Battling Levinsky

Barney Lebrowitz (June 10, 1891 – February 12, 1949), better known as Battling Levinsky, was the world light heavyweight champion from 1916 to 1920. Statistical boxing website BoxRec lists Levinsky as the #12 ranked light heavyweight of all-time, while "The Ring Magazine" founder Nat Fleischer placed him at #9. The International Boxing Research Organization rates Levinsky as the 20th best light heavyweight ever. He was inducted into the Ring Magazine Hall of Fame in 1966, the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1982, and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2000.
Early life.
Born in Philadelphia on June 10, 1891 of Jewish immigrant parents from Russia, he shined shoes and sold newspapers after school to contribute to his family. In his earliest boxing days, he sold jewelry during the day, but boxed in the evening at the clubs in Philadelphia, probably to hide his fledgling boxing career from his parents.
Boxing career.
Career beginnings.
Battling Levinsky began his boxing career under the name Barney Williams. He fought his first recorded match in 1910 at Philadelphia's Diamond Lew Bailey's Broadway Athletic Club, with a first round knockout of his opponent, Mat Ryan, who outweighed him by over sixty pounds. He received little attention until he took on “Dumb” Dan Morgan as his manager in 1913, who changed Barney’s name along with his boxing fortunes. He was known for possessing incredible defensive skills, not frequently winning by knockout, but often leaving the ring at the end of a fight without having received a truly damaging blow.
Morgan came up with his name of "Battling Levinsky" to obscure the fact that Barney's boxing style was actually more defensive than aggressive in order to give his opposition the impression that he was an aggressive puncher.
Because Levinsky first entered the pro ranks as Barney Williams around 1906, many of his fights between 1906 and 1910, when he became "Battling Levinsky", were not recorded by boxing publications, particularly Nat Fleischer's "Ring Record Book". He did not officially become "Battling Levinsky" until 1913. In his first 100 fights between 1910 and 1914, he lost only three of his bouts.
Between 1914 and 1918, Levinsky fought 127 times, averaging an impressive 37 fights a year, even for his era. Levinsky fought 37 times in 1914 — 9 times in the month of January alone. In January 1915, he began the year with two 10-round bouts on New Year’s Day — 1 each in Brooklyn, New York City and 12 round bout in Waterbury, Connecticut.
World light heavyweight champion, 1916.
After two title-match losses to world light heavyweight champion Jack Dillon, (April 1914 and April 1916), Levinsky finally wrested the crown from him on October 24, 1916 in a twelve round points decision in Boston. The new champion was believed by many to have won every round but the fifth which was even. Levinsky had around a three inch advantage in height, a few extra inches in reach, and as much as a ten pound weight advantage. Though he was not known as a strong puncher, his defensive skills were considered exceptional, and they weighed heavily in his victory. His better blows were landed with his left, often to the jaw and body of Dillon. Fatigued by the fifth, Levinsky carried the match after the sixth, landing blows to the face, jaw and body of Dillon, who landed only a few blows that usually lacked steam. The referee's decision was met with approval by the fans. Some reporters speculated that Dillon's hands were still sore from his bout the previous night with Larry Williams, a very capable light heavyweight, in Philadelphia. Many of Dillon's blows were body punches, but he tried to go to the face or jaw on several occasions, often missing due to Levinsky's fluid defense. Dillon's dangerous right, which landed on a few occasions in the second, usually glanced off Levinsky's face for the remainder of the bout, as the Philadelphia fighter showed his ability to move away from Dillon's most valuable blow, while occasionally countering with rapid left jabs. 
Harry Greb defeated Levinsky in a somewhat close six round newspaper decision of a no decision bout on August 6, 1918 at Philadelphia's Shibe Park. Though the "Wilkes-Barre Times Leader" had Levinsky winning four of the six rounds, the majority of local papers had Levinsky winning the battle. In their ten round bout in Buffalo on February 17, 1919, Levinsky countered and blocked well against Greb's characteristic aggressive two handed attack, and the "Pittsburgh Post" wrote that the contest was "one of the most brilliant big glove exhibitions ever staged", but many local papers agreed with the "Buffalo Enquirer", that "Greb won by his aggressive attack." 
Levinsky met future champion Jack Dempsey on November 6, 1918 and lost in Philadelphia from a third round knockout administered by a left to the jaw. Dempsey connected on several occasions in the first two rounds, landing short rights and lefts that seriously affected his opponent. Dempsey was particularly effective with his left, which he often followed with a right to the body. Dempsey had an advantage in height, weight and reach, which he used to his benefit throughout the match. He was not bothered by Levinsky's frequently used left jabs, and set a very fast pace for Levinsky who at twenty-seven was a critical five years older. By most records, it was the first time, Levinsky had ever lost a match by knockout. 
