1. Alberto "Baby" Arizmendi was a Mexican professional boxer and New York State Athletic Commission featherweight world title holder in 1934.
22 Facts About Baby Arizmendi
1. 2.
Baby Arizmendi 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.
3.
Baby Arizmendi used a charging, bruising style, making him a very strong two-fisted fighter.
4.
Baby Arizmendi took his first championship, the Mexican bantamweight title at only eighteen, a twelve round points decision against Kid Poncho in Mexico City.
5.
Baby 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.
6.
Baby Arizmendi retained his title with a draw against Varias Milling, then defended it against seasoned contenders Archie Bell and Speedy Dado.
7.
Baby Arizmendi first defeated Bell in ten round points decision at Legion Stadium in Hollywood on December 2,1932.
8.
Baby Arizmendi was awarded six rounds, Bell two including the eighth when he landed some solid punches, and two were even.
9.
Baby Arizmendi opened up in the sixth, and rained a steady blow of punches in the remaining rounds to take a clear points margin.
10.
Baby Arizmendi lost the California version of the title to NBA World featherweight champion Freddie Miller on February 28,1933, in a 10-round unification bout in Los Angeles.
11.
Baby Arizmendi performed best in the seventh where he rushed Miller to the ropes and bloodied his nose with hard rights to head and chin.
12.
The packed house containing many former Mexican fans, turned against Baby Arizmendi, booing him and throwing bottles into the ring at the close of the match.
13.
Baby Arizmendi persevered, and later that year defeated Miller in a non-title fight.
14.
Baby Arizmendi defeated Armstrong on January 1,1935, in a twelve round unanimous decision in Mexico City.
15.
Baby Arizmendi, however fought well for the first five rounds, but was unable to continue the pace in the remaining portion of the match.
16.
Baby Arizmendi subsequently lost the California-Mexico World title in his third bout with Armstrong on August 4,1936, at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles.
17.
Baby Arizmendi continued boxing until 1942, obtaining bouts with boxing standouts Lou Ambers, Sammy Angott, and George Latka, but never again went for a title.
18.
Baby Arizmendi faced Lou Ambers on February 24,1939, losing in an eleventh round technical knockout in Madison Square Garden before a disappointing crowd of 8,837.
19.
Baby Arizmendi had drawn with Ambers on June 7,1938, at Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California.
20.
Baby Arizmendi was hospitalized in July, 1956, following a partial paralytic condition on his left side.
21.
Baby Arizmendi was survived by his wife Henrietta and an illegitimate son Raul Robert Arizmendi, born February, 1933 in Los Angeles.
22.
Baby Arizmendi was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004.