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. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Upon his return, he became a boxing manager for a time, but his increasing use of alcohol led to his arrest in Los Angeles. He died of heart failure on October 22, 1988 in Los Angeles. He defended his welterweight title a total of nineteen times.The Ring magazine named him Fighter of the Year in 1937. Professional boxer Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Henry Armstrong (1887 - Unknown) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. Sims is 9-1 in his professional boxing career, with five knockouts in his nine wins. After several more amateur fights, Armstrong moved to Pittsburgh to pursue a professional career. Guinness World Records Kids (opens in a new window), GWR Merchandise Store (opens in a new window), Corporate Social Responsibility activities & fundraising ideas, Community engagement & tourism marketing activities. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Chester Slider, John Thomas, Sugar Ray Robinson, Beau Jack, and Willie Joyce are some of the boxers who have beaten Armstrong. Definitely one of the goals I had in mind, so itll be a good time, to bring everybody out.. Henry Armstrong's professional boxing career spanned more than 13 years from 1931 to 1945. Unknown +6.3 lbs American boxer Armstrong was the only boxer to hold world titles in three different weight divisions simultaneously, and all three titles were . Birth Abt 1861 - null. As a youngster, he got into neighborhood street fights. Armstrong made his debut against Al Lovino at the age of 18 on July 27, 1931, losing to Lovino via 3rd round KO. RECORD. He is the only boxer to this day who simultaneously held three world boxing titles - in Featherweight, Lightweight, and welterweight champion in 1938. Henry died on October 23, 1988 . During the final years of the 1940s he traveled to China, Burma, and India with Raft as part of a group sent to entertain soldiers. Higginbottom believes Davis can be among the best of the best. "Henry Armstrong," Newsmakers 1989, Issue 4. In 1990 his name was added posthumously to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. After Armstrong turned the trick in 1938, no boxer was ever again allowed to be a champion in more than one weight division simultaneously.In 1939, Armstrong lost the World Lightweight Championship in a rematch with Ambers by a fifteen-round unanimous decision. He and Willa Mae Shony had one daughter, Lanetta. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Following these two losses, however, he started a streak of 11 wins.In 1936, Armstrong split his time among Los Angeles, Mexico City and St. Louis. October 9, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Al Manfredo, winning the fight via 4th round TKO. Its my first time in front of all my friends and family, so Im excited, he said. var navgalleryover = new Image(); Reading that a boxer named Kid Chocolate received $75,000 for one bout, Armstrong quickly abandoned his railroad job to pursue a career as a boxer. Aldo Spoldi was the only opponent to take him the full 10 rounds. Robinson, Sugar Ray 19211989 December 11, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Jimmy Garrison, winning the fight via 7th round KO. In the days when there were only 8 weight classes, Henry Armstrong held championship belts in three of them at the same time. Henry Armstrong (December 12, 1912 October 24, 1988), American Boxer Alternate titles: Henry Jackson, Melody Jackson. #GreatestOfAllTime#HenryArmstrong#TeddyAtlas Up to 1937, Armstrong compiled a record of 52-10. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [15], Returning to the welterweight division, Armstrong successfully defended the title five more times, until Fritzie Zivic beat him to take the world title in a 15-round decision. He defeated sixteen world champions.After he quit boxing, he became an ordained minister and devoted himself to underprivileged children. He defended it in eight fights in a row, the last of which was a nine-round knockout win over Puerto Rico's Pedro Montaez. Armstrong starred in the feature film Keep Punching (1939) in 1939. Armstrong appeared on the TV game show I've Got a Secret with his simultaneous triple championship as his secret. His biggest hit was "Sweet Adeline", written in 1903 with Richard Gerard . After losing his first two professional fights in Los Angeles, Armstrong began to consistently win his bouts. In 1938 with 14 consecutive wins, 10 by knockout, Armstrong achieved his goal, becoming the first boxer to Info Share. When Armstrong was four years old, his father moved the family to St. Louis, where he and Armstrong's older brothers found work at the Independent Packing Company. Early in his career, he fought some fights under the ring name Melody Jackson. 