Armstrong lost weight in order to compete in the lower weight division, and beat World Lightweight Champion Lou Ambers by split decision. 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. A few notable opponents of that year include Ritchie Fontaine, Baby Arizmendi, former world champion Juan Zurita, and Mike Belloise. Armstrong knocked Sarron out in six rounds, becoming the World Featherweight Champion. 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. In 1931 Armstrong, accompanied by Harry Armstrong, hopped trains to Los Angeles to restart his amateur career. BoxRec: Henry Armstrong Armstrong lost the fight via 10 round PTS. On March 1, 1940, in Los Angeles, Armstrong sought to become the first-ever four-division champion when he attempted to wrest the middleweight crown from Ceferino Garcia, whom he had decisioned in a welterweight defense in 1938. Deceased : October 22, 1988. He also continued his ministry as an assistant pastor of the First Baptist Church. Armstrong had 22 losses. Henry Armstrong - BoxRec 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. ." Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Because the fight was scheduled for just ten rounds, the fight was recognized as a title fight only by California. After the decision was announced, the second fight started; both managers and the New York State Athletic Commission were the participants. Born Henry Jackson on Dec. 12, 1912, in Columbus, Miss., he was the 11th of 15 children. Henry W. "Harry" Armstrong (July 22, 1879 - February 28, 1951). He had fulfilled his goal -- he reigned as champion over three divisions. Armstrong was inducted into Ring magazines Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954. Two years later he was ordained as a Baptist minister at Morning Star Baptist Church. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. After losing at the trials, he returned to the professional ranks. Henry Armstrong - Wikipedia Henry Armstrong 1887-1955 - Ancestry [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]. [2] Historian Bert Sugar also ranked Armstrong as the second-greatest fighter of all time. 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.com. Of his total 151 wins, 100 of them were via KO (66.2%). We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. 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. Al Weill, Ambers' manager, was suspended four months for his unsportsmanlike behavior. Star Info Other Info 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. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. Returning to St. Louis, he became a minister, helped run the Herbert Hoover Boys' Club and trained young boxers. "I was asked to do it, and he thanked me. 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. Armstrong was one of the few fighters to win in three or more different divisions: featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight. Some of Armstrong's best fights and notable victories include wins over 11 Hall-of-Famers (Sammy Angott, Lew Jenkins, Fritzie Zivic, Pedro Montanez, Baby Arizmendi, Lou Ambers, Barney Ross, Chalky Wright, Petey Sarron, Benny Bass, and Midget Wolgast), Ceferino Garcia, Al Manfredo, Bobby Pacho, Lew Feldman, Howard Scott, and Richie Fontaine. The fight lasted 15 rounds. 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. Early in his career he boxed under the name Melody Jackson. Working at the "colored" Young Men's Christian Association, Armstrong met Harry Armstrong, a former boxer, who became his friend, mentor, and trainer. First of all, Ive got to thank Pearl Boxing Club, because without them this wouldnt be the possible or without God.. Two boxers from the Pearl Boxing Club will be fighting in the event: Chown Chop Chop Sims, and Keshaun Big Baby Davis. That didn't surprise anybody in boxing. Born: December 12, 1912. The event is even more special for Davis. 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. Following these two losses, however, he started a streak of 11 wins. Unknown +6.3 lbs 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. He continued to box actively until announcing his retirement in 1945 at the age of 32. Henry Armstrong | David Martinez Boxing - dmboxing.com After losing his first two professional fights in Los Angeles, Armstrong began to consistently win his bouts. [citation needed], In 1945, Armstrong retired from boxing. Henry Armstrong - Biography - IMDb Armstrong's mother died of consumption in 1918, leaving the six-year-old under the care of his paternal grandmother. Well aware that his meager pay would never be sufficient to attend college, Armstrong's life changed one day when the sports section of a discarded newspaper landed at his feet. (February 23, 2023). 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. 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. BoxRec: Henry Armstrong 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. var navclassiccold = new Image(); Armstrong fought as an amateur from 1929 to 1932. He defended his welterweight title a total of nineteen times.The Ring magazine named him Fighter of the Year in 1937. In defending himself against bullies, he discovered his interest in boxing. was a high pressure, non-stop fighter who threw punches from Armstrong starred in the feature film Keep Punching (1939) in 1939. 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). Henry has been found in 17 states including Virginia, North Carolina, Missouri, Kansas, California. Armstrong had his cornermen remove his mouthpiece so he could swallow the blood flowing in his mouth the last five rounds. Its my first time in front of all my friends and family, so Im excited, he said. Upon his return, he became a boxing manager for a time, but his increasing use of alcohol led to his arrest in Los Angeles. navgallerycold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_gallery_cold.gif"; Henry Armstrong is a boxer from Mississippi and a world phenomenon in boxing. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. October 29, 1937: Armstrong wins his first world titles by defeating Petey Sarron via 6th round KO. 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. 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. (You will need to register / login for access). Death 9 Feb 1870 - null. "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. 1716-1914: New York State Religious Records at Findmypast; images only ($) 1809-1850: 10,000 Vital Records of Western New York at Ancestry; index & images, ($) 1875-1916: New York, Yonkers, Birth and Death Registration and Indexes at FamilySearch . How do we create a person's profile? However, upon his retirement he found the vast majority of his money had been lost to bad investments, management fees, and extravagant spending habits. He is now the NBA and The Ring featherweight world champion. He became a born-again Christian and an ordained Baptist minister and youth advocate, helping to run the Herbert Hoover Boys Club. WHAT MAKES A GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS TITLE? While successfully defending this welterweight title, Armstrong was also featherweight world champion and defeated Lou Ambers to become world lightweight champion. May 31, 1938: Armstrong wins the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles from Barney Ross, by beating Ross via 15 round unanimous decision. After a brief third marriage, Armstrong married his fourth wife, Gussie Henry, in 1978. Henry J Armstrong is thirty-eight. Henry lived in Norwich, Connecticut 06360, USA. ESPN.com: He was 'Homicide Hank' for a reason Armstrong first married in 1934. His preaching drew significant crowds to revivals and other meetings. (WLBT) - The inaugural Henry Armstrong Boxing Classic will be held in Columbus on Saturday. The next year was an incredible one for Armstrong as he fought 27 times -- and won all of them. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Henry Armstrong (1861 - 1870) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days.
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