Evening star., 1939-08-23
By LEWIS ATCHISON,
Star Stad Correspondent.

NEW YORK, Aug. 23.-Fat Eddie
Mead, Henry Armstrong; agent,
was sitting in the hotel lobby twid
ding his thumbs and awaiting a
call to the well-worn carpet from
the New York State Athletic Com
mission today, a call that is in
evitable because the gent with the
balloon like figure fouled the COM
mission last night in the dressing
room after his man returned the
lightweight title to Lou Ambers. He
fouled as often and more deliberately
than his fighter, whose submarine
punches directly were responsible for
his downfall.
Mr.. Mead was as harsh as a dra-
matte critic in his challenge of the
commissions honesty, efficiency, ETC.,
but his bleat boiled down to nothing
more than a loud, sour squawk.
which was not unexpected. After all
Fat Eddie couldn't stand by without
lifting his voice in defense of the
title that Henry had tried vainly to
keep from Ambers' eager paws dur
ing 60 minutes of grueling fighting
He had to say something, and say
1t loud and nasty to show his boy
that he was with him, so he picked
on the commission.
Henry's Zip Fading.
But all of Mead's verbal blasts
all of his chestbeating, hair-pulling,
nail-biting and threats of an in
vestigation of the committee couldn't
camoulage the glaring evidence that
Armstrong is nearing the end of his
fistic career. The little chocolate
soldier was a sorry figure in his
robing room after the bout. His
words came fiat and toneless from
thick, round lips He spat blood
from an old wound in the mouth.
The flesh hung heavily over his half
closed eyes, and he was tired
awfully tired.
Nothing will come of Mead's
charges OF an expose, but he will not
permit Henry to stake his welter-
weight crown against Ambers in
November as Mike Jacobs SAYS he
will. Lightning is not going to hit
the little stormcloud twice from the
same direction if his pilot can help
1t. Armstrong has lot of good fights
left in his system, but the incentive
is gone from his work. From now
on he'll be strictly a business battler
trying to rake in as much hay as
possible. He can't 60 on winning
much longer, but he's still good
enough to beat most of the light
weights of today.
Lou Wins Honestly.
Armstrong lost heavily because of
fouls last night, but without this
advantage Ambers would have out
pointed him easily. Ambers made
Henry fight the way he, Ambers,
wanted him to. He let Henry back
him up against the ropes, and then
took command of the situation as
Armstrong dug in for long stand
He moved around, ficking left hooks
that hit Armstrong; eyes like hot
cinders. He kept low, well under
Armstrong; most dangerous blows,
and he kept busy-which was the
most important thing.
He satisfactorily demonstrated
that good boxer can hurdle Henry S
unorthodox style if he boxes; but
there were times when he gave his
followers anxious and heart-clutch-
ing moments. The first and worst
occurred in round 4, when the Negro
banged a jarring left hook to the
head and followed with a potent
right to the same sector. The second
was in round IA. when Henry
desperately strove for a knockout.
Only by knockout could he have
retained the title after the 10th
round.
Armstrong; one-two in the fourth
was his best effort of the fight and
when he failed to derail the Herki-
mer Express it was evident his most
damaging weapon was not effective
enough to halt Lou. But he kept
trying to the finish, forcing the
fight all the way.
Louis Feat Unique.
Ambers, the second man in the
history OF the division to regain
the title, and the first to win it
back from the opponent he lost it
to, will take a brief rest and then
strike out for the hinterlands and