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. With his aggressive attitude and incessant windmill style, he was all over opponents, as evidenced by his 101 knockouts and. Armstrong first married in 1934. He is currently ranked by BoxRec as the 12th-greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time. [citation needed], Later in 1938, Armstrong, still the Featherweight division world champion, challenged Barney Ross for the title. Background. [10] Early in his career, he fought some fights under the ring name Melody Jackson. After losing at the trials, he returned to the professional ranks. Having gained the fame and fortune that was his goal as a young man working on the railroad, Armstrong was able to produce and star in an autobiographical movie, Keep Punching, released in 1939. When the promoters postponed the bout for 10 days, Armstrong accepted Joe Louis's invitation to train at Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, with Louis paying for all expenses. Henry Jackson was born in Columbus, MS. navcontributecold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_contribute_cold.gif"; Armstrong had a 151-21-9 record in his 15-year professional career. On October 29, 1937, Armstrong returned to the featherweight division and challenged Petey Sarron for the . Armstrong had his cornermen remove his mouthpiece so he could swallow the blood flowing in his mouth the last five rounds. October 20, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Richie Fontaine, winning the fight via 3rd round TKO. He returned to St. Louis in 1972 to become the director of the Herbert Hoover Boys Club. [4] In 2019, the International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO) ranked him as the second best boxer of all time, pound for pound, as well as the second-best featherweight, third-best welterweight, and fifth-best lightweight of all time.[5][6][7][8]. compiled a 59-1-1 record (51 KOs) competing against the best in the After retiring from boxing in 1946, Armstrong briefly opened a Harlem nightclub, the Melody Room (named after his first nickname). Henry Armstrong is recognized by boxing historians as one of the greatest fighters. These 11 fights are the highlight of his career. Please be sure to subscribe! Of 26 title fights, Armstrong won all but four (three losses and a draw). Henry Armstrong, Maryland (21 matches): Phone Number, Email, Address Despite losing three rounds on fouls, having both eyes cut and swollen, and needing 37 stitches later to close the wound inside his mouth, Armstrong won a split decision. var navclassicover = new Image(); The final title bout of his career was a failed attempt to regain the lightweight title in a rematch with Zivic on January 17, 1941. In 1943, Armstrong lost a 10-round decision to an up-and-coming Sugar Ray Robinson, who had idolized the three-division champion. During his final years, Armstrong suffered from numerous illnesses, including cataracts and dementia, commonly attributed to the punishment he took as a boxer. Henry Armstrong had a total of 22 losses in his professional boxing career three of them in title bouts and 19 in non-title bouts. Henry Armstrong | Walk of Fame Henry Armstrong, who moved to St. Louis with his family as a youngster, was the only boxer ever to hold three world titles simultaneously. We encourage you to research and examine these records to determine their accuracy. However, upon his retirement he found the vast majority of his money had been lost to bad investments, management fees, and extravagant spending habits. After retiring from boxing, Armstrong became an ordained Baptist minister, working with disadvantaged youth. 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. Henry Armstrong (1912-1988) became the first boxer in history to hold world titles in three separate weight classes at the same time. Birth 10 December 1850 - Detroit City, . In 1954 he became a charter member of the Boxing Hall of Fame, inducted in its opening year along with Joe Louis and Jack Dempsey. Herb Goldman ranked Armstrong as the #4 All-Time Lightweight; He was inducted into the Ring Boxing Boxer This fight is the second best . Henry Armstrong in Pennsylvania (PA) - Phone Number and Address for 7 He suffered his first loss in his professional debut against Al Lovino via 3rd round KO. Five-time middleweight champion of the world, Sugar Ray Robinson is remembered as the greatest boxer ever, Patterson, Floyd 1935 [CDATA[ The current phone number is (214) 444-3246. Omissions? He is currently the Mid America super middle weight title holder, winning the title in 2020. After school, he worked as a pinboy at Armstrong knocked out 100 of his 183 opponents. But not for long. 