Philadelphia boxer Lew Tendler fought 167 fights during his ring career, going 159 and 8. In 1913, at the age of 15, Tendler was one of a group of newsboys hawking newspapers for the late Phil Glassman, where he earned the nickname “Lefty Lew”.

That same year in Philadelphia neighborhood boxing ring, he fought his first professional fight against Mickey Brown, a veteran boxer. The fight went the distance and was a thriller. Within a year, still a bantamweight, he was being heralded as the “Newsboy Champion of America”. He later grew into a featherweight and lightweight before finishing his ring career as a welterweight. From 1913-1928 he fought seven world champions and contested three times for the World Lightweight Championship.

Two of those fights were against the great Benny Leonard and one of those in Yankee Stadium established an attendance record for a lightweight championship match. He fought three times in 1928, knocking out Jack Mcfarland in eight rounds, losing a 10 round decision to Ace Hudkins and knocking out Nate Goldman in his last professional fight.

Following his retirement from the ring, Tendler traveled throughout the country speaking about his boxing exploits. His restaurant, Lew Tendler’s, became a popular south broad street gathering place for many years. In the early 1960s, Lew Tendler’s Steak House in Atlantic City opened and became a famous rendezvous for visitors to that city. Tendler died in November of 1970 at the age of 72.

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