29 Facts About Petey Sarron

Petey Sarron was an American boxer who became a National Boxing Association Featherweight Champion on May 11,1936, defeating Freddie Miller at Griffith Stadium in Washington, DC He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2016.

Petey Sarron was best known as a fast, elusive battler, with a windmill attack.

Petey Sarron lost his World Featherweight Championship to the gifted Henry Armstrong in a sixth-round knockout at Madison Square Garden.

Pete Petey Sarron was born in Birmingham, Alabama on November 21,1906.

Petey Sarron's parents were Syrians who emigrated to Alabama from Lebanon.

Petey Sarron fought future World Flyweight Champion Fidel LaBarba at the age of eighteen in the May 1924 National AAU Flyweight Semi-final and Olympic Trials in Boston.

Petey Sarron's performance allowed him to become an alternate for the United States during the 1924 Summer Olympics.

Petey Sarron would meet LaBarba again on April 22,1932, before a crowd of 2,986 at Olympia Stadium in Detroit, losing the NBA World Featherweight elimination bout in a ten-round decision.

Petey Sarron had trouble evading the jabs of LaBarba though he made a stronger finish in the last two rounds.

LaBarba jabbed frequently with his long left, but tired somewhat in the last two rounds, when Petey Sarron made a stand though his punches lacked the authority to do much damage.

On May 25,1929, Petey Sarron defeated Pinky Silverberg, in an important fifteen round points decision in Melbourne, Australia in the featherweight range at 120 pounds.

On June 29,1934, Petey Sarron defeated former British and Canadian World Lightweight Champion Al Foreman on June 29,1934, at Griffith Stadium in Washington, DC Petey Sarron had defeated one of his best known opponents in an early win, but it was to be the last professional bout for Foreman, the Jewish Canadian champion who retired to Montreal.

Petey Sarron continued to fight in the States through 1927, and had fought in Washington DC on several previous occasions.

Petey Sarron first met Benny Bass on August 27,1934, at Griffith Stadium in Washington DC, winning in a sixth round disqualification.

Petey Sarron had a small reach advantage of nearly two inches.

Petey Sarron, who was fouled in the seventh, came back to briefly drop Bass to the floor, and then gain more points in the eighth, reigning a series of blows on the former champion.

Petey Sarron took chances with Bass, acting as the aggressor from the start, and boxing a fast-paced bout.

On March 2,1936, Petey Sarron met Southpaw Freddie Miller at the Coliseum in Coral Gables, Florida losing in a fifteen-round decision.

On May 11,1936, Petey Sarron first took the National Boxing Association World Featherweight championship from Freddie Miller in a fifteen-round points decision at Griffith Stadium, an American League ball park, in Washington DC Before an impressive crowd of 23,000, Petey Sarron swarmed over Miller, came up with an early lead in points, and nearly scored knockouts in the thirteen and fifteenth rounds.

Petey Sarron collected the relatively modest sum of $10,000 for his win.

Petey Sarron staged his first defense of the World Featherweight Title on July 22,1936, winning a fifteen-round unanimous decision against Cuban southpaw Baby Manuel at the Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas.

Petey Sarron challenged champion Freddie Miller again on July 31,1937, in an important ten round non-title bout in Johannesburg, but lost the decision.

Petey Sarron lost his title to the exceptional black boxing champion Henry Armstrong in a sixth-round knockout on October 29,1937, before a crowd of 11,847 at Madison Square Garden.

Petey Sarron looked in control in the first, but by the second round had been staggered by the blows of Armstrong, who would have won the third but for a low blow dealt to Petey Sarron.

Petey Sarron retired from boxing on July 17,1939, after losing his last bout, a ten-round points decision against Sammy Angott at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Petey Sarron was studious and articulate for a young man who chose boxing as a profession.

Petey Sarron eventually retired in Miami and died there at age 87 on July 3,1994.

Petey Sarron was featured on the cover of the November 1936 The Ring magazine.

Petey Sarron was an inductee into the 2016 International Boxing Hall of Fame.