Johnny Buff

Johnny Buff
Statistics
Real name	John Lesky
Nickname(s)	Johnny Buff
Rated at	Bantamweight
Height	5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
Nationality	American
Born	(1888-06-12)12 June 1888 Perth Amboy, New Jersey  USA
Died	14 January 1955(1955-01-14)
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	50
Wins	31
Wins by KO	14
Losses	12
Draws	3
No contests	3

John "Johnny Buff" Lesky (June 12, 1888 – January 14, 1955) was an American boxer. He was World Bantamweight Champion from 1921 to 1922.^[1]

Boxing career

In 1921, Buff won both the World Bantamweight Championship and the American Flyweight Championship. He became the flyweight champion by defeating Abe Goldstein in New York City on March 31, 1921. Six months later, on September 23, he won the bantamweight title by defeating Pete Herman in Madison Square Garden. He lost both titles in 1922.^[1]

He held wins over Tommy Gorman, Abe Goldstein, Charles Ledoux and "Little" Jack Sharkey 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 (BB-32) by 1928.

In the military he was known as "Gunner's Mate Spike Lisky", serving aboard the USS California (BB-44). It was said at the time that he was the only United States Navy sailor to have become a world champion.^[2]

Personal life

Lesky is the grandfather of modern-day boxing and MMA 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.

References

External links

• History
• Johnny Buff's bio at the Cyberboxingzone
• Professional boxing record for Johnny Buff from BoxRec