New York, Feb. 14.
What proof have they that Armstrong is better than Ambers?
They simply can not do it to my little Luigi—To my little Luigi D'Ambrosio who fights under the name of Lou Ambers, Larruping Lou is the world's lightweight boxing champion. I have been boosting his stock ever since I first saw him tossing leather as a preliminary boy. Luigi or Lou looks upon me as a godfather, or something.
Nat Fleischer, editor of the Rlng Magazine, sent me the ratings of 1937 voted upon by the Boxing Writers and Sports Editors of the world Those ratings showed that Henry Armstrong, the coffee-coloured Los Angeles knockout artist who is featherweight champion, was elevate ed also to the position of head man in the lightweight division. I mean the ring's rankings for 1937 put Henry Armstrong above Lou Ambers in the lightweight division.
Nat Fleischer is a very good friend of mine—also a very good friend of Lou Amters. I know that this unusual rating was not perpetrated through any fault of the editor of the ring magazine, But still I think that rating was wrong—I think that rating was voted by men who did not realize what they were balloting.
Unconsidered Opinion I mean those 398 fellows all over the world who voted in the ring's annual election failed to consider thoroughly the question, upon which they were voting.
I will admit that Armstrong!s a great fighter. I saw him knock out Wally Hally in Los Angeles, Petey Sarron in New York—to gain the featherweight crown—and Billy Beau-hold in New York to be recognized as the outstanding lightweight chal-longer.
But never have I seen Armstrong do anything that would indicate he could beat Lou Ambers, the lightweight king. Since Ambers won the 135-pound crown, he has been the most underrated champion in the light weight division's history. Only a few months ago, all the boxing writers were warning that Ambers held the toga merely because Pedro Montanez had not tangled with him in a title affair, as yet. They had seen Montanez defeat Ambers in a 10-round non-title fight at Madison Square Garden. And they were cocksure that when Montanez inveigled Lou into the ring for a 15- round title affair at the Polo Grounds during the carnival of champions, Montanez would give Ambers the beating of his life. But, what happened? Ambers outpointed Montanez with such ease that their bout was a farce, beau: Montanez held so much and slowed up the action.
Very Tough Fellow I am not saying that Henry Armstrong can not beat Lou Ambers Anything is possible in boxing. Max Schmeling upset the great Joe Louis when few thought he could do it. But I will not admit that Armstrong can beat Lou until I see "Homicidal Henry" do it.
Armstrong may have knocked out 27 of the 28 opponents he fought during 1937, but Armstrong never tangled with anybody like Lou Ambers, and let me assure you right now: Nobody in the ring to-day is knocking out Signor Ambers of Herkimer, N. Y. I am quite positive of this because I know that one of the Zivic brothers broke Lou's jaw —but did not knock him out or him and lost to Lou. And I
Jimmy McLarnin, who hit pound for pound probably than any man in ring history, belt Lou right on the "kish-kish" with every blow in his repertoire—and still not floor him. This Signor Ambers is a very tough fellow.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.