[citation needed], Later in 1938, Armstrong, still the Featherweight division world champion, challenged Barney Ross for the title. For more details about these defeats, refer to "All of Henry Armstrong's losses". Henry W. Armstrong (July 22, 1879 - February 28, 1951) was an American boxer, booking agent, producer, singer, pianist, and Tin Pan Alley composer. He is considered to be one of the greatest boxers who lived on Earth. 100% CAUCASIAN Our ethnicity data indicates the majority is Caucasian. In his 2006 book "Boxing's Greatest Fighters," historian Bert Sugar ranked Armstrong as the second greatest fighter of all-time. Davis is excited to fight in his hometown. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Armstrong began his professional career on July 28, 1931, in a fight with Al Iovino, in which Armstrong was knocked out in three rounds. During his years attending Vashon High School, Armstrong excelled, earning good grades and gaining the respect of his peers. PEARL, Miss. The former fighter, who for. [2] Historian Bert Sugar also ranked Armstrong as the second-greatest fighter of all time. She died on the way to the hospital in Armstrong's arms, having suffered chest pains. His last professional fight was a non-title rematch against Chester Slider at 32 years of age, on February 14, 1945. Armstrong won the fight, knocking out Sarron in the sixth round, thus earning his first world title as the Featherweight Champion of the World. Armstrong is a Hall of Famer. After that, he concentrated once again on defending the world Welterweight title. He continued to box actively until announcing his retirement in 1945 at the age of 32. Fleischer ranked him as the #8 All-Time Welterweight; [14] According to boxing historian Bert Sugar, many commentators of the time said that Armstrong deserved the decision in this fight. Henry Armstrong, born Henry Jackson, decided to become a boxer after reading in a St. Louis newspaper that Kid Chocolate had beaten Al Singer at the Polo Grounds in New York, and was paid a purse of $75,000.At the "colored" YMCA on Pine Street in St. Louis, he met an older fighter named Harry Armstrong, who became his friend, mentor, and trainer. Armstrong was inducted into Ring magazines Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954. After his death, his heart was found to be one-third larger than average. #GreatestOfAllTime#HenryArmstrong#TeddyAtlas Boxer Upon meeting fight manager Tom Cox at a local gym, Armstrong introduced himself as Harry Armstrong's brother, after which he became known by the name Henry Armstrong. To this day, he is the only boxer to . (You will need to register / login for access). A victory would have given Armstrong a fourth divisional title at a time when there were only eight weight divisions.Armstrong defended the World Welterweight Championship a division record 19 times. He is currently ranked by BoxRec as the 12th-greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time. He was posthumously inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1990.He was born Henry Jackson, Jr. on December 12, 1912, in Columbus, Mississippi. When Sims won the title in 20, he was the first Mississippi boxer to hold a title in more than 30 years, according to his coach, Bombay Higginbottom. Its my first time in front of all my friends and family, so Im excited, he said. Definitely one of the goals I had in mind, so itll be a good time, to bring everybody out.. He defeated sixteen world champions.After he quit boxing, he became an ordained minister and devoted himself to underprivileged children. WHAT MAKES A GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS TITLE? Armstrong fought as an amateur from 1929 to 1932 and first won the featherweight (126-pound) title by knocking out Petey Sarron in six rounds on October 29, 1937. Armstrong lost weight in order to compete in the lower weight division, and beat World Lightweight Champion Lou Ambers by split decision. By the time Armstrong graduated from high school at the age of 17, the Great Depression had arrived. He had fulfilled his goal -- he reigned as champion over three divisions. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. . But 1938 was an even better year for Armstrong, as he took the two more championships. was a high pressure, non-stop fighter who threw punches from Encyclopedia.com. He is now the NBA and The Ring featherweight world champion. He officially turned pro a year later after failing to make the 1932 Olympic team, and he lost his first two fights, both four-round decisions in Los Angeles in 1932. Davis, who has been training at the Pearl Boxing Club, is undefeated so far in his professional career at 4-0, with four knockouts. Despite almost blacking out in the 15th round, Armstrong won a split decision to make history. He gained fame in 1938 when he reigned as featherweight, lightweight and welterweight champion. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Referee Arthur Donovan took five rounds away from Armstrong for low blows. