Lou Ambers

Tony Canzoneri

He gained revenge when he captured the lightweight championship by decisioning Tony Canzoneri in 15 rounds on September 3, 1936. As a former sparring partner of Canzoneri, he carried the fight to his opponent and mentor from the outset, turned back two spirited rallies, and won by a wide margin in a match that defined him as a boxer and competitor. Adding an exclamation point, the Associated Press gave Ambers nine rounds, including the last three.[13]

Ambers won a lightweight title bout against Pedro Montanez on September 23, 1937, before an exceptional crowd of around 32,000, in a fifteen round mixed decision at New York's Polo Grounds. Though the referee voted for a draw, both judges scored the close bout in Amber's favor, with each voting he had won eight rounds.[2] The Associated Press gave Ambers a generous twelve rounds, with only one, the thirteenth, to Montanez.[14]

Jimmy Garrison lost to Ambers in a ten round points decision of a non-title bout in Kansas City on May 11, 1938. The United Press gave seven rounds to Ambers with only three to Garrison.[15]

On August 17, 1938 Ambers met Henry Armstrong in an historic fight for the world lightweight title. Armstrong was attempting to become the first fighter in history to win and hold three world titles simultaneously. In a great fight, Ambers was knocked down twice, in the fifth and sixth rounds, and appeared badly beaten. Ambers mounted a great comeback in the later half of the match, but lost the controversial split decision. Armstrong was penalized three rounds in the close bout for fouls. [2][16] Ambers lost the title for a year, until regaining it in a rematch one year later.

Frankie Wallace was one of Ambers' most frequent opponents. Wallace fell to Ambers for the last time when he could not return to the ring for the sixth round on December 5, 1938, in Cleveland. In a previous fight in the same city on December 6, 1937, Ambers won in a ten round unanimous decision on a large boxing ticket that featured a crowd of 12,000. With a rapid left and effective right uppercut, Ambers gained a strong points margin, and had an ailing Wallace missing throughout the bout.[17] In their first meeting on April 27, 1933 in Utica, New York, Ambers took a six round points decision.

In their last meeting, Ambers achieved an eleventh round technical knockout of "Baby" Arizmendi on February 24, 1939 at New York's Madison Square Garden. In a close bout that the Brooklyn Daily Eagle scored five rounds to Arizmendi and four to Ambers, the referee stopped the bout in the eleventh due to a gash on his opponent's right eyelid received in the ninth which made it difficult for him to continue. The cut was opened again in the tenth with left uppercuts and examined by a Doctor at the end of the round, who ordered the referee to end the bout, which was officially called at the opening of the eleventh. It was the only knockout of Arizmendi's career.[18]

Henry Armstrong

Ambers' rematch with Henry Armstrong was as controversial as their first bout. Armstrong was penalized for low blows, which enabled Ambers to capture the 15-round decision on August 22, 1939 before a crowd estimated at 30,000. Penalized for low blows in the second, fifth, seventh, ninth, and eleventh rounds, Armstrong would have probably won the fight had it not been for his loss of points for fouls.[2] James Dawson of The New York Times wrote that "The title was not won on competition alone but on fighting rules and ethics...Armstrong was the victim of an injustice". Demonstrating the closeness of the fight before accounting for Armstrong's fouls, the United Press scored the fight seven rounds for Ambers, with six for Armstrong, and two even. Unlike their first meeting, Ambers remained on his feet throughout the bout, except for a single slip in one round. He used infighting consistently in the match, cutting and bruising Armstrong's face. Many boxing reporters considered the match Ambers' last great performance.[19]

On May 10, 1940, Ambers defended his title against the wild, free swinging, Lew Jenkins. Jenkins scored an upset when he knocked out the defending champion in the third round at Madison Square Garden. Ambers was down for a count of five in the first and briefly in the second. He had to arise from another fall to the canvas at least once prior to the referee stopping the bout 1:29 into the third.[20]

Ambers sought a rematch, and after a tune up win over Al "Bummy" Davis, he again faced Jenkins. This time he suffered a technical knockout from Jenkins in the seventh round before 15,000 on February 28, 1941, at Madison Square Garden.[2] After a slow start, Ambers appeared game, taking tough blows from Jenkins in the third through the sixth, while still using his left effectively at times. But in the seventh, Ambers was floored three times before the referee put an end to the fight, 2:26 into the seventh.[21]