Pro Career
Although still in high school, LaBarba turned professional that same year.
On August 22, 1925, LaBarba defeated Frankie Genaro in a convincing 10 round decision to win the American Flyweight title. In 1927, he won the world flyweight championship from Elky Clark. La Barba dominated the fight, knocked Clark down five times and won all twelve rounds.
Seven months later, LaBarba retired to enter Stanford University. Less than a year later, however, he returned to the ring as a featherweight. He won his first five fights, and in 1931 split two decisions with Kid Chocolate. On May 22, 1931, he was given an opportunity to win the world featherweight title, but was out pointed by Battling Battalino.
LaBarba’s career was prematurely curtailed when he suffered a detached retina in training for a fight against Kid Chocolate for the New York featherweight title. On December 9, 1932, LaBarba not only lost the fight in a close decision, but went blind in his eye. After the fight, he underwent surgery to repair the tear, but it was unsuccessful and he eventually had to have the eye removed.
Read more about this topic: Fidel LaBarba
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