As a youngster, he got into neighborhood street fights. Henry married Lou M Armstrong. Henry Armstrong 1887-1955 - Ancestry Research genealogy for Henry Armstrong of Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland, England, as well as other members of the Armstrong family, on Ancestry. "I was asked to do it, and he thanked me. Armstrong lost weight in order to compete in the lower weight division, and beat World Lightweight Champion Lou Ambers by split decision. A few notable opponents of that year include Ritchie Fontaine, Baby Arizmendi, former world champion Juan Zurita, and Mike Belloise. 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. Higginbottom believes Davis can be among the best of the best. It was one of only two knockouts Armstrong would suffer in his career. Updates? 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. Through 1937 Armstrong entered the ring 27 times, winning every fight and knocking out all but one of his opponents. 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 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. The event is named after the late Mississippi boxer, Henry Armstrong, who, in 1938, became the first boxer to ever hold three world titles at the same time. His mother, America (Armstrong) Jackson was an Iroquois Indian. He became a born-again Christian and an ordained Baptist minister and youth advocate, helping to run the Herbert Hoover Boys Club. [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. He graduated as an honor student from Vashon High School in St. Louis[9] Later he took the surname Armstrong as his fighting name. A Who's Who of Sports Champions: Their Stories and Records. 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'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. He finally did beat Zivic, by decision in 1942, but Zivic was no longer champ. After retiring from boxing in 1946, Armstrong briefly opened a Harlem nightclub, the Melody Room (named after his first nickname). Its kind of special saying that Im from Columbus, hes from Columbus. ", Ten weeks later, Armstrong's fight with Ambers was a war. Henry Armstrong 1768-1868 - Ancestry Al Weill, Ambers' manager, was suspended four months for his unsportsmanlike behavior. He did manage to win his second fight on points; however, he decided to return to St. Louis. His father, suffering from rheumatism, struggled to provide for the family. Later a fellow member of the three division champions' club, Ross was then World Welterweight Champion. Henry Armstrong, who moved to St. Louis with his family as a youngster, was the only boxer ever to hold three world titles simultaneously. existed; At the beginning, his performance was rather good but not 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. That didn't surprise anybody in boxing. Armstrong was dynamite in a small Late in 1938 he resigned the featherweight championship without having defended it, and on August 22, 1939, he lost the lightweight crown in a 15-round return fight with Ambers. ." With his aggressive attitude and incessant windmill style, he was all over opponents, as evidenced by his 101 knockouts and his nickname of Homicide Hank. In 1943, Armstrong lost a 10-round decision to an up-and-coming Sugar Ray Robinson, who had idolized the three-division champion. To pursue his third title, Armstrong dropped back a weight class to compete as a lightweight. She died on the way to the hospital in Armstrong's arms, having suffered chest pains. . 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 10 knockouts; From December, 1936 until September, 1940, Henry October 20, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Richie Fontaine, winning the fight via 3rd round TKO. He defeated sixteen world champions. Armstrong appeared on the TV game show I've Got a Secret with his simultaneous triple championship as his secret. Armstrong first married in 1934. . He defeated Bobby Pacho at the Tropical Stadium in Havana, Cuba, in his fourth successful defence. Of his total 151 wins, 100 of them were via KO (66.2%). After losing his first two professional fights in Los Angeles, Armstrong began to consistently win his bouts. Armstrong, however, displayed no interest in fulfilling these wishes. Aldo Spoldi was the only opponent to take him the full 10 rounds. Armstrong had a 151-21-9 record in his 15-year professional career. Armstrong knocked Sarron out in six rounds, becoming the World Featherweight Champion. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. (WLBT) - The inaugural Henry Armstrong Boxing Classic will be held in Columbus on Saturday. To this day, he is the only boxer to simultaneously hold three world titles in different weight divisions. Comments below may relate to previous holders of this record. 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. Henry Armstrong is recognized by boxing historians as one of the greatest fighters. October 13, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Howard Scott, winning the fight via 2nd round KO. Because the purses were small, Armstrong fought often, usually at least 12 times a year, and supplemented his income by operating a shoe shine stand from 1931 to 1934. He was stopped two times and lost 20 times via decision. While he was certainly a formidable boxer, he hadn't yet established himself as one of the all-time greats. Five-time middleweight champion of the world, Sugar Ray Robinson is remembered as the greatest boxer ever, Patterson, Floyd 1935 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. Cyber Boxing Zone -- Henry Armstrong By the time Armstrong graduated from high school at the age of 17, the Great Depression had arrived. After taking 16 months off, he came back and stayed around until 1945, fighting 49 times although he had lost most of his skill. We have 458 records for Henry Armstrong ranging in age from 31 years old to 97 years old. [citation needed], In 1945, Armstrong retired from boxing. There are 1 person related to this person in our records. Bert Sugar ranks him #2, and I rank him #3 on my list of the greatest boxers of all time. . Working at the "colored" Young Men's Christian Association, Armstrong met Harry Armstrong, a former boxer, who became his friend, mentor, and trainer. The next year was an incredible one for Armstrong as he fought 27 times -- and won all of them. Armstrong was knocked out in the 12-round fight. 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. #GreatestOfAllTime#HenryArmstrong#TeddyAtlas He quit his job working for the Missouri-Pacific Railroad, figuring he could make his fortune fighting for pay. 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. Armstrong knocked out 100 of his 183 opponents. Henry Armstrong - BoxRec Alternate titles: Henry Jackson, Melody Jackson. He was the first boxer to hold three different titles simultaneously. 