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. Henry Armstrong - St Louis Sports Hall of Fame if (document.images) Armstrong sought to become the first boxer to win world titles in four different categories in a rematch with Garcia, already the World Middleweight Champion, but the fight ended in a ten-round draw. Its a possibility that the heavyweight champion of the world will be from Mississippi one day, he said. He met the minimum weight by upping his calorie intake, drinking beer the days before the bout and a lot of water on the day of weigh-in. Chambers Biographical Dictionary. Henry Armstrong - BoxRec Armstrong fought as an amateur from 1929 to 1932. As an amateur Armstrong fought under the name of Melody Jackson. Two boxers from the Pearl Boxing Club will be fighting in the event: Chown 'Chop Chop' Sims, and Keshaun 'Big Baby' Davis. March 16, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring lightweight titles against Lew Feldman, winning the fight via 1st round KO. (WLBT) - The inaugural Henry Armstrong Boxing Classic will be held in Columbus on Saturday. His early childhood was spent on a plantation owned by Armstrong's grandfather, an Irishman who had married one of his slaves. Henry held three world titles - Welterweight, Henry Armstrong 1768-1868 - Ancestry Armstrong, however, displayed no interest in fulfilling these wishes. ESPN ranked Armstrong as number 3 on their list of the 50 greatest boxers of all time. Davis is excited to fight in his hometown. The next year was an incredible one for Armstrong as he fought 27 times -- and won all of them. [16] He returned to settle again in St. Louis, Missouri where, apart from the ceremonies and galas that he attended afterward, he led a quiet retirement. His first title came in 1937 when he wrested the Featherweight Championship from Petey Sarron via 6th round. October 30, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Bobby Pacho, winning the fight via 4th round TKO. var navpostcardcold = new Image(); Star Info Other Info The Greatest Boxer of All Time - Henry Armstrong, Says Teddy Atlas var navathletescold = new Image(); The 23-year-old boxer was raised in Pearl, but is from Columbus. Determined to enter a title fight, Armstrong boldly offered to challenge welterweight champion Barney Ross. 60% MARRIED 60% of these people are married, and 40% are single. Info Share. Cyber Boxing Zone -- Henry Armstrong Hometown: Columbus, MS. Year Induction: 2010. By his last fight, his KO ratio was at 54.6%. Armstrong was knocked out in the 12-round fight. When Ross demanded the full amount as publicized, entertainer George Raft put up the additional funds and became the third member of Armstrong's management team. Henry Armstrong (1912-1988) became the first boxer in history to hold world titles in three separate weight classes at the same time. Armstrong and his managers realized that they needed to attract attention away from the rising fame of boxer Joe Louis. You may want to start by searching for a person's Military Service Records and Pension and Bounty Land records. Ambers had Armstrong spitting blood from a torn bottom lip, and he cut the challenger's eyes as well. During the fight Armstrong suffered an eye injury that required surgery. navgalleryover.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_gallery_over.gif"; Make sure to follow us on Twitter for updates and announcements. The Greatest Infighter of All Time - YouTube His outstanding ring record was 151 wins, 21 defeats, and 9 draws with 101 knockouts. The fight lasted 15 rounds. In an attempt to gain popularity and therefore more important fights with bigger purses, they set a goal of winning titles in three different weight divisions, an accomplishment no boxer had ever achieved. Returning to St. Louis, he founded the Henry Armstrong Youth Foundation and directed the Herbert Hoover Boys Club. Henry married Lou M Armstrong. Boxing. Armstrong fared even worse in their rematch in 1941, suffering a 12th-round TKO. Armstrong had his first world title fight at the age of 24 on October 29, 1937 after 93 professional fights, against Petey Sarron for the featherweight NBA and The Ring titles. All records listed on our website are current and up-to-date. Professional Boxer. Henry "Hurricane Hank" Armstrong (1912-1988) - Find a Grave www.martialbot.com/boxing/h/henry-armstrong.html. "I carried him the last four rounds," Armstrong said. Henry W. Armstrong - Wikipedia var navcontributeover = new Image(); Following these two losses, however, he started a streak of 11 wins. He lost by knockout only two times in his 15 years of boxing. Henry W. "Harry" Armstrong (July 22, 1879 - February 28, 1951). Most consecutive boxing world welterweight title defences Later a fellow member of the three division champions' club, Ross was then World Welterweight Champion. (February 23, 2023). After that marriage ended in divorce, Armstrong married a second time in 1960. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Henry Armstrong - Historical records and family trees - MyHeritage function inact(imgName) { Henry Armstrong Found! - See Phones, Email, Addresses, and More October 29, 1937: Armstrong wins his first world titles by defeating Petey Sarron via 6th round KO. Use Link to Listen with 30-Day Audible Free Trial: http://bit.ly/ATLASaudiobook. He continued to box actively until announcing his retirement in 1945 at the age of 32. After three amateur fights, he turned professional in 1931 under the name "Melody Jackson." Henry Armstrong (1912-1988) became the first boxer in history to hold world titles in three separate weight classes at the same time. . Intelligent and articulate, he turned to preaching and was ordained a Baptist minister in 1951. Armstrong was one of the few fighters to win in three or more different divisions: featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight. He grew up in, Frazier, Joe 1944 Seven months later, a fading Armstrong finally lost his welterweight title after the 19 successful defenses, including six in 1940. Armstrong was 25 years old with a record of 92-12-7 (60 KOs). Henry Armstrong | Encyclopedia.com He was managed by Wirt Ross, Eddie Mead, jazz singer Al Jolson and Hollywood actor George Raft. Two years later he was ordained as a Baptist minister at Morning Star Baptist Church. