The Wilmington morning star., 1941-01-18

in fstic history to hold three
championships simultaneously,
announced his retirement from
the ring tonight after he had
been stopped in IL rounds by
Fritzie Zivic.
"My eyes won't hold up any
more" he said, land so Pm
through. Pm going into the
wine business in California"
He was stopped with both eyes
cut, half blind from slashing left
jabs and ripping right uppercuts.
but still pouring in, trying to land
one last, desperate punch that
might produce another of his fistic
miracles.
And he was stopped, in what may
have been the last competitive ap-
pearance of his glorious career, as
the biggest crowd in Garden fistic
history was on hand to wish him
hail and farewell.
Every seat was taken, and it bull
ged at the seams from the
standees in a crowd of %, 100, a
figure never before equalled in the
Is year history of the Garden. The
gross gate was 1922.
While each fan was roofing for his
choice, it is doubtful if even every
zivic supporter didn't feel a tear in
his ovac ond q l,,p,s, i, HI. 4L... -.
LII Perpetual. Motion" finally ran
down. The only man in ring history
ever to hold three championships
Observation-Disclosures, light
weight and Observation-Disclosures
was the favorite in the betting at
5 to G.. That's how they regarded
him despite the fact he was beaten
badly last October by the same Pitts.
burgh "s1asher' he fought tonight,
that he was spotting Fritzie more
than five pounds-140 IL to 145 ga
and that even his sincerest boost
ers admitted he was on the way to-
ward the end of his career.
And he went out there, tirelessly
trying to win for these boosters and
for his manager, Eddie Mead, who
for the first time in their relations
together, was too ill to work in the
little buzzsaw's corner
Armstrong tried to do it tonight
differently than ever before. He
stood up slightly straighter, and, for
probably the first time in his rip
roaring, tear-in-and-flail-away ca
reer, he had a thought for defense.
But his plan didn't work. He just
couldn't get out of the way of
Fritzie's straight lefts or those short,
cutting rights. He tried a crouch and
a bob and weave, but it didn't help.
He tried covering his face with his
right arm. Neither did that. He even
tried backing off and boxing at long
range as amazed fans muttered,
what's Henry doing?"
That wa even worse. BY the fifth
round, both Of his eyes, which we're
punched cruelty shut in his first out
ing with the Pittsburgher, were cut
and bleeding. But that was after he
walked out there in the second.
backed Fritzie into a neutral corner
and really hurt him with two round
house right hand "whistlers."
In the sixth, Zivic pulled him in
close with his left hand and let go
a looping right to the mid-section.
Partly from the punch and partly
from slipping, Armstrong dropped
face downward on the floor, but so
strange was the position that he
bounced right up again without q
count.
pattern. Armstrong rushed tireless-
ly in as Fritzie backed off and stab
bed him with the left. Each time
Henry caught up with him, the
youngest of the five Zivic brothers
leaned in close and cuffed Armstrong
on his cut eyes with cruel right up
percuts.
In the tenth Armstrong must have
realized the end was in sight. He
tore Out of his corner, rushed Fritzie
back, and shook him with hooks and
right swings for a full minute. He
did even more in the eleventh. Here,
he knew definitely there wasn't
much farther to 60, so he went all
out, failing away with, both hands
to head and body, and, while Zivic
didn't like it even a little bit he still
inflicted damage around Armstrong;
eyes,
Then came, the 18th. Henry, box
ing near Zivic's corner, couldn't stop
his momentum as Fritzie sidestep-
ped, and he slipped to one knee. He
came right up and took up the chase
again, but at long range he was help
less against Zivic's slicing shots. At
81 seconds of the round, Referee
Arthur Donovan stepped in and call.
ed a halt, with Zivic tie, technical
knockout winner, and Armstrong;.
Tcareer just about a closed book. "
Henry had said. previously hat if
he was badly beaten he probably
Would hang UP his gloves for good.
And he was given a good going over.
Thus ends the run of a great little
flghtlng man. He came out Of Los
Angeles in 1886 and fought his way