The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-23
FOUL PUNCHES
 PROVE COSTLY
 TO ARMSTRONG
Ambers Regains Crown Although Opinion on De-
 cisiOn Is Divided
BY HARRY FERGUSON Limited Press Sports EditOr)

NOIhtCu ICo0 tS EuItOiJ
 New York, Aug. 23-tUP)-The pitcher-and how that Henry Arm strong can pitch 'em!-went to the well once too often.
 He lost his lightweight champion ship to Lou Ambers last night; lost it after winning 46 consecutive bouts against featherweights, light weights, and welterweights; lost it because so many of his piston punches landed on the belt line that five of the Is rounds were taken away from him because of fouls.
 The two tough little hombres went at it for 45 minutes of slambang fighting under the hot lights at Yankee Stadium, but to the cus- toners back in the $16.50 ringside seats it must have looked like dul- fish business. For Armstrong and Ambers were swarming on top of each other all evening long, ham, mering away at the belly and the chin with punches that never trav- eled more than a foot and a half. There were no long, clean blows, no knockdoWns - just the hammer, hammer, hammer of soggy gloves on tired flesh.
 They are going to meet again on Nov. 1-this time for Armstrong,s welterweight title-and it's a good thing, for it may settle some of the arguments that will still be go- ing on then.
 There was wide range of opin- ion on who won what rounds and why. Referee Arthur Donovan awarded eight rounds to Ambers and seven to Armstrong; Judge Frank Fullam gave the same ver- dict; but Judge Bill Healey award cd Ambers II rounds, Armstrong three and called one even. The United Press score sheet had seven for Ambers, six for Armstrong and called the third and sixth rounds even.
 Tough To Score
 It was tough one to score. There was never a time when punches weren't flying. Everybody agreed that Armstrong was hitting in foul territory, but everyone also agreed that it was unintentional. Henry the hammer would lay his head down on Ambers' left shoulder and whale away, not knowing himself whether the body blows were above, on. or below the belt.
 Armstrong forced the fighting al- most all the way. On and on he went with that curious crab-like waddle, his little brown arms flail- ing away, snorting blood out of his mouth and nose, splitting his rubber mouth piece to the canvas when it interfered with his breathing. Am bers, constantly in retreat. spent the evening with his back against the ropes. but that short right uppercut Whistled against Armstrong's jaw and must have made hamburger out of the inside of the little Ne gro's mouth. It was in those bat ties on the ropes that Armstrongs punches strayed into foul territory but Ambers never complained and they both kept swinging until the wonder of it was that the two of them didn't fall into a heap.
 You will walk many weary mile through turnstiles leading into prize fights before you will see anything to equal the 14th round. In the first seconds of it Armstrong pulled Ambers to the ropes and there they stayed in one spot for the remain ing two minutes and 50 seconds of the round. Neither tried to duck or block punch. Neither tried to box They were couple of kids in a back alley, slugging it out and forgetting all the science and cunning that had been drum med into their heads by managers and trainers.
 Managers Hot
 Armstrong belted Ambers in the belly and Ambers slugged Armstrong in the jaw. And there they stayed and bled and took it as though their shoes were rooted into the canvas.
 The customers almost saw dou- ble-header. Eddie Mead. Arm strong's manager, was screaming bloody murder at Donovan every time the referee took round away from Henry for fouling. Between rounds he would run over to Don- ovan, making furious motions as though he was going to throw a punch. Donovan shooed him back into the corner, but when the fight was over Mead really exploded in the dressing room.
 They stole it from us,' Mead yelled. "I'll beef so loud and long about this that there'll be no more boxing in New York in on daus D