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 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. } After retiring from boxing, Armstrong became an ordained Baptist minister, working with disadvantaged youth. Armstrong dedicated the next two years to defending the welterweight crown, beating, among others, Ceferino Garcia, a future World Middleweight Champion, and Bobby Pacho. Armstrong knocked down the champ in the fifth and sixth rounds, but Ambers cut him severely. . Armstrong, at 133+12 pounds, beat Ross, at 142 pounds, by unanimous decision, adding the World Welterweight Championship to his belt. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) in 1990. Armstrong retired from the ring in 1945. Henry Armstrong - Wikipedia Full Q\u0026A episode here: https://youtu.be/KULHRj7H9l0**** Teddy's Audiobook Now Available. Soon after his fight with Ambers, Armstrong, unable to meet the 126-pound limit, relinquished his featherweight title. Corrections? Henry Armstrong Stats, Bio. He defeated Bobby Pacho at the Tropical Stadium in Havana, Cuba, in his fourth successful defence. (You will need to register / login for access). GET IN TOUCH WITH A RECORD SPECIALIST (Opens in a new window), How to set or break a Guinness World Records title. Henry Armstrong | YourDictionary existed; At the beginning, his performance was rather good but not Henry Armstrong boxer - BoxerList Two local boxers fighting in inaugural Henry Armstrong Boxing Classic, The event will be held in Columbus on Saturday, Former wrestler tied to TANF scandal pleads guilty to conspiracy in federal court, 42K Mississippians without power after strong winds cause outages, JPD investigating after vehicle riddled with bullets on Maria Drive, Caver Ks 10, JSU baseball run-rules rival Alcorn State for 7th straight win, JSU footballs Blue and White game receives date, Tougaloo College to play Texas A&M Texarkana in first round of NAIA championship, Request a First Alert Weather School Visit. She died on the way to the hospital in Armstrong's arms, having suffered chest pains. In a career spanning 13 years and 6 months, Henry Armstrong fought 183 times with 151 wins, 22 losses, and 10 draws. A few notable opponents of that year include Ritchie Fontaine, Baby Arizmendi, former world champion Juan Zurita, and Mike Belloise. Born Henry Jackson, Jr., on December 12, 1912, in Columbus, Mississippi, Armstrong was the eleventh of the family's 15 children. All rights reserved. Henry lived in Norwich, Connecticut 06360, USA. 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. } [13], In 1938, Armstrong started his season with seven more knockouts in a row, including one over Chalky Wright, a future world champion. Twenty-six of the bouts were ended by a knockout, including that of Sarron in their 126-pound fight. // -->. "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. a bowling alley. His next fight was four days later, and he won a six-round decision. "Henry Armstrong ." https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/henry-armstrong, "Henry Armstrong BoxRec: Henry Armstrong Desiring to help at-risk youth, he created the Henry Armstrong Youth Foundation and funded the organization from the profits of two books he wrote: Twenty Years of Poem, Moods, and Mediations (1954) and his autobiography, Gloves, Glory, and God (1956). There he became involved in boxing. Gale Research, 1989. http://www.galenet.com(December 13, 2000). Armstrong retired from professional boxing with a record of 151-22-10, which included 100 knockout wins and two losses via knockout, and three title wins. Henry Armstrong Boxer Stats - BoxStat.co Armstrong was in many ways the complete prototype of a pressure. December 5, 1938: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Al Manfredo, winning the fight via 3rd round TKO. ESPN.com: He was 'Homicide Hank' for a reason It was no contest, with Armstrong's rapid-fire attack overwhelming Ross to gain the 15-round decision. He is considered to be one of the greatest boxers who lived on Earth. [10] Armstrong was given his first world title fight, for the title in the 126-pound weight class against World Featherweight Champion Petey Sarron at Madison Square Garden. edited by David Crystal, Second edition. He was a Black boxer. //Henry Armstrong - Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Henry Armstrong, original name Henry Jackson, (born December 12, 1912, Columbus, Mississippi, U.S.died October 24, 1988, Los Angeles, California), American boxer, the only professional boxer to hold world championship titles in three weight divisions simultaneously. Archie Moore was one of the most colorful and respected figures in the modern history of boxing. Henry Jackson Jr. (December 12, 1912 October 24, 1988) was an American professional boxer and a world boxing champion who fought under the name Henry Armstrong.Armstrong was one of the few fighters to win in three or more different divisions: featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight. He teamed up with -- and took the surname of -- a trainer and former boxer named Henry Armstrong. