October 4, 1940
Madison Square Garden
Henry Armstrong vs. Fritzie Zivic
The 'little warrior' Hammerin' Henry Armstrong defends his Welterweight Championship
against one the most vicious battlers in the game, Fritzie Zivic.
Lets Talk .......
October 4, 1940
Madison Square Garden
Henry Armstrong vs. Fritzie Zivic
The 'little warrior' Hammerin' Henry Armstrong defends his Welterweight Championship
against one the most vicious battlers in the game, Fritzie Zivic.
Lets Talk .......
What was 'Little Henry' going up against.
October 4, 1940
Fritzie Zivic
The rough bastard from Pittsburg.
Age ...... 27 years, 5 months
Height... 5' 10"
Reach.... 71"
Weight.. 145 lbs.
Record.. 100-24-4 {54 KO's}
Rank..... #1 Welterweight
Fritzie was a 9-Year Pro, and had never fought for a World Championship before.
Though deserving, he was avoided.
Coming into this bout, Fritzie had won a one-sided {W Dec 10} over World Lightweight
Champion - Sammy Agnott on August 29, 1940 {only 5-Weeks earlier}.
Fritzie Zivic>
"I have no qualms about it. I will target the scar-tissue over Henry's eyes and
slice him up. I'll tear him up and blind his vision with blood. This ain't no Tea Party."
History >
Fritzie is and always has been a rough-character, who uses every dirty-trick in the
book.
Oddly, Fritzie had lost '7-Straight' at one time in his career {August 6, 1935 thru
February 24, 1936}.
But Fritzie did turn it around, and went 18-2-0 in 20-Bouts to gain the #3 Welterweight
ranking by December 1937.
A couple of Decision losses had him stumble, but Fritzie then went undefeated {20-0-1}
from June 20, 1938 thru April 20, 1939 - and he moved up to the #2 Welterweight.
Since May 9, 1939 - Fritzie has gone 20-5-0 {9 KO's}. So though he's tough, he can be beat.
And he was cold-cocked {L KO 8} by #3 Welterweight - Milt Aron on December 27, 1939.
Since that loss, Fritzie is riding a 6-Bout {3 KO's} winning streak.
The 9-Year Pro of 128-Bouts has only been 'stopped twice' in his career.
Last edited by Bill Paxtom; 11-02-2014 at 04:55 PM.
Originally,
This bout was set to be held at Forbes Field in Pittsburg for October 4th.
Promoter - Art Rooney had signed contracts.
Henry Armstrong opened up as a 4-1 Betting-Favorite, and many thought
that this would be another routine Title Defense for Henry.
While many thought that Fritzie Zivic was tough, nobody put him on the
same page as having the 'talent and brains' of Henry.
Last edited by Bill Paxtom; 11-02-2014 at 06:17 PM.
Fritzie Zivic
Fritzie earned his bout with Welterweight Champion - Henry Armstrong.
On August 29, 1940 @ Forbes Field, Pittsburg.
In front of a crowd of 12,000 - Fritzie Zivic won a one-sided 10-Round Decision
over World Lightweight Champion - Sammy Agnott.
Henry Armstrong was in attendance >
Henry >
"Fritzie looks like a qualified challenger. He's a good fighter. He's stubborn and
tough, and can give anybody a rough night in the Ring. He has a way of tangling
you up, and then he whips in right uppercuts."
October 4, 1940
Henry Armstrong
Age......... 27 years, 10 months
Height..... 5' 5 1/2"
Reach..... 67"
Weight.... 142 lbs.
Record.... 110-12-8 {77 KO's}
'Hammerin Hank' is on an incredible run.
Since March 1936 {4 years, 7 months}, Henry has gone a remarkable 69-2-1,
and with both of the losses being highly controversial.
During that time-span, the 'Little Warrior' has won Titles in '3' different divisions.
And as a Welterweight, Henry has gone 21-0-0 {16 KO's}, including defending
his Title '20-Times' since May 1938.
Also, Henry is coming off a Title Defense {KO 4} over Phil Furr in Washington D.C.
just 11-Days earlier {September 23rd}.
Last edited by Bill Paxtom; 11-03-2014 at 04:09 PM.
September 28, 1940
While Henry Armstrong was set as a {4-1} Betting-Favorite, there were those
who stated that this would Hammerin Hank's toughest defense.
Fritzie Zivic came into New York on September 26th, and immediately showed
the Boxing Pundits that he was more than capable of handling Henry.
Fritzie was impressive in sparring-sessions, and was labeled 'The Miracle Mauler'.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sportswriter - Jack Cuddy {UPI} >
Fritzie Zivic is at his 'peak' as a fighter. This spindle-shanked muscular Croatian
is a seasoned performer. He's fast, smart and will be a tough adversary for Henry.
I'm not so sure that the 'Little Buzz-Saw' can take him so easily. The {4-1}
Betting-Odds are too long. These two are much closer matched than that.
Henry is a 'whirlwind', but Fritzie is bigger and stronger.
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