His father, suffering from rheumatism, struggled to provide for the family. The next year was an incredible one for Armstrong as he fought 27 times -- and won all of them. His last professional fight was a non-title rematch against Chester Slider at 32 years of age, on February 14, 1945. 60% MARRIED 60% of these people are married, and 40% are single. Armstrong was 25 years old with a record of 92-12-7 (60 KOs). Definitely one of the goals I had in mind, so itll be a good time, to bring everybody out.. 1913-1998 In 1943, Armstrong lost a 10-round decision to an up-and-coming Sugar Ray Robinson, who had idolized the three-division champion. He finally did beat Zivic, by decision in 1942, but Zivic was no longer champ. After losing at the trials, he returned to the professional ranks. 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. But 1938 was an even better year for Armstrong, as he took the two more championships. Continue with Recommended Cookies, The most consecutive boxing world welterweight title defences is 18 by Henry Armstrong (USA) from 25 November 1938 to 23 September 1940.Advertisementsif(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'guinnessworldrecords_com-box-3','ezslot_2',108,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-guinnessworldrecords_com-box-3-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'guinnessworldrecords_com-box-3','ezslot_3',108,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-guinnessworldrecords_com-box-3-0_1');.box-3-multi-108{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:50px;padding-bottom:20px!important;padding-top:20px!important;text-align:center!important}. edited by David L. Porter, Greenwood Press, 1995. He defended his welterweight title a total of nineteen times. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. Early in his career, he fought some fights under the ring name Melody Jackson. 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. However, since he already had two professional fights under the name Jackson, he told people that he was Harry's little brother, Henry Armstrong.Armstrong competed in the 1932 Olympic trials. RECORD. Manage Settings Armstrong appeared on the TV game show I've Got a Secret with his simultaneous triple championship as his secret. 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. "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. He returned to St. Louis in 1972 to become the director of the Herbert Hoover Boys Club. Following these two losses, however, he started a streak of 11 wins. Info Share. Hometown: Columbus, MS. Year Induction: 2010. 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. He teamed up with -- and took the surname of -- a trainer and former boxer named Henry Armstrong. Switch to interactive mode His biggest hit was "Sweet Adeline", written in 1903 with Richard H. Gerard. } Returning to St. Louis, he became a minister, helped run the Herbert Hoover Boys' Club and trained young boxers. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Henry Armstrong (1912-1988) became the first boxer in history to hold world titles in three separate weight classes at the same time. Encyclopedia of World Biography. That fight, before 29,088 fans at Yankee Stadium, was another brawl as the fighters pounded each other for 15 rounds. Henry J Armstrong has a residential history of 3 addresses in 2 cities and now lives at 3411 Kip St, Philadelphia, PA. Henry can be reached via 2 phone numbers. Aldo Spoldi was the only opponent to take him the full 10 rounds. Standing five feet five and one half inches tall, Armstrong fought in the featherweight class. His 1905 song "Nellie Dean" became the signature song of the British music hall singer Gertie Gitana , and a popular British pub song. Henry Armstrong (Homicide Hank) was an American professional boxer. [2] Historian Bert Sugar also ranked Armstrong as the second-greatest fighter of all time. ." 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. His final professional record stood at 174 recorded bouts, 145 wins with 98 by knockout. FacebookTwitterYouTubeInstagramLinkedInSnapchatPinterestTiktok, Registered Office: Ground Floor, The Rookery, 2 Dyott Street, London, WC1A 1DE, United Kingdom, Otto - Longest human tunnel travelled through by a skateboarding dog, Ashrita Furman - Most Guinness World Records titles held. out - if he didn't manage that, he certainly battered him thoroughly Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Henry Irwin Armstrong (1850 - 1935) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. When Cox sold his contract on Armstrong to Wirt Ross in 1932 for $250, Armstrong entered the professional ranks to stay. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"_9hAJy7CmJsKH07kPqMVqhJI9fwN_aHmPuAo7fcIZbM-86400-0"}; He died at age 75 on Oct. 24, 1988, in Los Angeles. Armstrong was inducted into Ring magazines Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954. the beginning to the end of every round; His goal was to knock his man After retiring from boxing in 1946, Armstrong briefly opened a Harlem nightclub, the Melody Room (named after his first nickname). Small in stature, he was often the target for teasing. 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. However, upon his retirement he found the vast majority of his money had been lost to bad investments, management fees, and extravagant spending habits. In the same year, he fought for an unprecedented fourth title in the middleweight division, but lost to Ceferina Garcia in a controversial decision. 