Evening star., 1941-06-30
to-Riches Hero
Parallels Career
OF Braddock
Hum-und-E -Eeger for 10
Years, Fritzie Hits
Heights in One
BY SID FEEDER.
Associated Press Sports Writer.

| -thumplng has been gong on 10
prove to the breathless public that
Bunny Davis really is little
gentleman now, you'd think the
Brooklyn Fauntleroy was going to
be in the Polo Grounds ring all by
himself tomorrow night.
Well, don't believe it, In Fritzie
Zivic, he not only tangleS with the
Welterweight champion of the world
and fair country kind Of clouter at
that, but a fellow who has turned
up with the best gS-to-riCheS story
of the ring since jim Braddock came
off the docks to play Cinderella to
Max Baer'S Prince Charming.
Learns Fighting as Bouncer.
To put it in more appetizing words,
FritZie is like the fellow who had
TO go hungry for week for want of
the price of meal, and suddenly
found himself sitting down to a
steak dinner with all the trimmings.
Just a year ago, about the only
thing the majority of the folks knew
about him was that he was guy
out OF Pittsburgh. They knew he was
the youngest member of the five
Flying ZlvicS, a troupe of brothers
given to bashing beakS. 1t seems
there always was a Zivic in the
ring.
Fritzie had been kicking around
the ham-and-egg circuit for the bet
ter part Of 10 years. He'd hltch-hike
to some matches, even driven a
peanutpeddling truck to keep one
date. The most he'd ever made at
any time was $500. He'd learned
how to fight by working IS third
string bOuncer in his fathers drink
ing saloon, A couple of older brothers
had the call as varsity and second
string. He figured he'd gone about
as far as he ever was going in the
business Of MASKING noses.
Gets Start Against AngOtt.
Then, late last August. he got
shot at Sammy Angott, the sWarthv
little Louisville larruper recognized
by the National Boxing Association
as world lightweight champion.
With Braddock, the stepping stone
was Tuffy Griffith. Sammy was
good enough for Frltzie. He did a
pretty fair job on Samuel and Mike
Jacobs picked him as the next
offering to be carved on Henry
Armstrong; chopping block.
Every one knew Zivic was going
to get going-over that night il
October. Only Fritzie hadn't read
the script. He punched both of the
great little buZz-saw's eyes shut and
took his WelterWeight crown.
That one meant only about $1,000
to him, but it gave Fritzie the gen.
eral idea. He decided he Was one
Zivic who didn't have to get two
kicks in the pants from the lady
known as opportunity.
Another $4,000 Fight Looms.
He picked up a flve-fgured check
for going five-and-one-half minutes
with Davis in their first fight. a
little drama that began with FritZie
poking a playful thumb or two into
Bummy's face and wound up with
BUNNY being pitched out of the
ring and disqualified for bouncing a
half-dozen wallOps south of ZiviC's
belt.
Then came another solid payday
for 10-round draw with Lew Jen-
kinS and one for more than $4,000
for making his first win over Arm
strong stick Tomorrow night, he
figures to come within shouting dis
tance of $4,000 again as his end
OF a gross gate in the neighborhood
of 100000, which Promoter Jacobs
expects to count up from a crowd
of 10000. For that kind of cab
bage" Fritzie always will go all out
to win.
That's one reason he's e 1-to-3
shot to send BUNNY back to the
Army, a wellwalloped young man.
This corner likes him to win going
away.