Joe Benjamin

Joe Benjamin (September 7, 1898 – July 6, 1983) was an American boxer. He was a Pacific Coast Featherweight Boxing Champion in 1915 and a 1922 World Junior Lightweight Boxing Championship contender against Johnny Dundee. In his fifty-one reported wins on BoxRec, he had nineteen by knockout, giving him an impressive knockout ratio.

With exceptional defensive skills, he was one of only two boxers of his era to fight 200 bouts and receive only one knockout. In his career he sparred and trained with champion Jack Dempsey, and fought reigning champions Benny Leonard, and Johnny Dundee.

As early as November 4, 1919, the Spokane Daily Chronicle confirmed he had injured his hand and had to take a three-week break before continuing his sparring with Benny Leonard at Leonard's training camp.

On December 24, 1919, Joe made a poor showing fighting Joe Welling at the Olympia Athletic Club in Philadelphia. He had previously beaten Welling on December 4 in New Jersey. Boxing historian Ken Blady believes Benjamin had fought with a fever that day, and had problems with injuries to his hands, an issue which occurred frequently in his boxing career. Though he had fought lightweight champion Leonard once, this single poor showing reduced his chances of a sanctioned championship shot, which many of his fans believed he was due. He decided to return to California to treat his arthritic hands, but against the sage advice of his gifted manager Billy Gibson, took a bout with Ritchie Mitchell on his way out west and was knocked out in the ninth in Milwaukee. It was the first time in 200 bouts Benjamin would be called out for the count.

Returning to the East coast after six months of recuperation, he beat Pete Hartley twice in Madison Square Garden, and in an historic win he outboxed gifted lightweight contender Benny Valgar in a twelve-round points decision in New York in July 1921.

On December 26, 1921, he fought eight rounds with fellow Jewish boxer Joe Tiplitz before an enthusiastic audience at the new Olympia Athletic Club in Philadelphia, losing in a close bout by newspaper decision.

Perhaps in his single most historic fight, and one that should have been a lightweight championship bout, he fought reigning World Jr. Lightweight Champion Johnny Dundee in a classic fifteen round bout on February 3, 1922, before a packed house in Madison Square Garden. The fight could have ended differently. Dundee won but faced a very tough challenge in the early to late rounds. Benjamin subsequently took a tour of Europe with friend Jack Dempsey with whom he trained, and hall of fame boxing writer Damon Runyon. Returning to America in May of that year, he fought again in Philadelphia, before returning to Los Angeles where he beat his old opponent Phil Salvadore and his brother Mike before crowds of adoring fans in four round events at his old home, Vernon Arena.

In front of 20,000 fans, on February 25, 1924, in Recreation Park in San Francisco, he narrowly defeated Jack Silver, rated third nationally, and took the Pacific Coast Lightweight championship. According to BoxRec, this fight was part of the NYSAC elimination bout for Benny Leonard's vacant Lightweight Crown. Benjamin, as evidenced by his knockout ratio, was the stronger puncher in the bout. One of the actors in the movie was Bull Montana, formerly a wrestler, and also a close associate of Fairbanks who around 1924 offered to help his friend, boxer Abe Hollandersky finance his autobiography.

He wed actress Marion Nixon after moving to Hollywood around 1925.

On July 5, 1929, having divorced Marion Nixon two years prior, he announced an engagement to New York show girl Agnes O'Laughlin.

After boxing, he considered returning to movies, but had greater success and a stronger interest in buying a stable of horses. Two of his most successful horses were Atlante, and Joe Benjamin. He became a bookmaker at a track in Tijuana, and handled the business affairs of jockey Clarence Kummer, rider of racing great Man o' War.

In World War II he served as a private in the Marines. After the war, he worked as a liquor salesman and did public relations as a west coast representative for Schenley Industries.

He died in San Francisco on July 6, 1983, and was buried in Colma in San Mateo County.