New Britain herald., 1929-05-22
LA BA,BA TO MEET
 'kID' CHOCOLATE
Two of Rings Most Colorful
 Actors to Battle Tonight

New York, May ee NCP)-"The Fiddler" and the Chocolate Soldier among the rings most colorfu' pugili.ts-will meet in a 1O-round bout at the New York Coliseum to- night.
 The Fiddler" is F'idel La Barba, retired undefeated flyweight cham. pion. He is so-called because his first name is pronounced as if spell ed fiddle"
 '''rhe Chocloate Soldier" is Eligio Sardinias, Cuban Negro who fights under the name of Kid Chocolate.
 The winner might have been recognized as worlds bantamweight champion by the New York State Athletic commission but for the fact that they will not make the division al weight limit of liS pounds. La Barba will weigh just under 122. with Chocolate perhaps half a pound lighter.
 La Earba is the betting favoIite at odds of to }.
 Fig hling his way from a prelim- mary bey at $5 per fight to one of the three biggest attractions in New York fight circles, Chocolate has never lost fight. He was knocked down and almost out by Joe Seal faro. who has since been K. cd by Vidal Gregorio of Spain, but he got up to earn a draw.
 Chocolate has three inches Of height and two inches in reach on La Barba. but the olive skinned Cali forhian has ring wisdom on Choco- late that cant be measured in inches.
 La Barba started fighting when he was in high school and won the Olympic flyweight title in Paris in 1924 when he was only 19. A year later he won the flyweight title from Frankie Genaro and in 1927 clinchcl his claim to the worlds champion ship by defeating Elky Clark, tho European champion. in a 12-round bout at Madison Square Garden.
 The little Italian then retired from the ring to enter Stanford Uni versity. where he became one of the most popular figures on the campus in his freshman year He plans 10 return 10 Stanford this fall to con- tinue his study Of economics in preparation for career as a stock broker, with h,s manager, George Blake. as his partner.
 Few fighters are more intelligent than La Barba in or out Of the ring. One of the few things that Tunney and La Barba have in common Is ,bat they read Shakespeare.
 'I rather you wouldn't say any thing about that Shakespeare be- cause that Tnnney's gag." La Barba told the writer who is breaking promise to reveal one side of the lighters personality.
 Among the other books La Barba has read while training for Choco- late are a book of Australian verse, H. G. Wells Outline of History Wiggam's Fruit of the Family Tree Wards Our Economic Morality pedler's Bitter Heritage and fresh- man readings.
 'The Outline Of History is my favorite book" La Rarba confided. Il have read it many times"
 Strange to say. fighting is not La Barba's favorite sport. It's football. He admits he rather play quarter back on the Stanford football team than win all the boxing titles in the
 world.
 So much for that part of La Barba. Tonights night will he his eleventh since he returned to the ring, He has won all ten of them and knocked out three of his last four opponents.
 la Barha has lost only four fights in his career-two to Johnny Nacca and two to Jimmy McI.arnin, when the latter was flyweight.
 Chocolate has handed eight fight CTS the first knockouts of their car eers. including Johnny Nacca, whom he finished in nine rounds.