The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-06-01
BARNEY ROSS
BADLY BEATEN
BY ARMSTRONG
First to Hold Weller, sea'
Their Crowns Same Time;
Ross Never Down

fpathCrwcight title, u
crowd of some $4,000 in Madison
Souarc Garden bowl last night.
The unanimous l5-rOuud decl-
sion made the bull-shOuldered Los
Angeles negro the first man IN
history ever to wear the TWO
crowns simultaneously.
Ross, black-haired, glittery-eyed
Chicago serapper, lost like true
champion. He weathered ono oil
the most mercilcsS heatingS ever
given any one in the ring and was
virtually helpless during the last
half of the bout,
Unseasonably cold weather
was. apparently, a factor in hold
ing down the size of the crowd.
SPECTATORS were actually shlver'
ing.
Ross and Armstrong wore long
gym pants when they walked into
the ring. Ross also wore cap.
Ross weighed l42, and Arm
strong 1873 1-2.
Heavyweight Champion Joe
Louis and former Champion JIM
my BraddOck were among the
fight celebrities introduced.
George Lie Cron and Billy Cav
anaugh we're the judges Arthur
Donovan was the referee. Dono-
van was given the referee spot
despite objections of Sam Plan
and Art Winch, co-managers OF
Ross.
The face of Ross. last nights
good big man." looked worse
than that of Willard, the good
biz man" of Toledo, after the
bout. Henry'S relentless hooking
attack had Barney'S right eye
puffed and closed so that nc saw
fro mbut one optic after the sew
enth round. Ross was bleeding
from his mouth, his nose and
from gashcS over both eyes.
The crowd of more than $4,000
who braved cold weather to see
this first battle between a feath-
erweight challenger and a welter
champion, was screaming for Ref
cree Arthur Donovan to stop the
slaughter during the last four Ses-
sions. Most Of the boxing writer's
were amazed that he and the com
mission had permitted the bloody
punishment to continue after the
champion was groggy and weav-
ing about on nerveleSS legs.
But the writer's were even more
amazed that Ross could weather
such a continuous and terrific
bonlbardment without being floor
ed once, or without being gashed
so badly that a halt would be
forced. -.
n losing his title Ross indeed
'we,it down with his colors flying
and he kept intact his record of
never having been knocked out or
stopped in eight years of profess
sional warning.
Armstrong, in taking the title
which Ross reeaptured from JIM
my McLarnin in this same bowl in
1885, became the fourth negro to
wear the 147-pound crown. And
judging by his sensational show
ing last night, he will wear it a
YlOng time.
q Only in the first two rounds
did it seem that Ross might keep
his toga and break the jinx that
has lowered over the Garden
bowl. where no boxing or wreS-
ting champion has ever made a
successful defense.
= Ross had the better of the fu-
rions fighting in the first two
ffames. Barney was punching
faster and more accurately than
has challenger and was whipping
Ia smashing left hooks and right
uppercuts to Henry's face. These
blows brought blood from Arm
stfong's nose in the first minute
OF milling -,
However, even in the opening
rohpd, the "good little man" Arm!
stzopg, who scaled eight and a
half pounds less than the cham
pioh, revealed that he was grim
ly determined TO carry the battle
to his opponent. And Ross reveal
edsthat he was just as determined
70 set the pace himself. As a re-
suit The two stood toe-to-toe dur
ing this first hectic session and
5 ripped away.
The. same furious brawling fea-
tured the second round, with Ross
again having the better of the ex-
changes. However, Barney had
Started to give ground a bit.
/. Aside from these two rounds, the
only one that Barney took dur
ing the remainder of the bout was
the. seventh, which Donovan
awarded. him on a foul. Arm
strong had much the better of the
fighting in that round.
The savage fighting continued
in the third, fourth and fifth, witt
Ross gradually weakening anc
giving ground. From then on Il
was just question of how long
he could last-er would he?
In the dressingroom afterwards
Ross announced that this was hi:
last fight and that he would re,
tire. He said he was beaten by 6
better fighter and that he had nj
alibis. His face looked as lopsidet
as If someone had been smashing
at it with a baseball bat.
Barney, who had been the So
hRff1nor foNrna.afA ~ =
he intended going into business
with his father-in-law. Barney haC
defense against Ceferino Carols
been married since his last title
in September Since then he haC
only two tune-up fights.
Homicide Henry" ended Bar
ney's ,ring- career tonight with !
continuous bombardment of hook
ing combinations that kept thu