The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-08-18
Today's Sport Parade
By HENRY McLEMORE United Press Staff Correspondent

New York, Aug. 18.-(UP)-Blood nor0ally sells for $25 pint. But that's the hospital price.
 In Madison Square Garden last night 18,00O persons paid $1O200O to watch two blood donors, Henry Arm strong and Lou Ambers, shed a quart or 50 in dog-fight for the lightweight championship.
 Many a bell has changed, many pound of resin been scuffled into the floor, many 8 count been tolled since two little men painted such a pugil- 1stic canvas. They went at 1t with broad brushes and bold strokes, with savagery and courage for their basic colors.
 At the finish, which saw Arm strong's hand lifted in victory-and it had to be lifted, he was so tired there was scarcely shirt in the working press that wasn't stipped with blood and the floor of th2 ring resembled a gigantic butchers apron.
 For fifteen rounds-45 full min utes-the negro and the Italian fought as though not only the 135- pound title, but their very lives were at stake. From 10:15 to II o'clock they had at one another, head to head, chest to chest, toe to toe. First in this corner, then in that corner; sometimes in the middle of the ring, sometimes with the ropes cushion ixaev thntr hnrLc k,,f al ot eternally laying down barrages of leather that raked one anothers bodies from belly to eyebrow.
 Only twice during the entire fight did the referee have to step be- tween them and shove them out of a clinch. And on each of those occa- sionS he risked injury because the closer Henry and Lou got together, the hotter they poured their nut brown fists.
 Men don't fight this way without paying the price.
 Ambers was on the borderlne of hysteria when I saw him in his dressing room few minutes after 1t was all over. Naked, with cruel welts all over his body and a lump the size of alarming egg over his left eye. he sat in a straight-backed chair and alternately sang and laughed and babbled
 T want girl just like the girl that married dear old dad" he chanted in one breath and then he would break in with:
 "Whoop-a doopy. He can't punch. He ain't the best puncher. Hiya pal. I want gal Yeah, I coulda gotten up Just like the gal Hiya everybody :"
 And as he sang and babbled his tired body still swayed as though he were rolling punches, his head bobbed as though he were ducking a right, and his feet did little mini ature double shufles.
 Armstrong just sat. His eyes were bruised and his lips stood out in a raw pout He licked them tenderly as he answered questions with the weariness of a suspect after twelve hours of the third degree. He never changed expression when iced water was sloshed on his back or flash light bulbs exploded in his face.
 He had given everything. For the full distance he did not take back ward step. From bell to bell he rolled ever forward behind a brown screen of gloves. He hit Ambers with everything. His fists, his wrists, his palms, his elbows, and even his head His rOughneSs cost him three rounds, but he never apologized. He was l34 IA pounds of fighting man, doing job of fighting, and Ambers, the referee, and the crowd could take 1t or leave 1t. He didn't care which There were times when the little black man from California was so primitive that the beat of the tom tom would have been more appropriate than hlI. bell for marking the close of the