Henry Armstrong fought a total of 183 times during his professional career. We have 458 records for Henry Armstrong ranging in age from 31 years old to 97 years old. However, the fight was so brutal that Armstrong blacked out at the end and could later recall very little of what happened. The fight lasted 15 rounds. He was managed by Wirt Ross, Eddie Mead, jazz singer Al Jolson and Hollywood actor George Raft. In his 2006 book "Boxing's Greatest Fighters," historian Bert Sugar ranked Armstrong as the second greatest fighter of all-time. Other honors include his being ranked 2nd on "The Ring's 2002 list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years." Five-time middleweight champion of the world, Sugar Ray Robinson is remembered as the greatest boxer ever, Patterson, Floyd 1935 In the days when there were only 8 weight classes, Henry Armstrong held championship belts in three of them at the same time. He was the first champion, Im going to be the next champion, Davis said. #GreatestOfAllTime#HenryArmstrong#TeddyAtlas [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. After he retired, Armstrong overcame alcoholism. For a full list of record titles, please use our Record Application Search. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. In defending himself against bullies, he discovered his interest in boxing. edited by David Crystal, Second edition. Early in his career, he fought some fights under the ring name Melody Jackson. Armstrong started 1937 off with a string of 22 straight wins, en route to 27 total wins that year. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) in 1990. Ill prepared and undernourished, Armstrong lost his first professional fight by a knockout. After retirement, he became an ordained minister. Star Info Other Info 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. In January 1935 he lost to Arizmendi for a second time. 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. . "Henry Armstrong," Newsmakers 1989, Issue 4. His father, Henry Jackson, Sr., was a sharecropper and a butcher. Armstrong lost weight in order to compete in the lower weight division, and beat World Lightweight Champion Lou Ambers by split decision. The next year was an incredible one for Armstrong as he fought 27 times -- and won all of them. However, the date of retrieval is often important. . By his last professional fight on February 14, 1945, Armstrong's boxing record stood at 151-22-10 (100 KO wins, 2 KO losses). "I was asked to do it, and he thanked me. November 25, 1938: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Ceferino Garcia, winning the fight via 15 round unanimous decision. Al Silvani. Here he gained his first boxing experience, winning a competition among the pinboys. We encourage you to research and examine these records to determine their accuracy. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Early in his career, he boxed under Melody Jackson. edited by David L. Porter, Greenwood Press, 1995. He was a Black boxer. Henry Armstrong was born on August 31 1886. Henry W. Armstrong (July 22, 1879 - February 28, 1951) was an American boxer, booking agent, producer, singer, pianist, and Tin Pan Alley composer. In 2007, The Ring ranked Armstrong as the second-greatest fighter of the last 80 years. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Copyright 2023 WLBT. 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. Aldo Spoldi was the only opponent to take him the full 10 rounds. navpostcardover.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_postcard_over.gif"; How do we create a person's profile? Bert Sugar ranks him #2, and I rank him #3 on my list of the greatest boxers of all time. Home; . var navgalleryover = new Image(); On August 22, 1939, he lost his lightweight title in a rematch with Ambers, and in 1940 he defended his welterweight crown six times before losing the title to Fritzie Zivic on October 4, 1940. All but one of his defences were in the USA. . Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Armstrong was in many ways the complete prototype of a pressure. Through 1937 Armstrong entered the ring 27 times, winning every fight and knocking out all but one of his opponents. 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. 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. Henry Armstrong's professional boxing career spanned more than 13 years from 1931 to 1945. Up to 1937, Armstrong compiled a record of 52-10. // -->. He had fulfilled his goal -- he reigned as champion over three divisions. After retiring from boxing, Armstrong became an ordained Baptist minister, working with disadvantaged youth. 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. We encourage you to research and examine these records to determine their accuracy. He suffered his first loss in his professional debut against Al Lovino via 3rd round KO. 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. So, its just a coincidence that all this is coming together like that.. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. navpostcardcold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_postcard_cold.gif"; Henry Armstrong, who moved to St. Louis with his family as a youngster, was the only boxer ever to hold three world titles simultaneously. The streak finally ended when Arizmendi lasted ten rounds before losing a decision to Armstrong in their fourth fight. The road to becoming a champion was not entirely smooth. All records listed on our website are current and up-to-date. 