Henry Armstrong vs. Fritzie Zivic 'I' ~ "The Most Vicious Battle"

[Bill Paxtom]

Henry Armstrong vs. Fritzie Zivic 'I'

'Round 11'

'Little Henry' came back hard, and again used his superior boxing-skills to
keep Fritzie outside over the first-half of the Round. But Fritzie just kept
roughing the Champion up with left-hands and right-uppercuts.

By now, Henry could barely see out of his closed eyes, and Fritzie just
kept pumping in square-punches on Henry's bruised face.

But Henry refused to give in, and offered up some late attacks of his
own, bringing cheers from the crowd.

Henry did just enough to edge out the Round.

Henry was holding on to a close {6-4-1} lead in Rounds.
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'Round 12'

Fritzie forced the fight, and mauled Henry with his arms and shoulders.
Henry just didn't have the size to out-muscle Fritzie.

Each time that Henry tried to score with a whirlwind-flurry, Fritzie would
tie Henry up and side-step him. Then Fritzie would rip right-hands underneath
that sapped the Champion's strength. Fritzie continued to pump-in left jabs
and just did enough to take the Round.
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In Round 13, Fritzie continued to pump-in left-jabs into Henry's face. By the
mid-way point in the session, Henry began to noticeably tire.

Fritzie was clearly the better conditioned fighter, as he took clear control
of the bout, and slammed in hard left-hands that had the Champion reeling on
tired legs over the last-minute of Round 13.

[Bill Paxtom]

At the end of 13-Rounds >

Henry Armstrong still lead on 2 of the 3 Scorecards.

* Referee - Art Donovan ....... 7-6-0 > {Henry Armstrong}
* Judge - Marty Monroe ........ 7-6-0 > {Henry Armstrong}
* Judge - John Peters ........... 6-5-2 > {Fritzie Zivic}

Henry, who got staggered in Round 8, and battered in Round 10, was
still clinging to a slim points lead, thanks to his early bout domination.

Despite getting slammed around in Round 10, Henry still was able to
'muster up' his own attack in Round 11, as to not let his Championship
to slip away.

On the other hand, Fritzie looked fresh and was easily scoring with 'snappy'
left-jabs each time that Henry moved in. Fritzie's size and strength had taken
over, and Henry's whipping punches had not bothered Fritzie.

Henry had started to fade in the second-half of Round 12, and was visibly
tired in Round 13, as Fritzie scored with repeated left-jabs and right-hand
'Bolo' punches to the body.

If Henry could 'scrape by' and hold Fritzie 'even' for one more Round, he could
quite possibly hold on to his Title by a Draw.
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'Round 14'

Fritzie came out with left-jabs, and quickly forced Henry to cover up. Henry was
looking through swollen eye-lids, and his face was a 'Raspberry' mess.

Fritzie added in assortment of right-uppercuts, which took everything out of Henry.

The Champion was battered and tired at the end of Round 14, after absorbing
a series of steady punches.

[Bill Paxtom]

'Round 15'

Coming out for the 'Final Round', the bout was still up for grabs, as '2'
of the Scorecards had the bout 'Even'.

At the bell, Fritzie came out fast and immediately battered the tired and weary
Champion. By the end of the first-minute, it was obvious that Henry had
nothing left, as Fritzie was walking through the Champion's weak punches.

Fritzie then slammed Henry with hard left-jabs, and solid right-crosses. Fritzie
then drove Henry all over the Ring, and had the fading Champion reeling on
wobbling legs.

By the {1:30 Mark}, the hand-writing was on the wall for Henry.

At the {2:40 Mark}, Fritzie stung Henry with a hard combination, and then
drove Henry sputtering with a series of lefts-and-rights to the head.

At the {2:57 Mark}, Fritzie unloaded and caught Henry on the side of the
head with a hard right-hand, driving Henry to his right. Fritzie moved in
and push/punched with another right-hand and Henry went down to the
canvas and landed on his right ear as the bell sounded ending the bout.


Scorecards
* Referee - Art Donovan ....... 8-7-0 > {Fritzie Zivic}
* Judge - Marty Monroe ........ 8-7-0 > {Fritzie Zivic}
* Judge - John Peters ........... 8-5-2 > {Fritzie Zivic}

* New York Times ................ 8-7-0 > {Fritzie Zivic}

[Bill Paxtom]

Henry Armstrong

Took a bad beating from Fritzie Zivic.

Henry suffered a 'knockdown' just before the Bell ending Round 15, and
the Champion was on the verge of getting knocked out as Fritzie Zivic had
battered him with series of savage-blows to the head over the last
30-Seconds.

The bout ended with Henry getting both is his eyes closed, and his face
liked 'oozing' Hamburger, as he suffered gashes on both eye-brows, a badly
bloodied nose, and a sliced mouth.

Henry spent 4-Hours getting sewn up by his Physician after the bout.

General Fact >

Henry had a 'rematch clause' in his contract had he lost, with the rematch set
in 15-Weeks on January 17, 1941 @ Madison Square Garden.

But Henry was so battered, that Fritzie Zivic stated;

"Henry is the gamest fighter that I have ever seen. But he will never be able
to get ready for a rematch so quickly after taking such a beating. I think he
should take 4-Months off and rest first, before he starts back in Training Camp.

[Bill Paxtom]

October 5, 1940

"Hammerin' Hank Pleads For Rematch"

Sitting in his dressing room while his personal Physician was sewing him up,
the former Champion Henry Armstrong was 'pleading' for a rematch with
his conqueror Fritzie Zivic.

Henry, who had his left-eye closed in Round 3, and his right-eye partially
closed in Round 9, and then battered in Round 10 - was still charging forward
in Rounds 11, 12 and 13.

The 'little buzzsaw' admitted to seeing {5} Zivic's in the Ring last night, and
fought nearly blind for the last 6 Rounds.

The Champion fought on 'heart alone' in the last 2-Rounds, as he was repeatedly
tagged with straight left-hands and short-snappy right uppercuts from the
Pittsburg Mauler - Fritzie Zivic.

The New York Times had scored the bout very close {8-7-0} in favor of Fritzie Zivic.

The Associated Press also scored it for Fritzie, but at {9-6-0} in Rounds.

[Bill Paxtom]

E-Gore,

Dr. Alexander Schiff was Henry Armstrong's personal physician.

Henry was busted up pretty good by Fritzie's knifing punches, as he had
'bad' gashes above both eyes, a deep gash inside his mouth, a battered nose
and swollen eyes.

Fritzie had knocked Henry's mouthpiece out '10-Times' in the bout.