Petey Sarron

[CletusVanDamme]

Petey Sarron and his family were part of the great Influx of Lebanese people to Birmingham, Alabama in the early 1900s. I tried to research a little on him for an article. He lived and fought out of Birmingham, Alabama and Ring ****zine ranked him in the top 20 featherweights of all time. He has sadly become a footnote in history because of Henry Armstrong. I will soon be contacting his family members who still attend the local Maronite church in town. For a more in depth look at a forgetten man.

Petey Sarron was born in 1908 in Birmingham, Alabama. He was Southern and Southeastern Amateur Boxing Champion. He was an alternate on the 1924 Olympic Boxing team in Paris. He turned professional in 1926. On May 11, 1936, Petey Sarron ended Freddie Miller's title reign when he won a 15 round decision for the World Featherweight Crown at Washington, D.C. He lost the title to Henry Armstrong in New York, October 29, 1937. He retired in 1939 with 94 fights, 17 KO's, 55 decisions, 15 losses, 7 draws. He is deceased.

If any one has anymore info feel free to share.

[CletusVanDamme]

Time ****zine article from 1936

A prime exception to the rule that boxing champions defend their titles as seldom as possible is 25-year-old Freddie Miller. No. 1 featherweight. A stoop-shouldered left-hander with considerable ability, he has whipped 19 challengers since 1933. Three times he beat Petey Sarron, a tough little Syrian from Birmingham, Ala. who. at 28, is an experienced oldster in the ring.

Last week Washington saw the first world championship boxing bout in the capital's history. Opponents for the fourth time were Fisticuffers Miller and Sarron. Though he failed to harm his opponent, who cleverly ducked & bobbed, Champion Miller piled up a comfortable point lead in the opening rounds. In the ninth Challenger Sarron began a blistering offensive, pummeled Miller around the ring. In the 13th round Miller was hanging on the ropes. The 18th went the same way. The title went to Sarron. Boasted he: "Freddie can't hit me."