Imperial Valley press., 1939-01-11
HAMMERIN' HENRY
Loses Prestige
IN CLOSE VICTORY
Ry HENRY McLEMORE

LOS ANGELES. Jan. IL. dUP)-
It was Babe Ruth. that great
Bronx philosopher, believe, who
said that the life of an important
athlete was just a series of being
hero one day and a goat the
next.
You either hit one over the wall
and get the cheers the Babe said
"or you miss the third one and get
the ra2z. What the hell
Henry Armstrong today was en-
ioying C?} the business of being
a goat. Hailed for the past year
as the greatest fighter in the
world. and rated on even terms
with the best of all times by the
critics. Henry last night had trouble
winning a decision over Baby Arlz-
mendi in a ten-round fight for the
Welterweight championship here in
the Olympic auditorium.
Henry, a fighter who has been
favorably compared with Cans,
Walcott, and all the other Negro
prize ring greats, looked little
better last night than any six or
seven boys you could pick up in
gymnasium. The only things he
had that were like the Armstrong
of the fights with Lou Ambers
and Barney Ross were heart and
hustle. From bell to bell. from
start to finish, he moved in, al
ways in. carrying the fight, max
ing the pace. and trying for fin
ishing punch. He never took a
backwards step, never clinched. but
always eternally on the move after
the smart and shifty Mexican.
At the finish there were two
schools of thought along this city S
caulifloWer row. One insisted that
Armstrong had gone over the crest,
and that from now on his fights
will be poorer and poorer. 1t was
this school that argued that the
tremendous pace Henry has always
set finally has caught up with him
robbing his legs of speed, and his
fists of punch. Plenty of pugiliSti<
pedants interpreted Henry's pooi
showing against Arizmendi as the
first signs CT the finish of a cham
pion.
School of thought No 2 was in
Clined to dismiss Armstrong; medi'
ocre effort as nothing more inn
portant than fight by champion
out of shape
Members of this school pointed
out that Eddie Mead Armstrong;
manager, had said all along that
his boy wasn't in condition and
would be benefited by two week S
postponement
For the records, Mead did ask
for a postponement, but he didn't
get any action. His request was
thought to be nothing more than
a publicity scheme, hatched in the
hope that the public would believe
it and give Arizmendi more of 3
chance to win. In other words
just a ballyhoo gag.
I am not member of either
school. I don't know what to be-
lieve about Armstrong. Certainly
he didn't look like a great fighter
last night. He wasn't very fast
his punches lacked authority, anc
he was easy to hit. He didn't have
much of an edge over the Mexican
and even the most enthusiast,
citizen of Mexico City wouldn't
argue that Arizmendi is a grea
fighter All I say is that had Arm.
strong fought Ambers the same way
he fought Arizmendi, he never
would have won the lightweight
title Ambers would have murder.
ed him.
If Armstrong has gone over th'
hill. and is on the down grade, hi'
decline probably is the result O
the punching about that Amber!
gave him in their l5-round scral
in New York. Lou lost the title
it's true, but he hurt Armstrong
much more than is generally known
Even Henry can't keep a pleasan
face when that fight is mentioned
to him.