Fritzie Zivic

Fritzie Zivic (May 8, 1913 – May 16, 1984), born as Ferdinand Henry John Zivcich (Živčić), was an American boxer who held the world welterweight championship from October 4, 1940, until July 29, 1941.

His brothers Pete and Jack, the first and second born, went to the 1920 Antwerp Olympics.

Referring to his youth in the rough, tribal, and crowded Ninth Ward of Lawrenceville, Zivic later said, "You either had to fight or stay in the house. We went out."

Zivic had previously lost to Jadick in a ten-round points decision in Washington in February 1935.

Zivic lost to Billy Conn, 1939 world light heavyweight champion, on December 28, 1936 before 5,163 in a ten-round split decision at Duquesne Garden in Pittsburgh.

In a relatively close bout, the referee scored for Zivic with 5 rounds to 4 for Conn, but both judges scored for Conn. About a minute into the third, Conn struck Zivic with a right to the chest that slowed him somewhat for the rest of the fight, though his effort was still considerable.

In the first five rounds, Conn took considerable punishment, and the scoring favored Zivic, if not unanimously.

Conn showed more energy, and footwork, and in the later rounds his long, punishing left scored consistent points against Zivic in long range fighting.

Conn, at 6' 2", enjoyed around two inches of reach advantage over Zivic, which he used more frequently in later rounds. The bout included no knockdowns but in the fourth and fifth rounds, Zivic caught Conn on the ropes and belted him about head and body til it appeared a knockout was a possible outcome. From the sixth to the tenth, Conn fought more from a distance and in the eighth and ninth boxed brilliantly, using feints and footwork and his long, solid left. Zivic went to the body with hooks and crosses but failed to fatigue Conn who fought on and gained points. In an action packed tenth, Zivic first went inside and fought toe to toe with Conn, eventually getting him against the ropes, but Conn went back to boxing at long range and removed some of the loss in points he had suffered during the infighting, keeping the round close.

Zivic defeated Johnny Jadick, former junior welterweight champion, on February 11, 1937 in a six-round knockout at Duquesne Garden in Pittsburgh.

In a decisive victory, Zivic had Jadick down for a nine count in the first round, but let up some in the next three.

He put Jadick down again at the end of the second for a count of five, before the bell sounded.

Jadick took the count of ten from a blow by Zivic, 1:16 into the sixth round.

Against one of his most skilled early opponents, Zivic defeated Charley Burley, fellow Pittsburgh boxer, for the only time on March 21, 1938, in their hometown.

Characteristic of Zivic's later boxing, he dominated the in-fighting.

Burley started well, but in the later rounds, the more experienced Zivic scored with rights hooks to the midsection and pulled Burley in during clinches to reduce Burley's long range game.

In two other meetings, in June 1938, and July 1939, Zivic lost in ten round unanimous decisions.

The well managed Burley would amass an impressive record of eighty-three with only twelve losses in his career.

On January 20, 1939, Zivic defeated Jackie Burke, former holder of the Utah's Intermountain Welterweight Title, and Pacific Southwest Welterweight Title, in a ten-round mixed decision at the St. Louis Coliseum.

Uppercuts to the head of Burke during the frequent infighting determined the outcome of the fight, and though both boxers got in telling blows, there were no knockdowns.

In a close bout, the referee scored 51 to 49 for Zivic, and though one judge scored a draw, the remaining judge scored 53-47 in Zivic's favor.

He notably defeated Sammy Angott, reigning NBA lightweight champion, in a non-title bout on August 29, 1940, in a ten-round unanimous decision at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.

The bout was part of an elimination match to determine who would face Henry Armstrong for his world welterweight title.

Zivic took the last six of the ten rounds.

According to Zivic later, his purse of $3,200 for the win, was the largest he had yet received.

In the most significant win of his career, Zivic upset Henry "Hammering Hank" Armstrong on October 4, 1940 in a fifteen-round decision before 12,081 at Madison Square Garden, taking the world welterweight title despite being a 4-1 underdog.

He started by scoring with short right uppercuts in the early rounds.

By the ninth, Armstrong's left eye was a slit, and his right nearly as swollen, allowing Zivic to easily dance away when Armstrong attempted to mount a desperate clumsy attempt at a knockout in the final round.

Zivic mounted a slow effective attack, but held no wide margin, as the referee and both judges awarded him eight of the fifteen rounds in the close bout.

The Associated Press gave Zivic nine rounds with Armstrong six.

Zivic did not take a points lead until the sixth and seventh when he banged away with short, accurate, right uppercuts.

According to Zivic's account, the first bout with Armstrong included questionable tactics and fouls.

Zivic claimed Armstrong started out fighting that way, noting, "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."

By the seventh round, Zivic had had enough, and began responding in kind.

At least one source noted that the referee, aware of the rough fighting that could be called as fouls gave up, and allowed the combatants to fight using whatever methods they were comfortable with, barring obvious fouls.

In his most memorable victory, he won the world welterweight title rematch with Hank Armstrong in a twelfth-round technical knockout, at Madison Square Garden, on January 17, 1941.

It was the first knockout ever registered against Armstrong in his stellar career as a multiple weight class champion.

His managers included Luke Carney, and later, after 1942, Louis Stokan.

Zivic was born the youngest son of immigrant parents; his father was Croatian, his mother, Mary Kepele was Slovenian.

As a young man, he followed the example of his four elder brothers, who boxed, and became known as the "Fighting Zivics".