Evening star., 1944-05-23
Aaron on Deck Seven
Times Before 15,421
Who Pay S60,325

| he dldnt lick me. l want to
fight him again as soon as they can
arrange it. Next time I'll know how
to handle that overland right of
his"
This from an Aaron Perry who
last night in Griffith Stadium was
knocked down six times in the fifth
and sixth rounds by Henry Arm
strong and lost the fight when Ref
cree Charley Reynolds stopped the
action after Hammerin' Hank had
f1oored the local boy with a vicious
right to the stomach. Including one
trip to the canvas in round four, this
was the seventh time Aaron had hit
the deck.
Eating ice cream in his dressing
room after the fight, an unconcerned
Perry, his right eyebrow swelling
like an overripe plum, told a sports
writer: Il coulda fought him all
night if they'd let me- He never
hurt me when he knocked me down.
Only time he stung me was with
that right-hand in my stomach, but
the rest of the time he was hitting
me when I was off balance. I'd be
on my left foot, and he'd come past
me and nail me with an overland
right"
Fans Saw 1t Otherwise.
1t is safe to say that few among
the 15,421 customers, who paid a
gross of $60,325, agreed with the
18year-old local lad.
The youngster says he hasn't
heard from his draft board yet
and thinks he's got time enough to
fight the great Armstrong again.
What I'd like to do is climb back
into that ring with Henry right
now" he said, showing the first
emotion ever seen on the famous
poker-face. A steaming dressing
room didn't account for the moisture
in the kids eyes.
Armstrong had another story to
tell. "Of course, the boy doesn't
think he's been licked. He never
knew what hit him. He didn't know
what he was doing when he got up
from those knockdowns. 1t was
just fighting instinct that kept him
going"
THE kids got CUTS and he's
plenty game" Armstrong said, "but
he doesn't know enough for the big
time"
ut was case of IA years of ex-
perience against one and I had no
trouble with him at any time. He
never hurt me. Aaron has good
punch but I've taken lot more
than he handed out tonight and
the kid is very easy to hit. Here,
I'll show you"
And in dressing room curiously
empty OF the throng of hangers-o
that usually crowds the winners
chambers, Henry Armstrong demon
strated the grotesque, crouching,
Shuff1ing motion that has colored
the American ring for more than a
decade Right shoulder cooked, chin
buried behind powerful shoulder,
the Hammer went into the jerky
little dance that's been so effective
in more than 300 fights.
Look" he said, I'D wait for him
like this. He'd jab hard at me with
a left and just when he was off bal
ance I'd nail him. In six rounds
he never figured that out. The boy
has lot to learn"
Armstrong leaves for Chicago to-
morrow, where he will fight Willie
Joyce next month. He also has a
bout lined up here with Sammy
Angott on July II. Hammerin'
Hank doesn't look forward to any
trouble in either battle.
Knockdowns Were Plentiful.
Armstrong won five of the six
rounds last night in almost every
ones book Perry took the opener,
carrying the fight to Henry and
tagging him several times with
swinging rights but from the sec
ond round on the issue never was in
doubt. Armstrong smashed the
local kid to the canvas once in the
fourth round, three times in the
fifth, caught him twice again in
the sixth with overland rights and
f1oored him for the final time with
a right to the midriff. Referee
Reynolds stopped the fight in 2::5s
of that round.
KnockdoWns were plentiful last
night, with intermittent showers
acting to cool off the enthusiasts.
Morris Ref, the New York welter
whose sock has made him popular
here, KO'd Phil Morales of Puerto
Rico in 232 of the first round.
Danny Petro made a sensational
local comeback, flooring Beau Basco,
Canadian Negro and brother Charley
fiattened Pat Giordano in l:12 of
the second. Only bout on the card
to end in decision was the affair
in which Bobby Gunther earned
six-round decision over Torpedo
Reed, a stablemate of Armstrong.
B. McC.
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