Johnny Buff

John Lisky (June 12, 1889 – January 14, 1955), better known as Johnny Buff, was an American boxer. He was the Undisputed World Bantamweight Champion from 1921 to 1922.

Early life Buff was born to a family of Polish heritage on June 12, 1888, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He was christened John Lisky. He later took the ring name "Buff" as his friends where he grew up often called him "Buffalo". He enlisted in the Navy in 1911, at the age of 23, but did not become seriously involved in boxing until 1915, when he boxed for the Navy aboard the USS Rhode Island. He served in the Navy until roughly 1919 at the end of World War I, though he would later re-enlist.

Early career Win over Johnny Rossner Turning pro upon his release from the Navy around 1919, he came under the tutelage of Lew Diamond.

On May 31, 1920, he knocked out Willie LaMorte in the sixth of eight rounds at the Outdoor Arena in Jersey City, New Jersey. LaMorte would later contend for the NYSAC World Flyweight Title. On February 11, 1921, he defeated Mason at the Tulane Auditorium in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a fifteen-round points decision. Mason may have taken as few as two rounds in the fifteen. In the fifth round, a bad cut was opened over Mason's left eye. In their February fight, Mason was competing in the semi-final bout of the Flyweight Champion of America

Defenses of American Fly Title On April 16, 1921, he defeated Young Zulu Kid, in an American Flyweight Championship bout in a fifteen-round points decision at the Broadway Arena in Brooklyn.

On May 2, 1921, Buff defended his American Flyweight Championship against Eddie O'Dowd at Madison Square Garden in a twelve-round unanimous decision. In the second round, fighting with both hands and greater speed, Buff put O'Dowd on the mat for the first time. In the last six rounds, O'Dowd took considerable punishment, and appeared to have received a broken nose in the eighth, which greatly affected his chances. O'Dowd fought the last four rounds gamely never giving up the bout, but losing on points. Somehow in the eleventh round, O'Dowd landed three solid right hooks to Buff's jaw, but was unable to bring him to the mat. Buff won handily on points.

He defeated Charles Ledoux on August 10, 1921, in a non-title fight in the Bronx in a ten-round points decision. The crowd did not entirely approve of the decision. Ledoux would hold the French and European EBU Featherweight Championship in 1924, and the French and European EBU Bantamweight Championship in 1922–1923, having taken both titles earlier in his career.

World Bantam Champion, Sep 1921

Six months after taking the American Flyweight Championship, on September 23, 1921, Buff won the World Bantamweight Championship by defeating Pete Herman in Madison Square Garden in a fifteen-round points decision. Buff took ten of the fifteen rounds, with only four given to Herman and one even. By the fifteenth round, Herman was exhausted and Buff reigned blows on him without Herman putting up an effective defense. Buff was remarkable for taking a world title at the advanced age for a boxer of 32.

Loss of American Fly Title, Sep 1922 Buff officially lost the American Flyweight Championship on September 14, 1922, in an eleventh-round technical knockout against the great Filipino boxer Pancho Villa at Ebbets Field in New York City. Buff was down twice in the tenth and once in the eleventh.

At 115 pounds, on March 17, 1924, he defeated Benny Schwartz at the Armory in Baltimore in a twelve-round points decision. A prolific Jewish Baltimore-based boxer, by 1928 Schwartz would be rated in the top ten of bantamweights in the world.

He married Elizabeth Kolar, with whom he had three children, Jimmy, Johnny, and Theresa. His grandchildren Michael Buffer and Bruce Buffer are famous sports announcers.

Death Lisky died after a long illness on January 14, 1955, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in East Orange, New Jersey. He was 66 years old and had been a resident of Jersey City most of his life.

Selected fights

Win John Rossner Jun 23, 1919 Jersey City 8 Rounds Newspaper Decision

Pete Herman Nov 24, 1919 Trenton, N. J. 8 Rounds Newspaper Decision Win Abe Goldstein July 6, 1920 Jersey City 12 Rounds Newspaper Decision Win Frankie Mason Sep 27, 1920 Philadelphia 8 Rounds Newspaper Decision Win Frankie Mason Feb 11, 1921 New Orleans 15 Rounds Semi-Final Amer. Fly. Title Win Abe Goldstein Mar 31, 1921 New York City 2 Rounds, TKO Won American Flyweight Title Win Charles LeDoux Aug 10, 1921 Bronx, NY 10 Rounds LeDoux was European champ Win Young Zulu Kid Aug 16, 1921 Brooklyn 20 Rounds Kept American Flyweight Title Win Eddie O'Dowd May 2, 1921 New York City 12 Rounds Kept American Flyweight Title Win Pete Herman Sept 23, 1921 New York 15 Rounds Won World Bantamweight Title Win Jackie Sharkey Nov 10, 1921 New York 15 Rounds Kept World Bantamweight Title Loss Joe Lynch July 10, 1922 New York 14 Rounds, TKO Lost World Bantamweight Title Loss Pancho Villa Sep 14, 1922 Brooklyn 11 Rounds, TKO Lost American Flyweight Title Win Harry Forbes Jan 27, 1924 Columbus, Ohio 10 Rounds Win Benny Schwartz Mar 17, 1924 Baltimore 12 Rounds Titles in boxing Major world titles NYSAC bantamweight champion (118 lbs) NBA (WBA) bantamweight champion (118 lbs)

Regional/International titles American flyweight champion (112 lbs)

Undisputed titles Undisputed bantamweight champion