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. The Ring, a boxing magazine, named Armstrong Boxer of the Year for 1938. After losing his first two professional fights in Los Angeles, Armstrong began to consistently win his bouts. Armstrong was dynamite in a small Updates? He was the first champion, Im going to be the next champion, Davis said. For all the details about Armstrong's world title wins and defenses refer to "Henry Armstrong World Titles". Armstrong was knocked out in the 12-round fight. Audiobook also available on iTunes here: http://bit.ly/ATLASbook **** THE FIGHT T-SHIRTShttps://teddy-atlas.myshopify.com/TEDDY'S SOCIAL MEDIATwitter - http://twitter.com/teddyatlasrealInstagram - http://instagram.com/teddy_atlasTHE FIGHT WITH TEDDY ATLAS SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram - http://instagram.com/thefightWTATwitter - http://twitter.com/thefightwtaFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheFightwithTeddyAtlasBig thanks to VHS collection for intro music. var navpostcardcold = new Image(); Facing Arizmendi once more in August 1936, Armstrong secured his first title as the new featherweight champion, beating Arizmendi so badly that he was forced to take six months off. He is currently ranked by BoxRec as the 12th greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time. He kayoed Baby Casanova in three rounds, Belloise in four, Joe Rivers in three, former world champion Frankie Klick in four, and former world champion Benny Bass in four. He is currently the Mid America super middle weight title holder, winning the title in 2020. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Henry Armstrong (1768 - 1868) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. Armstrong worked on his athletic abilities, often running the eight miles to school. Working at the "colored" Young Men's Christian Association, Armstrong met Harry Armstrong, a former boxer, who became his friend, mentor, and trainer. Small in stature, he was often the target for teasing. All records listed on our website are current and up-to-date. For a full list of record titles, please use our Record Application Search. Henry Armstrong, the only boxer ever to hold three world titles simultaneously, died of heart failure yesterday in Los Angeles after a lengthy series of illnesses. October 29, 1937: Armstrong wins his first world titles by defeating Petey Sarron via 6th round KO. Professional boxer "Henry Armstrong var navgallerycold = new Image(); African-American Sports Greats: A Biographical Dictionary. Father Charles Godfrey Armstrong. (WLBT) - The inaugural Henry Armstrong Boxing Classic will be held in Columbus on Saturday. Henry Armstrong (1912-1988) became the first boxer in history to hold world titles in three separate weight classes at the same time. October 13, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Howard Scott, winning the fight via 2nd round KO. Gale Research, 1989. http://www.galenet.com(December 13, 2000). Born: December 12, 1912. Featherweight, Lightweight, and Welterweight Champion of the World. Armstrong's purses had totaled between $500,000 and $1 million, but most of the money was gone when the Hall of Famer retired at age 32. This fight is the second best . There he became involved in boxing. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. navathletesover.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_athletes_over.gif"; [10] Early in his career, he fought some fights under the ring name Melody Jackson. Armstrong fought as an amateur from 1929 to 1932. Skip Ancestry main menu Main Menu. Armstrong retired from the ring in 1945. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-Armstrong, African American Registry - Biography of Henry Armstrong, BlackPast.org - Biography of Henry Armstrong, International Boxing Hall of Fame - Biography of Henry Armstrong, Henry Armstrong - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Armstrong's mother died of consumption in 1918, leaving the six-year-old under the care of his paternal grandmother. His outstanding ring record was 151 wins, 21 defeats, and 9 draws with 101 knockouts. Armstrong was in many ways the complete prototype of a pressure. Armstrong was a busy welterweight champion, successfully defending the title 19 times in less than three years. [11] In February 1966, Rev. The fight lasted 15 rounds. Armstrong's streak of 27 knockout wins in a row qualifies as one of the longest knockout win streaks in the history of boxing, according to The Ring magazine. One of the first inductees when the Boxing Hall of Fame opened in 1954, Henry Armstrong is considered one of the top three boxers of all time. In 1932, Armstrong moved to Los Angeles, where he lost two four-round decisions in a row to Eddie Trujillo and Al Greenfield. Armstrong was one of the few fighters to win in three or more different divisions: featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight. worldCharley Rose ranked Armstrong as the #6 All-Time Welterweight; Nat It was one of only two knockouts Armstrong would suffer in his career. He defended his welterweight title a total of nineteen times. Armstrong lost the fight via 10 round PTS. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"_9hAJy7CmJsKH07kPqMVqhJI9fwN_aHmPuAo7fcIZbM-86400-0"}; Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. . Armstrong successfully defended his NBA and Ring Magazine welterweight titles. Switch to interactive mode He graduated as an honor student from Vashon High School in St. Louis Later he took the surname Armstrong as his fighting name.Armstrong began his professional career on July 28, 1931, in a fight with Al Iovino, in which Armstrong was knocked out in three rounds. ever hold three undisputed titles at the same time. