Fidel LaBarba
BORN September 29 1905; New York, New York DIED October 3 1981; Los Angeles, California HEIGHT 5-3 WEIGHT 112-124 lbs MANAGER George Blake LaBarba was fast on his feet and hit accurately; He was a converted left-hander and a great defensive fighter who used a weaving style; LaBarba won the Flyweight Championship of the World in 1927 and retired from boxing at the end of that year to attend Stanford University; He returned to the ring in 1928 and and fought for six years but never regained the title
During his career, LaBarba defeated such men as Kid Chocolate, Charles "Bud" Taylor, Pedro Villa, Frankie Genaro, Elky Clark, Petey Sarron, Santiago Zorilla, Young Montreal, Willie LaMorte, "Memphis" Pal Moore, Bushy Graham, Tommy Paul, Young Nationalista, Willie Smith, Georgie Rivers, Clever Sencio, "California" Joe Lynch and Melvin "Happy" Atherton
Charley Rose ranked him as the #3 All-Time Flyweight; Herb Goldman ranked him as the #3 All-Time Flyweight; Nat Fleischer ranked him as the #4 All-Time Flyweight; He was inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1972 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996
*** AMATEUR BOUTS *** 1924 May 21 Ray Fee Boston, Ma KO 2 -National AAU Flyweight Championship Jul 15 McKenzie Paris, France W 3 -Olympic Flyweight Championship (Gold Medal) Sep 18 Pat Pringle Los Angeles, Ca KO 1*** PROFESSIONAL BOUTS *** 1924Oct 14 Frankie Grandetta Vernon, Ca W 4Oct 28 Jimmy McLarnin Vernon, Ca L 4Nov 11 Jimmy McLarnin Vernon, Ca D 4Dec 4 Pedro Villa San Pedro, Ca W 41925Jan 13 Jimmy McLarnin Vernon, Ca L 10Feb 20 Young Nationalista Hollywood, Ca W 10Mar 20 Georgie Rivers Hollywood, Ca W 10Apr 17 Newsboy Brown Hollywood, Ca D 10May 29 Teddy Silva Hollywood, Ca W 10Jul 17 Georgie Rivers Hollywood, Ca W 10Aug 22 Frankie Genaro Los Angeles, Ca W 10-Flyweight Championship of AmericaNov 20 Ray Fee Hollywood, Ca TK 1Dec 23 Lew Perfetti New York, NY W 61926Jan 20 Clever Sencio Los Angeles, Ca W 10Mar 12 Vic King Hollywood, Ca KO 4Mar 31 Clever Sencio Los Angeles, Ca W 10May 4 Emil Paluso Los Angeles, Ca W 10Jul 8 Georgie Rivers Los Angeles, Ca W 10-Flyweight Championship of AmericaAug 13 Emil Paluso Chicago, Il W 10Aug 25 Melvin "Happy" Atherton Chicago, Il W 10Sep 2 Paul Milnar Peoria, Il W 8Oct 5 Newsboy Brown Vernon, Ca D 10 -Some sources report 10/06/26Oct 26 Young Nationalista Los Angeles, Ca D 10Nov 19 "California" Joe Lynch San Francisco, Ca WF 4Dec 7 Delos "Kid" Williams Fresno, Ca W 101927Jan 21 Elky Clark New York, NY W 12-Flyweight Championship of the WorldFeb 14 Johnny Vacca Boston, Ma L 10Mar 22 Johnny Vacca Boston, Ma L 10Apr 11 Young Montreal Tucson, Az W 10Apr 24 Young Montreal Providence, RI W 10Apr 29 "Mickie" Billy Shaw Detroit, Mi ND 10May 11 Babe Keller Kalamazoo, Mi ND 12May 27 Willie LaMorte Cleveland, Oh TK 10Jun 