How good was lou ambers

[ron davis]

Lou was an in and fighter, with great speed. Like to know more about this Champion.

[OctoberRed]

One of the top lightweights of the 1930s, Lou Ambers built a reputation as a clever, aggressive boxer. Ambers first picked up the rudiments of boxing in a church basement gym in his native Herkimer, New York. When the Great Depression forced his family's restaurant to close and Ambers ended up working in a furniture factory, he decided to try boxing as a career. After fighting in amateur "bootleg" bouts for a few dollars a fight, Ambers entered the professional ranks with a second-round knockout of Frankie Curry in 1932. Ambers continued his winning ways as a pro, going undefeated in his first 32 fights. He earned the attention of The Ring and was named its ninth-best lightweight contender in the 1933 annual rankings.

In 1935, Ambers fought his idol, Tony Canzoneri, for the world lightweight title vacated by Barney Ross. Ambers had previously been Canzoneri's sparring partner. Canzoneri quite easily dispatched Ambers, winning a fifteen-round decision. The next year Ambers faced Canzoneri for the title again. Fighting in Madison Square Garden before a crowd of 18,026, Ambers avenged the earlier defeat to claim the title. He scored with straight lefts-cutting Canzoneri under the eye-and with right uppercuts. Ambers maintained a healthy respect for Canzoneri's slugging ability and avoided serious damage while earning a unanimous decision.

Ambers faced the sternest challenge to his title when he met the feather- and welterweight champion, Henry Armstrong, in Madison Square Garden in 1938. Armstrong knocked Ambers down in the fifth and sixth rounds. Although Ambers recovered sufficiently to gash Armstrong's left eye and mouth, Armstrong continued to fight, swallowing blood so that the damage to his mouth would not be apparent enough to force the referee to stop the fight. Armstrong won a split decision to take the lightweight title. Ambers won the title back in a rematch in Yankee Stadium the next year. It was a vicious fight in which Armstrong lost five rounds because of his low blows. Ambers delivered several telling punches to Armstrong's face and closed one of his eyes to win a split decision. A proposed third fight between these two well-matched fighters never took place.

In 1940, Ambers lost the title when Lew Jenkins stopped him in three rounds. After losing the rematch to Jenkins in seven rounds, Ambers retired. He operated a restaurant and was involved in public relations after leaving the ring.

[john l]

One of the top lightweights of the 1930s, Lou Ambers built a reputation as a clever, aggressive boxer. Ambers first picked up the rudiments of boxing in a church basement gym in his native Herkimer, New York. When the Great Depression forced his family's restaurant to close and Ambers ended up working in a furniture factory, he decided to try boxing as a career. After fighting in amateur "bootleg" bouts for a few dollars a fight, Ambers entered the professional ranks with a second-round knockout of Frankie Curry in 1932. Ambers continued his winning ways as a pro, going undefeated in his first 32 fights. He earned the attention of The Ring and was named its ninth-best lightweight contender in the 1933 annual rankings.

In 1935, Ambers fought his idol, Tony Canzoneri, for the world lightweight title vacated by Barney Ross. Ambers had previously been Canzoneri's sparring partner. Canzoneri quite easily dispatched Ambers, winning a fifteen-round decision. The next year Ambers faced Canzoneri for the title again. Fighting in Madison Square Garden before a crowd of 18,026, Ambers avenged the earlier defeat to claim the title. He scored with straight lefts-cutting Canzoneri under the eye-and with right uppercuts. Ambers maintained a healthy respect for Canzoneri's slugging ability and avoided serious damage while earning a unanimous decision.

Ambers faced the sternest challenge to his title when he met the feather- and welterweight champion, Henry Armstrong, in Madison Square Garden in 1938. Armstrong knocked Ambers down in the fifth and sixth rounds. Although Ambers recovered sufficiently to gash Armstrong's left eye and mouth, Armstrong continued to fight, swallowing blood so that the damage to his mouth would not be apparent enough to force the referee to stop the fight. Armstrong won a split decision to take the lightweight title. Ambers won the title back in a rematch in Yankee Stadium the next year. It was a vicious fight in which Armstrong lost five rounds because of his low blows. Ambers delivered several telling punches to Armstrong's face and closed one of his eyes to win a split decision. A proposed third fight between these two well-matched fighters never took place.

In 1940, Ambers lost the title when Lew Jenkins stopped him in three rounds. After losing the rematch to Jenkins in seven rounds, Ambers retired. He operated a restaurant and was involved in public relations after leaving the ring.

Great post. Nothing really to add except Armstrong also lost 4-5 points in 1st fight if I remember right.

[OctoberRed]

Great post. Nothing really to add except Armstrong also lost 4-5 points in 1st fight if I remember right.

I believe that's correct.