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Henry Armstrong (1887 - Unknown) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. He finally did beat Zivic, by decision in 1942, but Zivic was no longer champ. While successfully defending this welterweight title, Armstrong was also featherweight world champion and defeated Lou Ambers to become world lightweight champion. edited by Melanie Parry, Larousse Kingfisher Chambers Inc., 1997. He graduated as an honor student from Vashon High School in St. Louis[9] Later he took the surname Armstrong as his fighting name. He first set his sights on the lightweight division, but his challenge to a title fight was declined by lightweight titleholder Lou Ambers. . The Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia. Statistics for all 21 Henry Armstrong results: 61 yrs AVERAGE AGE 40% are in their 40s, while the average age is 61. His first title came in 1937 when he wrested the Featherweight Championship from Petey Sarron via 6th round. Armstrong knocked out 100 of his 183 opponents. On November 25, 1938 Henry Armstrong defeated Filipino boxer Ceferino Garcia via 15 round unanimous decision. Professional Boxer. ESPN ranked Armstrong as number 3 on their list of the 50 greatest boxers of all time. November 25, 1938: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Ceferino Garcia, winning the fight via 15 round unanimous decision. Six years later he moved back to Los Angeles. Hometown: Columbus, MS. Year Induction: 2010. Armstrong first married in 1934. He died of heart failure on October 22, 1988 in Los Angeles. See an An Overview of Records at the National Archives Relating to Military . He became known for his whirlwind combination of constant movement and knockout punches, earning him numerous new nicknames, including Homicide Hank, Perpetual Motion, and Hurricane Henry. [CDATA[ But not for long. A few notable opponents of that year include Ritchie Fontaine, Baby Arizmendi, former world champion Juan Zurita, and Mike Belloise. Fritzie Zivic, a veteran journeyman best known for questionable tactics, worked Armstrong's eyes, which were scarred and vulnerable to cutting, and took a unanimous decision. He was 27-0 with 26 knockouts in 1937, 14-0 with 10 knockouts in 1938, and 59-1-1 with 51 knockouts from December 1936 to October 1940. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results William Henry Armstrong (1847 - 1909) . ." with 10 knockouts; From December, 1936 until September, 1940, Henry Entertainer Al Jolson, who had witnessed the final bout between Armstrong and Arizmendi, was so impressed with Armstrong that he convinced New York manager Eddie Mead to take on the boxer, and Jolson supplied $5,000 to buy out Ross's contract rights to Armstrong. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Professional boxer, entertainer, businessman var navclassiccold = new Image(); Born Henry Jackson on Dec. 12, 1912, in Columbus, Miss., he was the 11th of 15 children. Henry Armstrong Record & Stats Last Updated: February 6, 2023 In a career spanning 13 years and 6 months, Henry Armstrong fought 183 times with 151 wins, 22 losses, and 10 draws. After retiring from boxing, Armstrong became an ordained Baptist minister, working with disadvantaged youth. Armstrong moved to Los Angeles, where he resumed his amateur status. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Fighting true to form, Armstrong applied pressure throughout the bout. After retiring from boxing, Armstrong became an ordained Baptist minister, working with disadvantaged youth. His debut as an 18-year-old pro was inauspicious, as he was knocked out in the third round by Al Iovino on July 27, 1931, in Pennsylvania. With no money for college and the need to care for his family weighing heavily, Armstrong lied about his age, claiming he was 21 years old, in order to gain employment as a section hand on the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Armstrong and his managers realized that they needed to attract attention away from the rising fame of boxer Joe Louis. While attending Toussaint L'Ouverture Grammar School in St. Louis, Armstrong acquired the nickname "Red" due to his curly sandy hair with a reddish tint. 149-21-9 (100 KO) Armstrong was dynamite in a small package; He was a high pressure, non-stop fighter who threw punches from the beginning to the end of every round; His goal was to knock his man out - if he didn't manage that, he certainly battered him thoroughly. Although Armstrong was outweighed by at least 15 pounds by Ross, he dominated their fight in Madison Square Garden, pounding the champion unmercifully for 11 rounds. Henry held three world titles - Welterweight, After winning his second pro fight by decision, he moved to Los Angeles with Harry Armstrong.Once in Los Angeles, he decided to return to the amateur ranks. He was a 3-weight-class world champion. "In 1938, Armstrong defeated Barney Ross by a fifteen-round unanimous decision to win the World Welterweight Championship, and then defeated Lou Ambers by a fifteen-round split decision to win the World Lightweight Championship.Armstrong was the only boxer to hold world titles in three different weight divisions simultaneously, and all three titles were undisputed championships. Madison Square Garden Bowl, Long Island City, Queens, California-Mexico World Featherweight Title. RECORD. Two years later he was ordained as a Baptist minister at Morning Star Baptist Church. Here he gained his first boxing experience, winning a competition among the pinboys. He suffered his first loss in his professional debut against Al Lovino via 3rd round KO. He died at age 75 on Oct. 24, 1988, in Los Angeles. 