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. 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 continued to box actively until announcing his retirement in 1945 at the age of 32. Its my first time in front of all my friends and family, so Im excited, he said. Armstrong knocked out 100 of his 183 opponents. Hes fighting on the card, and he was the first person in Mississippi to win a title [since 1988], Higginbottom said. [14] According to boxing historian Bert Sugar, many commentators of the time said that Armstrong deserved the decision in this fight. As an amateur Armstrong fought under the name of Melody Jackson. The Ring magazine named him Fighter of the Year in 1937. he had 72 victories on his ring record. 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. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Professional boxer Mead was suspended 13 months after accusing commissioner Bill Brown of favoring Ambers. was a high pressure, non-stop fighter who threw punches from He became an ordained Baptist minister in 1951. Henry lived in Norwich, Connecticut 06360, USA. After he retired, Armstrong overcame alcoholism. There are 1 person related to this person in our records. Over the course of his career, Armstrong earned more than $1 million. African-American Sports Greats: A Biographical Dictionary. Vashon High School (St. Louis, MO) . You may want to start by searching for a person's Military Service Records and Pension and Bounty Land records. Henry Armstrong is a boxer from Mississippi and a world phenomenon in boxing. Securing a contract with Cox for three dollars, he had almost 100 amateur fights, in which he won more than half by knockout and lost none. The Greatest Boxer of All Time - Henry Armstrong, Says Teddy Atlas - Here's Why He's The GOAT THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas 280K subscribers Subscribe 1.6K Share 74K views 2 years ago. In his 2006 book "Boxing's Greatest Fighters," historian Bert Sugar ranked Armstrong as the second greatest fighter of all-time. 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. Professional boxer, entertainer, businessman One of the greatest fighters in history, Hurricane Hank is the only fighter to hold 3 world Championships simultaneously. Henry passed away in March 1981, at age 94. His first win came later that year, beating Sammy Burns by a decision in six. On October 29, 1937, Armstrong returned to the featherweight division and challenged Petey Sarron for the . 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. His next fight was four days later, and he won a six-round decision. Featherweight, Lightweight, and Welterweight Champion of the World. He lost by knockout only two times in his 15 years of boxing. Upon his return, he became a boxing manager for a time, but his increasing use of alcohol led to his arrest in Los Angeles. The Ring, a boxing magazine, named Armstrong Boxer of the Year for 1938. "Henry Armstrong," Newsmakers 1989, Issue 4. Armstrong was penalized five rounds for low punches, and that cost him the fight as two officials had Ambers winning by only an 8-7 margin. 1921-1989 Henry held three world titles - Welterweight, 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 the first champion, Im going to be the next champion, Davis said. After that, he concentrated once again on defending the world Welterweight title. We encourage you to research and examine these records to determine their accuracy. Because the fight was scheduled for just ten rounds, the fight was recognized as a title fight only by California. } . [10] Early in his career, he fought some fights under the ring name Melody Jackson. Boxing as a featherweight, he gained quite a bit of experience from 1933 to 1935, fighting 46 times, mostly in California and Mexico. Henry W. "Harry" Armstrong (July 22, 1879 - February 28, 1951). Of 26 title fights, Armstrong won all but four (three losses and a draw). The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. March 4, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Bobby Pacho, winning the fight via 4th round TKO. . 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. That didn't surprise anybody in boxing. Henry held three world titles - Welterweight , Lightweight . He is considered to be one of the greatest boxers who lived on Earth. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Armstrong had his cornermen remove his mouthpiece so he could swallow the blood flowing in his mouth the last five rounds. Armstrong knocked Sarron out in six rounds, becoming the World Featherweight Champion. Born Henry Jackson, Jr., on December 12, 1912, in Columbus, Mississippi, Armstrong was the eleventh of the family's 15 children. Like his mother, his grandmother hoped that he would pursue a career in the ministry. navclassiccold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_classic_cold.gif"; 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. His mother, America, was half-Cherokee Indian. Other honors include his being ranked 2nd on "The Ring's 2002 list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years." Oxford University Press, 1999. Armstrong fared even worse in their rematch in 1941, suffering a 12th-round TKO. [12], Armstrong's two nicknames were Hurricane Henry and Homicide' Hank. