"Lefty" Lew Tendler (September 28, 1898, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – November 5, 1970, in Atlantic City, New Jersey) was an American boxer. He is generally considered one of the best boxers to never have won a world title, though he was a top rated contender for both the world light and welterweight championships.
The statistical boxing website BoxRec lists Tendler as the tenth ranked lightweight of all time, while The Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleischer placed him at #9.Cyber Boxing Encyclopedia - Lew Tendler CyberBoxingZone.com Retrieved on 2014-04-30All-Time Lightweight Rankings . BoxRec.com. Retrieved on 2014-04-11.
He is a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, the Ring Magazine Hall of Fame, the World Boxing Hall of Fame, and the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Early life and career On September 28, 1898, in the South Philadelphia Jewish ghetto, Lew Tendler was born. Only two years after his birth, his father died after a protracted illness, leaving the family in dire financial problems. He began selling newspapers on a city street corner at the age of six, defending his territory from fierce rivals with his fists. He began boxing as an amateur around twelve, often competing in tournaments at local burlesque houses. Turning pro in 1913 at the age of fifteen, he began his career as a bantamweight. His first bout on November 6, 1913, against Mickey Brown, was arranged by Phil Glassman and the Philadelphia Newsboy Association.Silver, Mike (2016). Stars of the Ring, Published by Rowman and Littlefield, Los Angeles, pps. 254-57.Blady, Ken, The Jewish Boxer's Hall of Fame, (1988), Shapolsky Publishing, New York, New York, pps.128-233
In an important early career win, Tendler decisively defeated future world bantamweight champion Pete Herman on February 28, 1916, in six rounds, repeatedly scoring points with his right. Herman had difficulty mounting an effective defense, and bled from his nose through much of the bout where he caught frequent rights from Tendler."Lou Tendler Surprises Fans By Beating Herman", The Allentown Democrat, Allentown, Pennsylvania, pg. 8, 1 March 1916 Herman would take the world bantamweight championship the following year and hold it almost continuously for four years.
Close bouts with champion Johnny Dundee, 1917 On October 1, 1917, Tendler defeated future world junior lightweight champion Johnny Dundee in a close six-round newspaper decision in Philadelphia. Tendler took the lead in most of the fighting, used his reach advantage to dominate at long range, and landed more blows to take the decision. He finished strong in the sixth."Dundee is Outfought in Six Rounds By Lew Tendler", The Gazette Times, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pg. 11, 2 October 1917Strong in the sixth in "Johnny Dundee is Beaten By Shade", The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, pg. 6, 2 October 1917 On March 26, 1917, Tendler had previously defeated Dundee in another very close six-round newspaper decision of two Philadelphia papers, though one reporter felt the power of Dundee's blows to the head and body should have won him the decision."Johnny Dundee is Boss Over Tendler After Hard Fight", Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, pg. 15, 27 March 1917
Future world lightweight champion Rocky Kansas fell to Tendler on October 29, 1917, in a somewhat decisive six-round newspaper decision in Philadelphia according to a decision of the Philadelphia Record. Tendler scored with straight lefts, upper cuts and right crosses, and had the better of much of the fighting. In a closer first round, Kansas landed a powerful right to Tendler's ear."Tendler Beats Rocky Kansas", The Pittsburgh Post, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pg. 8, 30 October 1917 In two other meetings with Kansas, Tendler won a ten-round newspaper decision on New Years Day, 1919, but dropped a fifteen-round points decision on October 21, 1921, at New York's Madison Square Garden.
Tendler first decisively defeated Willie Jackson, a leading contender for the lightweight title in a six-round newspaper decision in Philadelphia, on January 7, 1918. Tendler forced the fighting from the opening round, showed better defense, and gave Jackson a beating in nearly every round. Jackson was able to score only when coming out of clinches at close range."Jackson No Match for Lew Tendler", The Allentown Leader, Allentown, Pennsylvania, pg. 4, 8 January 1918 Tendler defeated Jackson again that year in a fifteen-round points decision in New Haven, and continued to gain victory over Jackson in Philadelphia and Milwaukee by newspaper decisions once a year from 1919 to 1921.
George "KO" Chaney first fell to Tendler on September 18, 1918, in a six-round newspaper decision in Philadelphia. Tendler knocked down Chaney for a count of six in the third round. Tendler scored best in the first three and final rounds."Lou Tendler Wins Over George Chaney", Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, pg. 13, 19 September 1918 Tendler would also defeat Chaney in a first-round knockout on June 4, 1919, at Philadelphia's Shibe Park. A left to the jaw preceded by a hard right to the same spot put Chaney down for the count only 1:12 into the first round."Chaney is KOed in Opening Round", The Scranton Republican, Scranton, Pennsylvania, pg. 14, 5 June 1919 Chaney was one of Tendler's more skilled early opponents.