23 Feb. 2023 . Henry Armstrong now had one win and three losses in four pro fights. But Garcia shut the challenger's left eye and gained a draw, enabling him to keep the title. Following these two losses, however, he started a streak of 11 wins. As a child, Henry Jr. moved with his family to St. Louis, Missouri, during the early period of the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to industrial cities of the Midwest and North. For other people named Henry Armstrong, see, Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California, Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, Missouri, Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California, Billed as a World Middleweight Title fight recognized only by California, Municipal Audiotrium, Saint Louis, Missouri, Harringay Arena, Harringay, London, England, Municipal Audtiorium, Saint Louis, Missouri, Madison Square Garden Bowl, New York City, New York, International Amphitheatre, Chicago, Illinois, University of Detroit Stadium, Detroit, Michigan, Dexter Park Arena, Woodhaven, New York City, New York, Municipal Auditorium, Saint Louis, Missouri, Retained world featherweight title (CaliforniaMexico), Won world featherweight title (California-Mexico), Retained USA California State featherweight title, Civic Auditorium, Watsonville, California, Bakersfield Arena, Bakersfield, California, Pismo Beach Arena, Pismo Beach, California, Main Street Athletic Club, Los Angeles, California, Culver City Stadium, Culver City, California, Meyers Bowl, North Braddock, Pennsylvania, "BoxRec ratings: world, pound-for-pound, active and inactive", "Boxing Hall of Fame names first inductees", "IBRO All-Time Ratings - Pound For Pound Results", "IBRO All-Time Ratings - Featherweight Ratings", "IBRO All-Time Ratings - Welterweight Ratings", "IBRO All-Time Ratings - Lightweight Ratings", "Henry Armstrong: Goes for Four Divisions", "Ceferino Garcia vs. Henry Armstrong (2nd meeting) BoxRec", Armstrong, seated, posing with a title belt, National Boxing Association's Quarterly Ratings: 1938 BoxRec, National Boxing Association's Quarterly Ratings: 1939 BoxRec, National Boxing Association's Quarterly Ratings: 1940 BoxRec, The Ring Magazine's Annual Ratings: Lightweight--1930s BoxRec, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Henry_Armstrong&oldid=1135310555, World colored welterweight boxing champions, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, 20th-century Baptist ministers from the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2016, Pages with login required references or sources, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, In 1987, he was among those inductees from, In 1995, Armstrong was posthumously honored for his boxing career by being inducted into the, The story of his life is retold in the radio drama ", This page was last edited on 23 January 2023, at 22:13. The next year was an incredible one for Armstrong as he fought 27 times -- and won all of them. On May 31, 1938, he took the welterweight (147-pound) championship . By his last professional fight on February 14, 1945, Armstrong's boxing record stood at 151-22-10 (100 KO wins, 2 KO losses). . [citation needed], In 1945, Armstrong retired from boxing. Henry W. "Harry" Armstrong (July 22, 1879 - February 28, 1951). Henry J Armstrong is thirty-eight. Ambers had Armstrong spitting blood from a torn bottom lip, and he cut the challenger's eyes as well. Henry Armstrong. First, he knocked out featherweight champion Petey Sarron in the sixth round on Oct. 29, 1937. navclassicover.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_classic_over.gif"; The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) named him Fighter of the Year in 1940. navcontributecold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_contribute_cold.gif"; The most consecutive boxing world welterweight title defences is 18 by Henry Armstrong (USA) from 25 November 1938 to 23 September 1940. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Use Link to Listen with 30-Day Audible Free Trial: http://bit.ly/ATLASaudiobook. Manage Settings . Garraty, John A. and Mark C. Carnes, American National Biography, Volume 1. You may want to start by searching for a person's Military Service Records and Pension and Bounty Land records. Taking the name Melody Jackson, Armstrong won his first amateur fight at the St. Louis Coliseum in 1929, by a knockout in the second round. As a youngster, he got into neighborhood street fights. Professional boxer In 2007, The Ring ranked Armstrong as the second-greatest fighter of the last 80 years. He became an ordained Baptist minister in 1951. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) in 1990. American boxer But there was a sensitive side, too, as he showed at his high school graduation when he read an original poem. With his aggressive attitude and incessant windmill style, he was all over opponents, as evidenced by his 101 knockouts and. Henry married Lou M Armstrong. Armstrong won his most significant fight when he overcame alcoholism. After school, he worked as a pinboy at Encyclopedia of World Biography. Archie Moore was one of the most colorful and respected figures in the modern history of boxing.