Boxing History Made

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 128, 2 June 1938, Page 29

Boxing History Made

ARMSTRONG AGAIN.

WINS WORLD WELTER.

ROSS LOSES HIS TITLE.

FIGHT OPENS FURIOUSLY.

NEW YORK, June 1. Henry Armstrong, the negro featherweight boxing champion of the world, last night annexed the welter-weight title in taking a 13-roiincl decision from the former champion, Barney Ross. The latter weighed 10.2 and Armstrong 9.7%.

llie tight opened at a furious pace, with Armstrong missing frequently. Rose was credited with the first and second rounds by a slight margin. Armstrong opened his score in the third round, landing a terrific right to the hep-'], and following it with a two-fisted body attack, which forced Ross to the ropes.

Now fightinc with complete abandon, the negro attacked with rights and lefts, and Rose was powerless. Armstrong dominated the fight after the sixth round, beating Ross at will.

Ross' nosp was bleeding, »nd he started the seventh round with a blackened right eye which, by the eighth, was puffed and closed. Rose was groggy and a sorry

sight, but miraculously he kept up against a relentleee attack in the five succeeding rounds.

By the thirteenth round the spectators were calling "Stop it!" Rose struggled on, feebly defending until the end. He lost like a champion, weathering one of the meet merciless beatings ever administered.

The Los Angeles negro ie the first in history to hold two titles sumultaneously. In his dressing room Ross announced his retirement. He said he 'had been beaten by a better fighter, and had no alibis. Before the bout Roes was an eight-to-five favourite.

A condition of the fight was that the winner should meet Lou Ambers, the world's lightweight champion, and thus Armstrong may simultaneously hold three championships.

Most of the critics were amazed that the referee allowed the fight to continue after the eleventh round, and they were even more amazed that Ross survived without once being floored.

OSBORNE FOR OTAGO. | Bert Osborne, rated as one of the most outstanding lightweights in Australia, i-s to arrive in Duuedin on June 6. under contract to the Otago Boxing Association. TUESDAY'S AMATEUR BOUTS. The following are the amateur bouts arranged for next Tuesday night at the Town Hall:— Light-heavy-weight. —W. G. Pearce (Wniuku) v. H. Busby (J. Davey's gymnasium). Welter-weight.—R. Grimmer (H.Hogg's gymnasium) v. B. Cole (J. Davey's gymnasium). Emergency Bouts.—Middle-weight: D. Grant (E. Donovan's gymnasium) v. L. Allen (E. Caughey'a gymnasium). Ban-tam-weight: H. Thompson (J. Davey's gymnasium) v. B. Dreaver (C. McKnight's gymnasium).