Fidel LaBarba: The Flyweight Boxing Legend
Fidel LaBarba (September 29, 1905–October 2, 1981) was a Los Angeles flyweight who won Olympic gold before becoming a professional champion and sportswriter. Born in New York City, he grew up in Los Angeles and entered the 1924 Paris Olympics as an 18-year-old high-school student. Olympedia’s athlete record lists his flyweight gold medal and notes that he later became a professional world champion.
Olympic champion turned professional
LaBarba won the Olympic flyweight tournament in Paris in July 1924. He turned professional later that year, while still a teenager. In August 1925 he defeated Frankie Genaro by decision in a bout associated with the American flyweight championship. The WBA’s historical title lineage traces its flyweight championship to that victory, while some boxing histories date LaBarba’s claim to the world title to 1927, when he beat Elky Clark for the vacant championship. He gave up the title in August 1927 to attend Stanford. The Boxing Hall of Fame’s champions history records the 1927 title and his decision to vacate for college; BoxRec’s biography and record detail his career.
A new chapter and a dangerous injury
After beginning college, LaBarba returned to the ring in 1928 and moved up to featherweight. He faced Cuban star Kid Chocolate several times, including the second meeting featured in the preserved film above. LaBarba challenged Battling Battalino for the world featherweight title in 1931 and lost a decision. An eye injury suffered while training for his December 1932 fight with Kid Chocolate ultimately ended his boxing career. He fought despite impaired vision and later lost sight in the affected eye.
From the ring to the newsroom
LaBarba returned to Stanford and earned a journalism degree. He later worked as a sportswriter, then in public relations and Hollywood, including as a boxing-film technical adviser. The International Boxing Hall of Fame inducted him in 1996. His path from Olympic gold to professional championships and journalism remains a distinctive part of boxing history, and his career continues to inspire fighters beyond the ring.
Sources
Career records and reporting: boxrec.com.
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
