"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.
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 passed away 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, 1918, against Mickey Brown, was arranged by Phil Glassman and the Philadelphia Newsboy Association.
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. 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. 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.
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. 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. 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. 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 was one of Tendler's more skilled early opponents.
