Baby Arizmendi

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.

Early life and career Arizmendi was born on March 17, 1913, in Torreón, 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.

Taking and defending the California world featherweight title, October, 1932 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.

In his January 6, 1933, California sanctioned World featherweight title rematch with Bell in San Francisco, Arizmendi won in a ten round points decision. Arizmendi opened up in the sixth, and rained a steady blow of punches in the remaining rounds to take a clear points margin. Bell may have held an edge in the first five rounds, with the exception of the third. He withstood the blows of Arizmendi in the final rounds and remained on his feet throughout.

In his last successful defense of the California-sanctioned world featherweight champion, Arizmendi defeated Speedy Dado in a ten round points decision in Los Angeles on January 24, 1933.

Losing the California sanctioned world featherweight title, February, 1933 He 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. Miller took seven rounds, with one even, and two to Arizmendi. With a lightning right jab that landed repeatedly and a good left hook, Miller kept the Mexican champion at bay. Arizmendi performed best in the seventh where he rushed Miller to the ropes and bloodied his nose with hard rights to head and chin. The packed house containing many former Mexican fans, turned against Arizmendi, booing him and throwing bottles into the ring at the close of the match.

Arizmendi persevered, and later that year defeated Miller in a non-title fight. The bout was not billed as a title fight. He continued boxing until 1942, obtaining bouts with boxing standouts Lou Ambers, Sammy Angott, and George Latka, but never again went for a title. He had drawn with Ambers on June 7, 1938, at Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. In one of his best performances against a reigning champion, one reporter gave four rounds to Ambers, as many as four to Arizmendi, and three even. Overcoming a 1-3 odds deficit, Arizmendi may have nearly dropped Ambers in the second with a right cross.

After retiring from boxing, Arizmendi served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and later operated restaurants in the Echo Park District of Los Angeles. He was hospitalized in July, 1956, following a partial paralytic condition on his left side. According to his wife, Henrietta, he had been in poor health and lost fifty pounds the previous month.

Death After a prolonged illness, Arizmendi died of natural causes in the Veterans Administration Hospital in Sawtelle, California, now part of the Los Angeles suburb Westwood, on New Year's Eve 1962, at the age of 48. He was survived by his wife Henrietta and an illegitimate son Raul Robert Arizmendi, born February, 1933 in Los Angeles. Arizmendi was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004.

Professional boxing record All information in this section is derived from BoxRec, unless otherwise stated.

Official Record

All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted to the win/loss/draw column.

Unofficial record

Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions to the win/loss/draw column.