Leo Rodak

Leo Rodak (June 5, 1913 – April 13, 1991) was an American featherweight boxer from Chicago.

Rodak was born on June 5, 1913, in South Chicago to an athletic Ukrainian family.

His brother Mike was a bicycling champion.

Remaining in South Chicago through his youth, at 17 he joined Chicago's Catholic Youth Organization (CYO), where he received boxing training.

According to one source, Rodak's amateur record over a two-year period was a remarkable 157–5.

As an amateur from 1931 to 1933 Rodak showcased his exceptional boxing talent in five Chicago Golden Gloves tournaments.

He first won the 1931 Flyweight 112 lb championships for both the Chicago and Intercity Golden Gloves Championships.

In 1932, he took the Bantamweight 118 lb Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, and in 1933, the Featherweight 126 lb Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions and the Intercity Golden Gloves Championships.

Rodak was known for speedy hands and feet, but not for a knockout punch.

In his second year as a professional in 1934, and at only twenty-one years of age, he defeated Eddie Shea, Everett "Young" Rightmire, and former 1932 NBA world featherweight champion Tommy Paul.

According to the Chicago Tribune, he won every round of ten against Eddie Shea on April 23, 1934, at White City Arena in Chicago, effectively using his left.

On September 20, 1934, he decisively defeated Everett "Young" Rightmire at Wrigley Field in Chicago in a ten-round points decision, acting as the aggressor throughout the fight, and flooring Rightmire in the first round.

Rodak had Rightmire close to a knockout in the sixth round.

One source attributed Rightmire's loss to his lack of a knockout punch.

On October 15, 1934, he defeated former world featherweight champion Tommy Paul in a non-title ten round points decision at White City Arena in Chicago.

Scoring on the close bout was near even going into the ninth round, when Rodak briefly sent Paul into the ropes, but he did not fully achieve his winning points margin in the tenth, when he put Paul down for a two count.

The win was his twentieth in a row.

Most impressively, Rodak was undefeated in his first 22 fights.

His streak ended on January 31, 1935, when he lost to the incomparable one-time featherweight, lightweight, and junior welterweight champion Tony Canzoneri at Chicago Stadium in a ten-round Unanimous Decision.

Demonstrating the respect paid Canzoneri, the bout brought 14,775 fans, the largest crowd of the year.

As expected, Canzoneri dominated the talented youngster, rocking him on his heels from a blow to the jaw in the sixth, and inflicting stiff punishment in the seventh.

Rodak hung on well, showing good defense and excellent conditioning against the former champion.

Canzoneri took seven rounds decisively, had a small edge in two, and lost only one.

On February 7, 1936, Rodak fought Bushy Graham to a draw in Madison Square Garden.

Graham used smart foot work, lightning fast ducking, and superb slipping and counter-punching.

The veteran Graham leaned forward coaxing Rodak to throw punches, and then repeatedly drew back and dodged them.

Showing his command, he stung Rodak's face with jabs and overhand swings.

In the seventh, Rodak was dropped by a blow from Graham who had remained illusive despite Rodak's attacks.

Despite a three-year layoff and his advanced age of 32, Graham gave an excellent display of talent to the younger Golden Glove winner.

Though the final ruling was a draw, Graham demonstrated he still had championship form.

Rodak fought Jackie Wilson four times.

The first three fights were ruled a draw by the referee.

The fourth fight, in Baltimore, Maryland, was for the Maryland version of the World Featherweight Title.

He took the Maryland version of the World Featherweight Title from Jackie Wilson on June 17, 1938, in a fifteen-round unanimous decision at Carlin Park in Baltimore, Maryland.

He was declared the National Boxing Association (NBA) World Featherweight Champion when he defeated Leone Efrati at Chicago's Coliseum in a ten-round unanimous decision, on December 29, 1938, though some sources omit him as the NBA champion, as he held the title only four months.

Rodak won in a fifteen-round unanimous decision at Carlin Park on June 17, 1938, before a small crowd of 3,000.

Each fighter split the first eight rounds on points, while the crowd and celebrity referee Jack Dempsey impatiently urged a faster pace.

Rodak opened up in the remaining seven rounds, until Wilson became noticeably groggy in the final three.

The crowd cheered for Rodak in the last half of the bout, disapproving of the ducking of Wilson.

Rodak would later lose to Rightmire on March 16, 1939, in St. Louis, in a ten-round points decision.