuming fighting Aspin stalled McDonald off for the remaining time of the round.

In the fourth McDonald opened on the offensive and landed rights and lefts that staggered the local fighter. Aspin clinched to save himself, and, in the break, put over another right cross on McDonald, but failed to follow it up.

In the fifth McDonald came from his corner with a rush. He landed a left and right that staggered his opponent. Aspin clinched and in the breakaway McDonald landed a right uppercut that terminated the bout.

In the first of the preliminaries Gillis knocked Kid Herman out after a minute's fighting. In the next preliminary Russell knocked Barney Kauf out with a right cross to the jaw in the fourth round. Up until the knockout blow was struck Kauf had the better of the fighting.

Walter Mohr, who is to meet Jack Britton on Friday night, was introduced, and it was announced that Frankie Fleming would fight Frankie Brown, of New York, on Thursday night, June 19.