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/henry-armstrong. Full Q\u0026A episode here: https://youtu.be/KULHRj7H9l0**** Teddy's Audiobook Now Available. var navpostcardcold = new Image(); var navathletesover = new Image(); function act(imgName) { Deceased : October 22, 1988. Robinson, Sugar Ray 19211989 . Joe Frazier had many moments in boxing history. "If you spit any more blood on that floor," referee Billy Cavanaugh told Armstrong, "I'm going to stop this fight.". Mother Ellen Lawrance. Henry Armstrong. Armstrong knocked down the champ in the fifth and sixth rounds, but Ambers cut him severely. var navgallerycold = new Image(); Pulled from our recent Q\u0026A with Teddy Atlas, Teddy shares why Henry Armstrong is the greatest boxer of all time. He is currently ranked by BoxRec as the 12th greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time. Bert Sugar ranks him #2, and I rank him #3 on my list of the greatest boxers of all time. He also wrote the autobiographical God, Gloves, and Glory (1956). He was elected class president and selected poet laureate of his class, which provided him the opportunity to read a valedictory poem at his graduation ceremony. Hall of Fame in 1954 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He graduated as an honor student from Vashon High School in St. Louis[9] Later he took the surname Armstrong as his fighting name. American boxer 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. Ill prepared and undernourished, Armstrong lost his first professional fight by a knockout. 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. He had fulfilled his goal -- he reigned as champion over three divisions. All but one of his defences were in the USA. [10], In 1936, Armstrong split his time among Los Angeles, Mexico City and St. Louis. Taking away Lou Ambers' lightweight crown on Aug. 17, 1938 in Madison Square Garden proved more difficult. ESPN ranked Armstrong as number 3 on their list of the 50 greatest boxers of all time. Info Share. Herb Goldman ranked Armstrong as the #4 All-Time Lightweight; He was inducted into the Ring Boxing Birth 22 Sep 1768 . . His father, also named Henry, was a mix of Indian, Irish and black blood. 100% CAUCASIAN Our ethnicity data indicates the majority is Caucasian. Background. 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. Gale Research, 1989. http://www.galenet.com(December 13, 2000). The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) named him Fighter of the Year in 1940. [11], In 1937 alone, Armstrong went 270 (26KO). Garcia retained the title with a draw, but most at ringside felt that Armstrong had won. Skip Ancestry main menu Main Menu. William Henry Armstrong. Henry Armstrong. #GreatestOfAllTime#HenryArmstrong#TeddyAtlas In 2007, The Ring ranked Armstrong as the second-greatest fighter of the last 80 years. He defeated Bobby Pacho at the Tropical Stadium in Havana, Cuba, in his fourth successful defence. var navcontributecold = new Image(); 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. During the fight Armstrong suffered an eye injury that required surgery. Henry Armstrong fought a total of 183 times during his professional career. Armstrong was the first boxer ever to hold world championships in three different weight divisions at the same time. In the days when there were only 8 weight classes, Henry Armstrong held championship belts in three of them at the same time. sensational; However, when he hit stride After his death, his heart was found to be one-third larger than average. High School Career. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. Working at the "colored" Young Men's Christian Association, Armstrong met Harry Armstrong, a former boxer, who became his friend, mentor, and trainer. Armstrong fought as an amateur from 1929 to 1932. "Henry Jackson," Contemporary Authors Online, Gale Research, 1999. http://www.galenet.com(December 13, 2000). Henry Armstrong (1912-1988) became the first boxer in history to hold world titles in three separate weight classes at the same time. compiled a 59-1-1 record (51 KOs) competing against the best in the ." American boxer He died of heart failure on October 22, 1988 in Los Angeles. Born: December 12, 1912. By his last professional fight on February 14, 1945, Armstrong's boxing record stood at 151-22-10 (100 KO wins, 2 KO losses). 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. We have 458 records for Henry Armstrong ranging in age from 31 years old to 97 years old. Five-time middleweight champion of the world, Sugar Ray Robinson is remembered as the greatest boxer ever, Patterson, Floyd 1935 navgalleryover.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_gallery_over.gif"; On May 31, 1938, he took the welterweight (147-pound) championship . His professio, Hopkins, Bernard 1965 edited by David Crystal, Second edition. var navclassicover = new Image(); "I was asked to do it, and he thanked me. ." It was no contest, with Armstrong's rapid-fire attack overwhelming Ross to gain the 15-round decision. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. Later a fellow member of the three division champions' club, Ross was then World Welterweight Champion. 