“I’d hit guys low,” admitted Zivic. “Choke ‘em or give ‘em the head. My best punch was a left hook to you-know-where.”
Zivic’s career began in 1931 and by 1940 he had yet to earn a title shot, his inconsistency preventing the public from viewing him as a legitimate threat. But a big win over Sammy Angott set him up nicely for a chance at Armstrong’s welterweight crown. And Zivic began dreaming about that big Cadillac he always wanted. With Henry Armstrong having already established himself as one of the greatest fighters in boxing history, a triple division champion with 18 straight defenses of his welterweight title, Fritzie was a big underdog. The day of the fight, Zivic went down to the Cadillac dealership to check out the latest models and give himself some extra motivation for the battle to come.
But the first several rounds of the match were not good for the challenger. The aggressive Armstrong looked as strong and capable as ever and seemed to be cruising to a record nineteenth successful title defense. Zivic, his reputation preceding him, sought to be extra careful about any unseemly tactics, and appeared inhibited.
“That night Henry’s givin’ it to me pretty good,” recounted Zivic... “And I can see that Cadillac rollin’ farther and farther away from me. Henry’s givin’ me the elbows and the shoulders and the top of the head, and I can give that stuff back pretty good, but I don’t dare to or maybe they’ll throw me out of the ring.”
Zivic in fact was pacing himself, as he had never gone 15 rounds and knew he had to have something extra for the late going; stopping the tough Armstrong inside the distance was simply not a realistic prospect. So entering the middle rounds, the challenger began to pick it up. He used hard uppercuts to perfection, nailing Armstrong repeatedly. And then he got the break he needed.
“In the seventh round I give him the head a couple times and choked him a couple times and use the elbow some, and the referee says: ‘If you guys want to fight that way, it’s okay with me.’ Hot damn! I told Luke Carney in my corner: ‘Watch me go now,’ and from there out I saw that Cadillac turn around and come rollin’ back.”
The bout turned into a bloody alley war. And while Zivic’s uppercuts were his prime weapon, his thumbs and laces to the champion’s eyes also took their toll. Going into the final rounds, the bout was deadly close, but the challenger closed the show. He battered a hurt and exhausted Armstrong mercilessly and with seconds left in the fight, put “Homicide Hank” on the deck. We’ll never know if Henry could have beaten the count; the bell rang to end the fight before he had the chance. Zivic took a close but unanimous decision.
It was a huge upset, but Fritzie Zivic didn’t hold the title for very long. He defeated Armstrong in a rematch and then lost the crown to Freddie Cochrane just six months later. But he held on to that big Cadillac for many years after.
(by Michael Carbert)
