The Great Benny Leonard

The Great Benny Leonard is the story of a man who rose from the slums of New York City to become the Lightweight Boxing Champion of the World. Benny Leonard ruled as the lightweight king from 1917-1925 defeating the best competition of his generation to stand alone as the greatest Jewish fighter of all time. The era between the two world wars is considered the Golden Age of boxing in America. The sport was an intense ethnic rivalry between the descendants of the European continent, primarily the Italian, Irish and Jewish immigrants who settled on the eastern seaboard of the United States, predominately in New York City. Benny Leonard, known as the "Ghetto Wizard," dominated the sport of boxing during the Roaring Twenties and became the most famous Jew in America. Leonard is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in any weight division in boxing history. Benny is ranked 8th in The Ring's "80 Best Boxers of the Past 80 Years" and 7th on ESPN's " 50 Greatest Boxers of All Time". The Great Benny Leonard relives the life and times of the man who fought his way to the top of the world, became a nationwide celebrity and retired from the sport undefeated. It's about a man who overcame tremendous odds to become a hero to the Jewish people of his time and an inspiration to all people forever.