Fritzie Zivic (May 8, 1913 – May 16, 1984), born as Ferdinand Henry John Zivcich (), was a Croat-American boxer who held the Undisputed World Welterweight Championship from October 4, 1940, until July 29, 1941. His managers included Luke Carney and, after 1942, Louis Stokan.Roberts, DeJames B., and Scutt, Alexander G., The Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall of Fame Official Record Book, (2006), Fourth Edition, McBooks Press, Inc., Ithaca, New York, pgs. 680-685Ferdinand Henry John Zivic, real name in Richman, Milton, "Fritzie Zivic Keeping Active", Lebanon Daily News, Lebanon, Pennsylvania, pg. 32, 19 May 1976 He twice defeated all-time great Henry Armstrong. Zivic was inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993. Known as The Croat Comet, he was both the first world champion of Croat descent and the first world champion of Slavic descent.
Early life Zivic was born the youngest son of immigrant parents; his father Joseph Zivic (1870–1931) was Croatian, his mother, Mary Kepele Zivic (1872–1964) was Slovenian. His parents named him Ferdinand after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. As a young man, he followed the example of his four elder brothers, who boxed, and became known as the "Fighting Zivics". 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."Carlin, Maggie, "The Three Faces of Lawrenceville," Pittsburgh Press, pg. 270, 17 October 1976"Ex-boxing champ Fritzie Zivic Dies", The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pg. 10, 17 May 1984
Professional career 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."Zivic Outpoints Charley Burley", Latrobe Bulletin, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, pg. 8, 22 March 1938 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."Boyle, Harvey", "Colored Lad Outclassed By Veteran Foe", Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pg. 15, 22 March 1938 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.
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."Young Billy Conn Handed Split Decision Over Zivic", The Daily Republican, Monongahela, Pennsylvania, pg. 4, 29 December 1936 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.Welsh, Regis, "Billy's Boxing Style Baffles Fritzie in Season's Biggest Upset", The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pg. 24, 29 December 1936
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."Fritzie Zivic Kayoes Jadick in Sixth Round", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pg. 18, 12 February 1937 Zivic had previously lost to Jadick in a ten-round points decision in Washington in February 1935.
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."Westerner Surprises Rival With His Courage", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Missouri, pg. 7, 21 January 1939
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."Zivic Outpoints Angott in Ten", Daily News, New York, New York, pg. 210, 30 August 1940 According to Zivic later, his purse of $3,200 for the win, was the largest he had yet received.
Taking the world welterweight title against Henry Armstrong, October, 1940 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."Champion is Handed Bad Lacing", Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, pg. 21, 5 October 1940
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."Red Smith, "The Nose", reprinted in W.C. Heinz's The Fireside Book of Boxing, Simon and Schuster. 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."Boxer Fritzie Zivic Dies at 71", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pg. 8, 18 May 1984
Winning title rematch with Henry Armstrong, January, 1941 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. The impressive crowd of 23,190 fans, considered the largest indoor crowd ever to see a professional boxing match, witnessed Armstrong, the former welterweight champion, nearly helpless when the referee called the match 52 seconds into the twelfth round. As early as the first round, Zivic jabbed easily at Armstrong's open face, and then looped in uppercuts. The United Press gave Armstrong only the third and the eleventh. In the third, Armstrong was able to stagger Zivic briefly with hard hooks to the head. As the bout wore on, Armstrong tired badly, and was continuously the victim of Zivic's short uppercuts, which snapped back his head. He was down in the sixth for a no-count from a right uppercut by Zivic. In the eighth, the referee stopped to examine the cuts on Armstrong caused by the battering he took in the round.
Armstrong made a valiant effort in the eleventh with a barrage of hooks to the head and body of Zivic, allowing him to take the round. Armstrong caught Zivic in a corner and battered him with short jarring blows and then landed a right to the face, but it was a last valiant effort. The ring doctor examined Armstrong after the round ended, and allowed him to continue, but the referee stopped the fight in the twelfth when Zivic lashed his left repeatedly at the face of Armstrong.Armstrong battered, Cuddy, Jack, "Fritzie Wins By TKO in Twelfth", The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky, pg. 11, 18 January 1941Lashed his left in the twelfth, Smith, Jack, "Zivic Stops Armstrong", Daily News, New York, New York, pg. 91, 18 January 1941
Losing the world welterweight title against Fred "Red" Cochran, July, 1941 Zivic lost his world welterweight title in a fifteen-round decision against Red Cochran before 10,000 fans on July 29, 1941 at Rupert Stadium in Newark, NJ. Cochrane effectively threw left hooks to the belly against the straight rights of Zivic. He butted Zivic with his head, when Zivic attempted to illegally put an arm around his neck to hammer him with his left. In a back-alley brawl type of fighting, Cochrane threw a left hook into Zivic's groin after he claimed to have been continuously thumbed in the eye by Zivic, though the resulting penalty call gave the round to Zivic. Zivic's late comeback attempt in the final five rounds was not overlooked by the press, as many considered him obtaining more points in each of the last five rounds.Mahon Jack, "Army May Call New Welter King", The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, pg. 11, 30 July 1941 The referee gave Cochran seven rounds, four to Zivic, and four even, with the single judge scoring the same. The United Press, however gave six rounds to each boxer, with three as draws. Most believed Cochrane's ability to force the fighting throughout and land more telling blows made him deserve the close decision.Forced the fighting in "Fritzie Zivic Loses Title to Jersey City Youngster", Bradford Evening Star, Bradford, Pennsylvania, pg. 12, 30 July 1941