Mike Leonard’s Real Name and Boxing Biography
Mike Leonard’s documented full name was Michael Wellington Leonard. Edison billed the boxer as Mike Leonard and described him as the “Beau Brummel” of pugilism.
- Known as
- Mike Leonard
- Full or birth name
- Michael Wellington Leonard
- Category
- Boxers
Biography
Mike Leonard belongs to the earliest generation of boxers preserved on motion-picture film. His lasting screen appearance is the Leonard–Cushing fight, filmed at Edison’s Black Maria studio in West Orange, New Jersey, on June 14, 1894. The Library of Congress identifies the participants as Mike Leonard and Jack Cushing, and expands Leonard’s catalog name to Michael Wellington.
Edison marketed the contest in separate rounds for Kinetoscope exhibition. Its catalog described six rounds, each represented by 150 feet of film. That description should not be confused with the amount of footage that survives: the Library’s copy contains only part of one round.
The historical nickname is unusually well documented because it appears in Edison’s own promotional description, reproduced in the Library’s record. It is a sobriquet, not an alternative surname. The film connects Leonard’s boxing identity to the early commercial motion-picture business without requiring an invented account of his private life.
Names and nicknames
Beau Brummel of pugilism
Archival film connection
Leonard–Cushing fight (1894), opposite Jack Cushing. The archival copy is incomplete.
Frequently asked questions
What name is documented for Mike Leonard?
Mike Leonard’s documented full name was Michael Wellington Leonard. Edison billed the boxer as Mike Leonard and described him as the “Beau Brummel” of pugilism.
Which archival footage is associated with Mike Leonard?
Leonard–Cushing fight (1894), opposite Jack Cushing. The archival copy is incomplete.
Sources
Further reading: Library of Congress: Leonard–Cushing fight · Library of Congress catalog record