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Armstrong successfully defended his NBA and Ring Magazine welterweight titles. 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. We encourage . "Latsios spent most of the time retreating before Henry." (Lethbridge Herald) "Nick fought a remarkable fight with his flicking left, back-stepping, hit and run method.Henry was disgusted with his inability to catch the elusive Latsios.In the final frame Armstrong almost scored a knockdown but the wily Nick regained his balance after landing against the ropes." His professio, Hopkins, Bernard 1965 Research our Records The National Archives holds records relating to military service during the Revolutionary War, including both Continental troops and state troops that served as Continental troops. var navcontributecold = new Image(); Cambridge University Press, 1998. Birth abt 1887 - Iron Bridge, Shropshire, England. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. Armstrong's attempt to win a world title in a fourth division was frustrated. Birth 22 Sep 1768 . His father, Henry Jackson, Sr., was a sharecropper and a butcher. His first win came later that year, beating Sammy Burns by a decision in six. 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. Floyd Patterson was born on January 4, 1935 in Waco, North Carolinathe third of 11 children. Armstrong won the fight, knocking out Sarron in the sixth round, thus earning his first world title as the Featherweight Champion of the World. After the decision was announced, the second fight started; both managers and the New York State Athletic Commission were the participants. First, he knocked out featherweight champion Petey Sarron in the sixth round on Oct. 29, 1937. BoxRec: Henry Armstrong While successfully defending this welterweight title, Armstrong was also featherweight world champion and defeated Lou Ambers to become world lightweight champion. Armstrong moved to Los Angeles, where he resumed his amateur status. He quit his job working for the Missouri-Pacific Railroad, figuring he could make his fortune fighting for pay. William Henry Armstrong. Because the fight was scheduled for just ten rounds, the fight was recognized as a title fight only by California. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). [citation needed], In 1945, Armstrong retired from boxing. . Armstrong won three world titles at three weight classes. His father, also named Henry, was a mix of Indian, Irish and black blood. . var navclassiccold = new Image(); His official record was 152 wins, 21 losses and 9 draws, with 101 knockout wins.[10]. He made $35 for his pro debut, and was knocked out in three rounds. Home; . Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. His biggest hit was "Sweet Adeline", written in 1903 with Richard H. Gerard. When Cox sold his contract on Armstrong to Wirt Ross in 1932 for $250, Armstrong entered the professional ranks to stay. Armstrong won his most significant fight when he overcame alcoholism. Career record 151-21-9 with 101 knockouts (Third All-Time behind Archie Moore & Sugar Ray Robinson) Pulled from our recent Q\u0026A with Teddy Atlas, Teddy shares why Henry Armstrong is the greatest boxer of all time. In 1931 Armstrong, accompanied by Harry Armstrong, hopped trains to Los Angeles to restart his amateur career. After taking 16 months off, he came back and stayed around until 1945, fighting 49 times although he had lost most of his skill. However, he successfully defended his two other titles 12 times during 1939. $57k AVERAGE INCOME Our wealth data indicates income average is $57k. 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. Taking away Lou Ambers' lightweight crown on Aug. 17, 1938 in Madison Square Garden proved more difficult. Al Silvani. Ill prepared and undernourished, Armstrong lost his first professional fight by a knockout. By his last professional fight on February 14, 1945, Armstrong's boxing record stood at 151-22-10 (100 KO wins, 2 KO losses). He became a born-again Christian and an ordained Baptist minister and youth advocate, helping to run the Herbert Hoover Boys Club. Comments below may relate to previous holders of this record. African-American Sports Greats: A Biographical Dictionary. function act(imgName) { He was born Henry Jackson, Jr. on December 12, 1912, in Columbus, Mississippi.