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. Of 26 title fights, Armstrong won all but four (three losses and a draw). [citation needed], In 1945, Armstrong retired from boxing. In 1949 Armstrong experienced a religious conversion and turned his life around. He defeated sixteen world champions. [CDATA[ Henry lived in Norwich, Connecticut 06360, USA. Six years later he moved back to Los Angeles. 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. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/henry-armstrong, "Henry Armstrong His father, also named Henry, was a mix of Indian, Irish and black blood. 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. There he became involved in boxing. . Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Henry Armstrong. 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. 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. The title bout came August 17, 1938, just three months after his fight with Ross, when Armstrong faced lightweight champion Lou Ambers before a packed house of almost 20,000 fans at Madison Square Garden. To pursue his third title, Armstrong dropped back a weight class to compete as a lightweight. His outstanding ring record was 151 wins, 21 defeats, and 9 draws with 101 knockouts. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The former fighter, who for. He is now the NBA and The Ring featherweight world champion. Armstrong was one of the few fighters to win in three or more different divisions: featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight. But 1938 was an even better year for Armstrong, as he took the two more championships. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1995. Henry Armstrong now had one win and three losses in four pro fights. That was the last time Armstrong would fight for a championship. He graduated as an honor student from Vashon High School in St. Louis[9] Later he took the surname Armstrong as his fighting name. Birth 22 Sep 1768 . March 16, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring lightweight titles against Lew Feldman, winning the fight via 1st round KO. In a publicity stunt, Jolson and Mead falsely advertised the buy-out price as $10,000. ESPN ranked Armstrong as number 3 on their list of the 50 greatest boxers of all time. Jolson offered boxer Petey Sarron $15,000 to defend his featherweight title against Armstrong, and the two boxers met on October 29, 1937, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Armstrong won his most significant fight when he overcame alcoholism. $57k AVERAGE INCOME Our wealth data indicates income average is $57k. His father, suffering from rheumatism, struggled to provide for the family. a bowling alley. Armstrong, at 133+12 pounds, beat Ross, at 142 pounds, by unanimous decision, adding the World Welterweight Championship to his belt. 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. Upon his return, he became a boxing manager for a time, but his increasing use of alcohol led to his arrest in Los Angeles. Mead was suspended 13 months after accusing commissioner Bill Brown of favoring Ambers. Intelligent and articulate, he turned to preaching and was ordained a Baptist minister in 1951. Omissions? Armstrong appeared on the TV game show I've Got a Secret with his simultaneous triple championship as his secret. 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. [11] In February 1966, Rev. var navcontributecold = new Image(); 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. But he was learning how to harness his natural physical gifts; strength, quickness, stamina, and the ability to take a punch. Having competed as a featherweight at 126 pounds, Armstrong had to increase his weight to 138 pounds in order to qualify to fight in the welterweight division. 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 was knocked out in the 12-round fight. . He first won the featherweight (126-pound) title by knocking out Petey Sarron in six rounds on October 29, 1937. Henry died on October 23, 1988 . ." In the same year, he fought for an unprecedented fourth title in the middleweight division, but lost to Ceferina Garcia in a controversial decision. The most consecutive boxing world welterweight title defences is 18 by Henry Armstrong (USA) from 25 November 1938 to 23 September 1940. Despite almost blacking out in the 15th round, Armstrong won a split decision to make history. He quit his job working for the Missouri-Pacific Railroad, figuring he could make his fortune fighting for pay. His biggest hit was "Sweet Adeline", written in 1903 with Richard Gerard . Returning to St. Louis, he became a minister, helped run the Herbert Hoover Boys' Club and trained young boxers. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. This fight is the second best . Early in his career he boxed under the name Melody Jackson. After the decision was announced, the second fight started; both managers and the New York State Athletic Commission were the participants. He teamed up with -- and took the surname of -- a trainer and former boxer named Henry Armstrong. Birth Abt 1861 - null. He died on October 24, 1988 at the age of 75 years. 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). 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. document[imgName].src = eval(imgName + 'over.src'); . 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.