Tendler first defeated fellow Jewish boxer Frankie Callahan, another leading contender for the lightweight title, on July 6, 1918, in an eight-round newspaper decision in Atlantic City. In three other meetings, Tendler won a six-round newspaper decision in Philadelphia, a ninth-round technical knockout in Boston where Callahan broke his wrist, and a rough fifth-round technical knockout at an open-air arena in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on September 18, 1920, where Callahan told his manager he had broken a rib in the second round. Callahan fought through three more rounds, but was unable to answer the bell for the sixth."Broken Rib Stops Frankie Callahan",Akron Evening Times, Akron, Ohio, pg. 27, 19 September 1920Did not answer bell for the sixth in "Lew Tendler Defeats Foe Fracturing Rib", The Washington Times, Washington, D.C., pg. 27, 19 September 1920
Attempts at lightweight championship against Benny Leonard, 1922-3 On July 27, 1922, Tendler fell to fellow Jewish boxer Benny Leonard in a twelve-round newspaper decision in Jersey City in a lightweight world title match, that may have been the most remarkable bout of Tendler's career. Before a record audience of over 60,000 enthralled fans, Leonard won five rounds, Tendler four, with three even. Tendler may have led in the first five rounds, as Leonard could not adjust to or penetrate his unique Southpaw stance, style, and defense. In the eighth, Tendler crashed a terrific left to the midsection which had followed a left to the head, and Leonard held on to Tendler as he sank to one knee. Then Leonard rose and distracted Tendler by mumbling a few words, then going to a clinche to rest for much of the remainder of the round. Tendler never delivered the follow-up knockout blow, and Leonard, getting time to recover, dominated the next seven rounds."Tendler Talked Out of the Championship", Press and Sun Bulletin, Binghamton, New York, pg. 27, 28 July 1922 In their last meeting on July 24, 1923, Leonard won a unanimous fifteen-round decision at Yankee Stadium before an extraordinary crowd of 58,000. The bout took place in the Bronx in another lightweight world title match. Leonard excelled in the speed and precision of his attack, while still managing to ward off most of his opponent's blows, particularly Tendler's strong left. Leonard demonstrated his mastery of ring tactics against an opponent who became sluggish, and was unable to mount the offensive he had shown in their bout the previous July. By one account, Leonard managed to land three blows for every one of Tendler's, demonstrating his speed and mastery of tactics. With the huge crowd, Leonard's take home pay exceeded $130,000, an extraordinary sum for the era."Benny Leonard Gets 134,662", Lincoln Journal Star, Lincoln, Nebraska, pg. 10, 26 July 1923"Benny Leonard Beats Tendler", Albany, Democrat, Albany, Oregon, pg. 1, 26 July 1923Crowd of 58,000 in Blady, Ken, The Jewish Boxer's Hall of Fame, (1988), Shapolsky Publishing, New York, New York, pps.132
Tendler first defeated Sailor Friedman, a highly rated lightweight, on December 16, 1921, in an eight-round newspaper decision at New York's Madison Square Garden. Tendler floored Friedman four times in the second round in the Garden. Friedman came back hard in the fourth, staggering Tendler with a left to the jaw, and performed well in the fifth. The combatants went back and forth in the following rounds, though Friedman continued do land a few solid blows as late as the twelfth and fourteenth."Lew Tendler Beats Sailor Friedman", The Scranton Republican, Scranton, Pennsylvania, pg. 16, 17 December 1921 In three previous meetings that year, on September 13, August 24, and February 28, Tendler won in newspaper decisions in Milwaukee, and Philadelphia.
Tendler defeated reigning world light heavyweight champion Pinky Mitchell in their last meeting on February 18, 1924, in a close ten-round newspaper decision in Milwaukee. The Wisconsin State Journal considered the non-title bout slow and wrote that Tendler's blows lacked steam. Had Mitchell been two pounds lighter, and been knocked out, Tendler would have taken the junior welterweight championship."Tendler Wins From Mitchell By Shade", Wisconsin State Journal, Madison, Wisconsin, pg. 16, 19 February 1924 Tendler had defeated Mitchell in a previous meeting on May 19, 1920, in another ten-round newspaper decision in Milwaukee. Tendler got his range in the final seven rounds, and won points for taking the offense through most of the bout. His defense was exceptional, though Mitchell's defense kept him from harm and he benefited somewhat from greater reach."Lew Tendler Gives Pink Mitchell Boxing Lessons", Journal Times, Racine, Wisconsin, pg. 12, 20 May 1920
Attempt at welterweight championship against Mickey Walker, 1924
Tendler fell to Mickey Walker in a ten-round unanimous decision on June 2, 1924, in an attempt at the National Boxing Association (NBA) world welterweight championship. The Pittsburgh Post gave Walker five rounds with only the seventh and eighth to Tendler. In a fast and exciting bout, Tendler drove Walker from rope to rope in the seventh with rights and lefts to the body and head, looking like he might take the decision. Walker had an edge in the final two rounds, however, as Tendler tired, and scored most frequently with blows to the body.Welsh, Regis, The Pittsburgh Post, "Mickey Proves He is Real Champion in Rip Snorting Ten Round Struggle", pg. 13, 3 June 1924
Tendler was knocked out only once in his career on January 19, 1925, against Jack Zivic in Pittsburgh. In the fifth round, a left by Zivic sent Tendler spinning to the floor for a count of nine. Another left hurt Tendler, and then a barrage of lefts and rights sent him to the canvas again. Tendler's manager Phil Glassman threw in the towel ending the fight. In a rematch, however, in Philadelphia five months later before 30,000 fans, Tendler dominated in a ten-round unanimous decision at Shibe Park. The Pittsburgh Gazette Times gave Tendler seven of ten rounds, particularly the last half of the bout, and wrote that he "outboxed, outslugged, and outpunched" Zivic, particularly in the closing rounds."Soutpaw Evens Up Score By Handing Jack Stiff Beating", The Gazette Times, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pg. 11, 9 June 1925