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. Professional Boxer. The fight lasted 15 rounds. Make sure to follow us on Twitter for updates and announcements. Father Charles Godfrey Armstrong. Statistics for all 21 Henry Armstrong results: 61 yrs AVERAGE AGE 40% are in their 40s, while the average age is 61. He quit his job working for the Missouri-Pacific Railroad, figuring he could make his fortune fighting for pay. Armstrong was knocked out in the 12-round fight. Henry Armstrong Stats, Bio. He defeated sixteen world champions.After he quit boxing, he became an ordained minister and devoted himself to underprivileged children. Henry Armstrong, who moved to St. Louis with his family as a youngster, was the only boxer ever to hold three world titles simultaneously. But the tides turned later in the year when he won against former flyweight champion Midget Wolgast. Referee Arthur Donovan took five rounds away from Armstrong for low blows. (You will need to register / login for access). 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. // -->. First of all, Ive got to thank Pearl Boxing Club, because without them this wouldnt be the possible or without God.. 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. Armstrong fought his first major bout in November 1934, losing the world featherweight championship in a close decision to Baby Arizmendi. In 1938 with 14 consecutive wins, 10 by knockout, Armstrong achieved his goal, becoming the first boxer to In 1936, entertainer Al Jolson and actor George Raft underwrote the purchase of Armstrong's managerial contract from Edward Mead.Armstrong knocked out Petey Sarron in six rounds in 1937 to win the World Featherweight Championship, and was named "The Ring Fighter of the Year in 1937. in the mid 1930s, Armstrong was as good as anyone has ever Armstrong's attempt to win a world title in a fourth division was frustrated. ESPN ranked Armstrong as number 3 on their list of the 50 greatest boxers of all time. During his final years, Armstrong suffered from numerous illnesses, including cataracts and dementia, commonly attributed to the punishment he took as a boxer. The event is even more special for Davis. He was the son of Henry Jackson Sr., a sharecropper of African American descent and America Jackson, said to be a "full-blooded" Iroquois. March 16, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring lightweight titles against Lew Feldman, winning the fight via 1st round KO. In defending himself against bullies, he discovered his interest in boxing. Henry Irwin Armstrong. [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. The Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia. His mother died a year later, and he was raised by his grandmother. Through 1937 Armstrong entered the ring 27 times, winning every fight and knocking out all but one of his opponents. The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) named him Fighter of the Year in 1940. Six years later he moved back to Los Angeles. After a brief third marriage, Armstrong married his fourth wife, Gussie Henry, in 1978. He also taught young fighters how to box. Two boxers from the Pearl Boxing Club will be fighting in the event: Chown Chop Chop Sims, and Keshaun Big Baby Davis. He was born in Columbus, Mississippi on December 12, 1912. While successfully defending this welterweight title, Armstrong was also featherweight world champion and defeated Lou Ambers to become world lightweight champion. Henry Armstrong was born on August 31 1886. 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 . Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. In 1931 Armstrong, accompanied by Harry Armstrong, hopped trains to Los Angeles to restart his amateur career. This ended Armstrong's reign as Welterweight Champion. Updates? Henry W. Armstrong (July 22, 1879 - February 28, 1951) was an American boxer, booking agent, producer, singer, pianist, and Tin Pan Alley composer. As a youngster, he got into neighborhood street fights. In 1949 Armstrong experienced a religious conversion and turned his life around. He first won the featherweight (126-pound) title by knocking out Petey Sarron in six rounds on October 29, 1937. Armstrong starred in the feature film Keep Punching (1939) in 1939. 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. Use Link to Listen with 30-Day Audible Free Trial: http://bit.ly/ATLASaudiobook. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. if (document.images) [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]. Corrections? Please be sure to subscribe! (February 23, 2023). 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. Up to 1937, Armstrong compiled a record of 52-10. To this day, he is the only boxer to . The current phone number is (214) 444-3246. Armstrong won three world titles at three weight classes. ", Ten weeks later, Armstrong's fight with Ambers was a war. existed; At the beginning, his performance was rather good but not document[imgName].src = eval(imgName + 'cold.src'); 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. December 5, 1938: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Al Manfredo, winning the fight via 3rd round TKO. 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. On March 1, 1940, Armstrong attempted to win from Ceferino Garcia the New York State version of the middleweight (160-pound) title, which was then in dispute, but the decision was a draw, permitting Garcia to retain the championship. He is currently the Mid America super middle weight title holder, winning the title in 2020. He decided not to maintain the required 126-pound weight anymore and left the featherweight crown vacant.[12].