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 | David Martinez Boxing - dmboxing.com The 23-year-old boxer was raised in Pearl, but is from Columbus. There he became involved in boxing. Garraty, John A. and Mark C. Carnes, American National Biography, Volume 1. 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. ." . Armstrong started 1937 off with a string of 22 straight wins, en route to 27 total wins that year. Armstrong's mother died of consumption in 1918, leaving the six-year-old under the care of his paternal grandmother. Henry Armstrong's Best Fights - martialbot.com On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Armstrong is a Hall of Famer. henry armstrong "homicide hank" 150 Wins 21 Losses 10 Draws 55.8% Stance: Orthodox Age: 113 Date Of Birth: 12 Dec 1909 Height: 5.45 ft (1.66 m) Reach: 66.93 inches (170 cm) Country: United States Universal ID : 8194 edit details henry armstrong opponents PTS Chester Slider (37-18-12) Wed, 14 Feb - 1945 round 10 of 10 . March 4, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Bobby Pacho, winning the fight via 4th round TKO. He died on October 24, 1988 at the age of 75 years. He gained fame in 1938 when he reigned as featherweight, lightweight and welterweight champion. We encourage you to research and examine these records to determine their accuracy. Name: Henry Armstrong Alias: Homicide Hank Birth Name: Henry Jackson Hometown: Los Angeles, California, USA Birthplace: Columbus, Mississippi, USA Died: 1988-10-23 (Age:78) Stance: Orthodox Height: 166cm Reach: 170cm Promoter: Record Referee: Record Pro Boxer: Record Amateur Boxer: Record American boxer PEARL, Miss. Henry Armstrong boxer - BoxerList Henry Armstrong | Discography | Discogs } He first set his sights on the lightweight division, but his challenge to a title fight was declined by lightweight titleholder Lou Ambers. Info Share. Armstrong worked on his athletic abilities, often running the eight miles to school. After several more amateur fights, Armstrong moved to Pittsburgh to pursue a professional career. Henry Jackson was born in Columbus, MS. After school, he worked as a pinboy at With his aggressive attitude and incessant windmill style, he was all over opponents, as evidenced by his 101 knockouts and. Armstrong, at 133+12 pounds, beat Ross, at 142 pounds, by unanimous decision, adding the World Welterweight Championship to his belt. Armstrong made his professional boxing debut at the age of 18 on July 27, 1931. In 1949 Armstrong experienced a religious conversion and turned his life around. Omissions? navathletescold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_athletes_cold.gif"; Henry W. "Harry" Armstrong (July 22, 1879 - February 28, 1951). 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. "I carried him the last four rounds," Armstrong said. var navgallerycold = new Image(); Henry Armstrong. Armstrong fought as an amateur from 1929 to 1932. Henry Armstrong Found! - See Phones, Email, Addresses, and More By his last professional fight on February 14, 1945, Armstrong's boxing record stood at 151-22-10 (100 KO wins, 2 KO losses). 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. 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). Henry held three world titles - Welterweight, December 12, 1912October 22, 1988 Born in Columbus, Mississippi, on December 12, 1912, boxer Henry Armstrong became the featherweight, welterweight and lightweight world champion in 1938. 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. [11], In 1937 alone, Armstrong went 270 (26KO). "Henry Armstrong," Notable Black American Men, Gale Research, 1998. http://www.galenet.com(December 13, 2000). But there was a sensitive side, too, as he showed at his high school graduation when he read an original poem. William Henry Armstrong. (February 23, 2023). He also wrote the autobiographical God, Gloves, and Glory (1956). After that marriage ended in divorce, Armstrong married a second time in 1960. This ended Armstrong's reign as Welterweight Champion. document[imgName].src = eval(imgName + 'over.src'); Despite almost blacking out in the 15th round, Armstrong won a split decision to make history. American boxer and television commentator. On file we have 73 email addresses and 55 phone numbers associated with Henry in area codes such as 757, 941, 401, 609, 314, and 32 other area codes. The streak finally ended when Arizmendi lasted ten rounds before losing a decision to Armstrong in their fourth fight. Armstrong fared even worse in their rematch in 1941, suffering a 12th-round TKO. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Henry Armstrong (1768 - 1868) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. Archie Moore was one of the most colorful and respected figures in the modern history of boxing. worldCharley Rose ranked Armstrong as the #6 All-Time Welterweight; Nat Armstrong moved to Los Angeles, where he resumed his amateur status. Henry R Armstrong in 1940 United States Federal Census Henry R Armstrong was born circa 1887, at birth place, Connecticut, to John Birracase. All but one of his defences were in the USA. Most consecutive boxing world welterweight title defences navclassicover.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_classic_over.gif"; But he was learning how to harness his natural physical gifts; strength, quickness, stamina, and the ability to take a punch. var navathletescold = new Image(); Professional Boxer. After the decision was announced, the second fight started; both managers and the New York State Athletic Commission were the participants. BoxRec: Henry Armstrong Floyd Patterson was born on January 4, 1935 in Waco, North Carolinathe third of 11 children. . 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. He was among the very best of his generation and is one of the pound-for-pound best boxers of all time. navcontributeover.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_contribute_over.gif"; Encyclopedia of World Biography. Hes fighting on the card, and he was the first person in Mississippi to win a title [since 1988], Higginbottom said. Birth 22 Sep 1768 . We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. 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. 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. Armstrong was in many ways the complete prototype of a pressure. His first win came later that year, beating Sammy Burns by a decision in six. navcontributecold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_contribute_cold.gif"; Henry J Armstrong is thirty-eight. WHAT MAKES A GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS TITLE? . Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. 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. Mother Ellen Lawrance. Boxing as a featherweight, he gained quite a bit of experience from 1933 to 1935, fighting 46 times, mostly in California and Mexico.