[Rusty Tromboni]

Ambers was a hobo during the depression. Only several years later he'd wrest Armstrong's Lw Belt from his waist. Sure, Armstrong won those fights. But the low-blows he was cited for were truly low blows. No way that kind of punching would be tolerated today. It was a different era, and this is always a combat sport. But I think people need to watch those fights to appreciate how well Ambers fought, and what lengths Armstrong had to go to to beat him. If you're one of those people who ranks Armstrong ridiculously high, you should be ranking Ambers not too far below him.

Ambers is probably a top 10 Lw. The division is the greatest historically, so even if he doesn't really make the cut his ranking is very, very "high". It simply seems that he's absent from many top 10 lists as a result of user error, not because he doesn't belong there.

Ambers was tough enough that outside of Zivic (and maybe Angott) I'd say he was Armstrong's best opponent in his prime.

One of the top lightweights of the 1930s, Lou Ambers built a reputation as a clever, aggressive boxer. Ambers first picked up the rudiments of boxing in a church basement gym in his native Herkimer, New York. When the Great Depression forced his family's restaurant to close and Ambers ened up working in a furniture factory, he decided to try boxing as a career. After fighting in amateur "bootleg" bouts for a few dollars a fight, Ambers entered the professional ranks with a second-round knockout of Frankie Curry in 1932. Ambers continued his winning ways as a pro, going undefeated in his first 32 fights. He earned the attention of The Ring and was named its ninth-best lightweight contender in the 1933 annual rankings.

In 1935, Ambers fought his idol, Tony Canzoneri, for the world lightweight title vacated by Barney Ross. Ambers had previously been Canzoneri's sparring partner. Canzoneri quite easily dispatched Ambers, winning a fifteen-round decision. The next year Ambers faced Canzoneri for the title again. Fighting in Madison Square Garden before a crowd of 18,026, Ambers avenged the earlier defeat to claim the title. He scored with straight lefts-cutting Canzoneri under the eye-and with right uppercuts. Ambers maintained a healthy respect for Canzoneri's slugging ability and avoided serious damage while earning a unanimous decision.

Ambers faced the sternest challenge to his title when he met the feather- and welterweight champion, Henry Armstrong, in Madison Square Garden in 1938. Armstrong knocked Ambers down in the fifth and sixth rounds. Although Ambers recovered sufficiently to gash Armstrong's left eye and mouth, Armstrong continued to fight, swallowing blood so that the damage to his mouth would not be apparent enough to force the referee to stop the fight. Armstrong won a split decision to take the lightweight title. Ambers won the title back in a rematch in Yankee Stadium the next year. It was a vicious fight in which Armstrong lost five rounds because of his low blows. Ambers delivered several telling punches to Armstrong's face and closed one of his eyes to win a split decision. A proposed third fight between these two well-matched fighters never took place.

In 1940, Ambers lost the title when Lew Jenkins stopped him in three rounds. After losing the rematch to Jenkins in seven rounds, Ambers retired. He operated a restaurant and was involved in public relations after leaving the ring.

Well said.

[billeau2]

A marvel

Ambers is on a short list of fighters with the best lateral, head movement. He had incredible timing and would make people miss his head. He honed the skill in the Hobo camps and in carnivals where he would give individuals chances to hit him. I wish I still had the source for this info but I do remember it.

Great fighter.

[Anthony342]

Wish there was more footage of him.

[Rusty Tromboni]

ROLL CALL:

Who does NOT rank him top 10 Lightweight All-time?

I cannot place him outside the top 10. I'd love to see the argument dislodging him from the top 10.

[ron davis]

I'll make a point, that you don't know. Davey Day in 1937
punched the crap out of the Champ Lou in a non-titled match, and robbed in a split decision, getting the ref. nod.
Davey Day grabbed the Champs bobbing head and Lou was a sitting duck. A picture is worth a thousand words, check it out, by going to ebay and put in search "Davey Day and Henry Armstrong" together. There are seven pic. listed in the description listed Day and Manager getting off the train in NY to fight Montanez. Lou Ambers was stripped of his Title by the N.B.A for not fighting Davey as required and scheduled on March 22nd 1940. This is when the NYSAC split with the NBA and keeping Ambers as their Champion.
Many boxing experts agreed that Davey Day was even better then Amber's. Mike Jacobs wouldn't let Mr. Day fight any of his Champions. Jenkins, Zivic, Armstrong. They had Angott fight Day for the Title in Louisville, with Jack Dempsey as the sole judge and referee, shipped in by Sammy Angott's own manager Charlie Jones who paid all of his expenses to make him the Champion by one point, six five four even. Davey Day would have been Lightweigh Champion in 1934 if he wasn't in the same stable with Barney Ross. Davey was cleverer and a harder puncher than Ross. Davey was Barney's policeman, you had to beat him before you got a shot at Ross.