11 Paul Milnar St. Paul, Mn EX 4Jun 21 Mike Brody St. Louis, Mo ND 10Jun 27 Clarence Rosen Detroit, Mi ND 10Jul 12 "Memphis" Pal Moore Chicago, Il W 10Aug 23 Johnny Vacca Los Angeles, Ca W 10Aug -LaBarba announced his retirement from boxing (only to return later)1928Jul 17 Huerta Evans Los Angeles, Ca W 10Aug 7 Earl Mastro Los Angeles, Ca W 10Sep 11 Bushy Graham Los Angeles, Ca W 10Sep 25 Young Nationalista Los Angeles, Ca W 10Nov 23 Ray Ravini San Francisco, Ca KO 81929Jan 26 Billy McAllister Sydney, NSW, Aus KO 4Feb 8 Willie Smith Sydney, NSW, Aus W 15Mar 2 Billy Grimes Melbourne, Vic, Aus W 15Mar 16 Willie Smith Sydney, NSW, Aus TK 12May 22 Kid Chocolate New York, NY L 10Jun 7 Tommy Paul Buffalo, NY W 6Jun 25 Earl Mastro Los Angeles, Ca L 10Aug 30 Jackie Mandell Hollywood, Ca TK 8Oct 12 Kid Francis Paris, Fr L 121930Jan 14 Ignacio Fernandez Los Angeles, Ca W 10Jan 28 Johnny Torres Los Angeles, Ca W 10Feb 14 Charley Sullivan Hollywood, Ca KO 5Mar 4 Santiago Zorilla Los Angeles, Ca W 10Apr 4 Tommy Paul Buffalo, NY W 10Apr 21 Charles "Bud" Taylor Chicago, Il W 10May 28 Bushy Graham New York, NY W 10Aug 7 Earl Mastro Chicago, Il D 10Nov 3 Kid Chocolate New York, NY W 10Nov 28 Charles "Bud" Taylor New York, NY W 10Dec 9 Eddie Shea Cleveland, Oh L 101931Feb 3 Claude Varner Los Angeles, Ca D 10Mar 27 Kid Francis New York, NY W 10May 22 Battling Battalino New York, NY L 15 -Featherweight Championship of the World; (as recognized by New York state)Jun 26 Claude Varner Hollywood, Ca L 10Jul 20 Jackie Mandell Stockton, Ca KO 1Jul 24 Ray Montoya Palm Beach, Ca W 10Aug 6 Santiago Zorilla Sacramento, Ca W 10Aug 21 Pinto De Sa San Francisco, Ca W 10Sep 16 Johnny Previs Wilmington, Ca W 10Oct 9 Joe Guererro Sacramento, Ca W 10Nov 10 Leslie "Wildcat" Carter Seattle, Wa W 6Nov 27 Santiago Zorilla Hollywood, Ca KO 6Dec 11 Leslie "Wildcat" Carter Oakland, Ca KO 1Dec 15 Billy Pelz Portland, Or W 6Dec 17 Davie Jones Tacoma, Wa W 61932Jan 1 Alberto "Baby" Arizmendi Mexico City, Mx L 10Mar 11 Varias Milling Hollywood, Ca W 10Apr 8 Max Tarley Stockton, Ca W 10Apr 22 Petey Sarron Detroit, Mi W 10 -NBA Featherweight Championship of the World - Elimination BoutApr 29 Johnny Pena Detroit, Mi L 10Jun 2 Varias Milling Sacramento, Ca W 10Jun 14 Tommy Paul Los Angeles, Ca W 10Jun 28 Bobby Gray San Jose, Ca KO 8Jul 29 Varias Milling Hollywood, Ca W 10Aug 12 Al Citrino San Francisco, Ca TK 6Sep 2 Vicente Venturillo Honolulu, Oahu, Hi TK 10Oct 16 Little Dempsey Honolulu, Oahu, Hi W 10Nov 10 Conrad Senico Honolulu, Oahu, Hi TK 6Dec 9 Kid Chocolate New York, NY L 15-Featherweight Championship of the World(as recognized by New York state)Dec 29 Tommy Paul Chicago, Il L 101933Jan 27 "Seaman" Tom Watson New York, NY L 12Feb 13 Mose Butch Pittsburgh, Pa W 10
Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization
