Evening star., 1941-01-18
zivic' s Hot Left
Lowers Curtain
On Armstrong
Cut Up in Effort to
Regain WeIter Title,
Hank Quits Ring
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

NEW YORK, Jan. 18.-The
career of one of the greatest little
Fighters the ring has seen came to
an abrupt and bloody end last night
when they guided Henry Arm
strong's uncertain feet down the
steps from Madison Square Garden
ring for the last time.
A crowd of more than $4,000, the
biggest ever to jam its way into
the Eighth avenue arena for a
boxing match, fittingly was on hand
to stand and cheer the little Negro
as he groped his way, nearly blinded,
to the dressing room and fistic
oblivion.
Henry went out as would have
been expected-fghting. Fritzie
Zivic, the WelterWeight champion
from Pittsburgh, gave him savage
beating. closing his eyes and cut
ting his face into hamburger. Henry's
attempt to win back one of the
three titles he once held was hope
less from the start. But Referee
Arthur Donovan still had to tell
AAAiAA "AlSii 1lC wa 4lkhCu
Fast 11th Finishes Henry.
The end came, mercifully, after
50 seconds of fighting in the 18th
round, when Donovan. hearkening
to the roar of stop it," from the
crowd, took Armstrong in his arms
protectively and led the little fighter
to his corner.
Just before, Henry had supplied
last thrill for his followers. At
the start of the 1lth, Donovan
looked carefully at Henrys battered
features and told him: "One more
round, Henry" From somewhere
Armstrong summoned the strength
to go out and slug Zivic all over
the ring and to win the round-his
second of the battle. Donovan must
have felt that this deserved an en-
core, for he let Armstrong grope
his way out once again. He saw
quickly that this was a mistake,
that Henry had shot his bolt in
that final heroic attempt to stop
Zivlc.
DR.. Alexander Schiff, who ex-
amined Armstrong after the fight,
said the cuts around the Negro's eyes
would not endanger his sight. He
washed out the cuts and will sew
them today. One stitch also was
taken in a cut inside the mouth.
Easy Win for Zivic.
After his wounds had been
dressed and the boys were let in to
see him. Armstrong announced
through swollen lips his retirement.
He is comparatively we'll off. with
an annuity of nearly $4,000. and
does not need to 60 on and take
more beatings like last nights.
In an adjoining cubicle Zivic sat.
his face unmarked. and said it was
a comparatively easy victory-easier
than his first over Armstrong last
October. Henry hurt him only once,
he said. with a right to the body
in an early round. His only SOU
venir was a cut on the head, the
result of coming in contact with
Armstrong; Uranium.
Some thought Zivic was less than
brilliant in slashing Henry into his
final defeat, and said that the Negro
in his prime would have taken the
youngest of the Zivics apart. That
might have been true But Zivic,
for the night and the particular job,
was almost the perfect workman.
Armstrong Outgeneraled.
He kept his shoulders high and
far off. so Armstrong seldom could
reach him, and he stabbed Arm
strong relentlesslv with a darting
left. Even on the rare occasions
when Henry was able to force him to
the ropes and get in a few good
icks, Zivic kept busilv pecking
away, piling up points and gradually
making a shambles of his rivals
nose and eyes.
Only now and then did Zivic
smash with his right, but one up
percut sent Armstrong to the canvas
in the sixth. Henry bounced right up
without a count. but it was evident
he was beaten that early. Two
rounds later the crowd began yelling
to Donovan to call it off
Eddie Mead, Armstrong; man
ager, did not see or hear the down.
fall of his little friend and idol.
Bedded with a heart illness. he was
given a heavy sleeping potion just
before the bout began and was
awakened only to be told the re-
suit.