Baby Arizmendi boxer

Alberto "Baby" Arizmendi (March 17, 1914 – December 31, 1962) was a Mexican professional boxer and New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) featherweight world title holder in 1934. He also competed in the bantamweight and welterweight divisions. Arizmendi was born on March 17, 1913 in Tamaulipas, Mexico. He took up boxing as early as seven or eight by some accounts to counter the effects of Polio which he had suffered from as a young child.Baby used a charging, bruising style, making him a very strong two-fisted fighter. He began boxing professionally at age 13. He took his first championship, the Mexican bantamweight title at only eighteen, a twelve round points decision against Kid Poncho in Mexico City. With a victory over flyweight champion Fidel LaBarba, Baby established himself as a worthy contender for the featherweight crown.On September 16, 1932, at the age of 19, he defeated reigning NBA world featherweight champion Tommy Paul in a close ten round non-title fight, dropping him in the second and fourth rounds. After his win, Arizmendi requested the National Boxing Association (NBA) recognize his status as champion. In support of his claim to the NBA title, the California boxing commission gave him the opportunity to fight for their version of the world title. The following month, Arizmendi defeated Newsboy Brown to claim the California world featherweight title on October 18, 1932. The Associated Press wrote that Brown won only one round and was on the verge of being knocked out several times before the Los Angeles crowd of 7,000. Arizmendi nearly toppled Brown with a left hook in the third, but slowed his pace some in the fourth through seventh when Brown countered with short lefts, and rights to the body.He retained his title with a draw against Varias Milling, then defended it against seasoned contenders Archie Bell and Speedy Dado. He first defeated Bell in ten round points decision at Legion Stadium in Hollywood on December 2, 1932. The California sanctioned title match before a capacity crowd saw Arizmendi close strongly in the last two rounds to take a convincing lead on points. Arizmendi was awarded six rounds, Bell two including the eighth when he landed some solid punches, and two were even. Bell was down for a no count in the second, and was dropped to his knees in the fourth.