Johnny Buff

Infobox_Boxer
name=Johnny Buff
realname=John Lesky


nickname=Johnny Buff
weight=Bantamweight
height=height|ft=5|in=3
nationality=flagicon|USA American
birth_date=birth date|1888|6|12|df=y
death_date=death date|1955|1|14|df=y
birth_place=Perth Amboy, New Jersey flag|USA
home=Perth Amboy, New Jersey
style=Orthodox
total=88
wins=35
KO=7
losses=17
draws=5
no contests=0

Johnny Buff (born 1888-06-12, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey; died January 14, 1955 in East Orange, New Jersey) was an American boxer. He was World Bantamweight Champion from 1921 to 1922."JOHNNY BUFF, HELD TWO BOXING TITLES", "The New York Times", January 18, 1955, p. 27.]

Boxing career

In 1921, Buff won both the Bantamweight Championship of the World and the Flyweight Championship of the World. He became the flyweight champion by defeating Frankie Mason in New Orleans on February 11, 1921. Seven months later, on September 23, 1921, he won the bantamweight title by defeating Pete Herman in Madison Square Garden. He lost both titles in 1922.

He held wins over Tommy Gorman, Willie LaMorte, Midget Smith, Eddie O'Dowd, Frankie Dailey, Abe Goldstein, "Young" Zulu Kid, Charles LeDoux, "Little" Jack Sharkey and Benny Schwartz during his career.

Outside the ring

Lesky enlisted into the United States Navy prior to World War I. When the war arrived, he waived the family exemption, and joined the Navy for a second time. After his professional boxing career, he enlisted for a third time in the Navy, becoming a gunner's mate on the USS "Wyoming" by 1928.

In the military he was known as "Gunner's Mate Spike Lisky.", serving aboard the USS "California". It was said at the time that he was the only United States Navy sailor to have become a world champion. [August 7, 1928 Daily News Searchlight newspaper of navy town Bremerton, WA] .

Personal

Lesky is the grandfather of modern-day boxing announcers Michael Buffer and Bruce Buffer. He married Elizabeth Lisky with whom he had three children: Jimmy, Johnny and Theresa. There were other grandchildren: Walter Palac, Cheryl Palac, and their cousins Jimmy, Mark and Jeannie Lisky.

Links

* [http://www.fortunecity.com/olympia/dempsey/201/johnny.html History]
* [ http://cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/buff-j.htm CBZ bio]
*

References