. 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. 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. After several more amateur fights, Armstrong moved to Pittsburgh to pursue a professional career. "If you spit any more blood on that floor," referee Billy Cavanaugh told Armstrong, "I'm going to stop this fight.". 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. The 23-year-old boxer was raised in Pearl, but is from Columbus. ", Ten weeks later, Armstrong's fight with Ambers was a war. We encourage . He was the son of Henry Jackson Sr., a sharecropper of African American descent and America Jackson, said to be a "full-blooded" Iroquois. He was a 3-weight-class world champion. Henry Armstrong - Part One - Top Rank Boxing Henry Armstrong 1768-1868 - Ancestry Its kind of special saying that Im from Columbus, hes from Columbus. Ill prepared and undernourished, Armstrong lost his first professional fight by a knockout. Henry Armstrong | David Martinez Boxing - dmboxing.com While successfully defending this welterweight title, Armstrong was also featherweight world champion and defeated Lou Ambers to become world lightweight champion. Henry Armstrong. After retiring from boxing, Armstrong became an ordained Baptist minister, working with disadvantaged youth. Armstrong first married in 1934. After a brief third marriage, Armstrong married his fourth wife, Gussie Henry, in 1978. 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. African-American Sports Greats: A Biographical Dictionary. (You will need to register / login for access). Twenty-six of the bouts were ended by a knockout, including that of Sarron in their 126-pound fight. In 1932, Armstrong moved to Los Angeles, where he lost two four-round decisions in a row to Eddie Trujillo and Al Greenfield. "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." In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Early in his career, he boxed under Melody Jackson. Birth abt 1887 - Iron Bridge, Shropshire, England. Armstrong had a 151-21-9 record in his 15-year professional career. Research genealogy for Henry Armstrong of Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland, England, as well as other members of the Armstrong family, on Ancestry. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Henry Armstrong (1887 - Unknown) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. That was the last time Armstrong would fight for a championship. . . He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. This fight is the second best . Henry died on October 23, 1988 . His biggest hit was "Sweet Adeline", written in 1903 with Richard H. Gerard. . Henry lived in Norwich, Connecticut 06360, USA. . We encourage you to research and examine these records to determine their accuracy. 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. if (document.images) He had fought 26 world title fights and from 1931 to 1945 had fought 175 bouts, winning 97 by knockouts. After taking 16 months off, he came back and stayed around until 1945, fighting 49 times although he had lost most of his skill. 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. He defeated sixteen world champions. 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. On May 31, 1938, he took the welterweight (147-pound) championship from Barney Ross by decision, and, on August 17 of that year, he defeated Lou Ambers by decision to win the lightweight (135-pound) title. www.martialbot.com/boxing/h/henry-armstrong.html. the beginning to the end of every round; His goal was to knock his man After he retired, Armstrong overcame alcoholism. "Henry Armstrong His first title came in 1937 when he wrested the Featherweight Championship from Petey Sarron via 6th round. //Henry W. Armstrong - Wikipedia ." American boxer . Henry Armstrong's Best Fights - martialbot.com 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. "I carried him the last four rounds," Armstrong said. 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. 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. "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. // -->. Up to 1937, Armstrong compiled a record of 52-10. 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. 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. Henry Armstrong - Biography - IMDb var navpostcardover = new Image(); But he was learning how to harness his natural physical gifts; strength, quickness, stamina, and the ability to take a punch. Henry Armstrong - Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Armstrong went on to win his last 12 fights in 1936. Updates? Armstrong made his professional boxing debut at the age of 18 on July 27, 1931. Henry Armstrong (1912-1988) became the first boxer in history to hold world titles in three separate weight classes at the same time. 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. "I was asked to do it, and he thanked me. In 1949 Armstrong experienced a religious conversion and turned his life around. October 13, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Howard Scott, winning the fight via 2nd round KO. var navcontributeover = new Image(); 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. Chambers Biographical Dictionary. Henry Armstrong: Record and Stats - MartialBot function inact(imgName) { She died on the way to the hospital in Armstrong's arms, having suffered chest pains. "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." Henry Armstrong, who moved to St. Louis with his family as a youngster, was the only boxer ever to hold three world titles simultaneously. navpostcardcold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_postcard_cold.gif"; Cyber Boxing Zone -- Henry Armstrong Armstrong was the only boxer to hold world titles in three different weight divisions simultaneously, and all three titles were . This ended Armstrong's reign as Welterweight Champion. Later a fellow member of the three division champions' club, Ross was then World Welterweight Champion. var navgalleryover = new Image(); 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. Star Info Other Info He defeated sixteen world champions.After he quit boxing, he became an ordained minister and devoted himself to underprivileged children. Intelligent and articulate, he turned to preaching and was ordained a Baptist minister in 1951. He gained fame in 1938 when he reigned as featherweight, lightweight and welterweight champion. Armstrong successfully defended his NBA and Ring Magazine welterweight titles. Henry Irwin Armstrong 1850-1935 - Ancestry After the decision was announced, the second fight started; both managers and the New York State Athletic Commission were the participants. He finally relinquished his welterweight title to Fritzie Zivic by unanimous decision after 15 thrilling rounds. compiled a 59-1-1 record (51 KOs) competing against the best in the 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. . . He graduated as an honor student from Vashon High School in St. Louis[9] Later he took the surname Armstrong as his fighting name. He is considered to be one of the greatest boxers who lived on Earth. 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. Davis, who has been training at the Pearl Boxing Club, is undefeated so far in his professional career at 4-0, with four knockouts. ESPN ranked Armstrong as number 3 on their list of the 50 greatest boxers of all time. Five-time middleweight champion of the world, Sugar Ray Robinson is remembered as the greatest boxer ever, Patterson, Floyd 1935 Death 9 Feb 1870 - null. His early childhood was spent on a plantation owned by Armstrong's grandfather, an Irishman who had married one of his slaves. PEARL, Miss. 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. 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. Cambridge University Press, 1998. out - if he didn't manage that, he certainly battered him thoroughly On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. A few notable opponents of that year include Ritchie Fontaine, Baby Arizmendi, former world champion Juan Zurita, and Mike Belloise. navclassiccold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_classic_cold.gif"; 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. See an An Overview of Records at the National Archives Relating to Military . 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. The Greatest Boxer of All Time - Henry Armstrong, Says Teddy Atlas Of 26 title fights, Armstrong won all but four (three losses and a draw). [10] Early in his career, he fought some fights under the ring name Melody Jackson. Professional Boxer. document[imgName].src = eval(imgName + 'over.src'); 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. Comments below may relate to previous holders of this record. In defending himself against bullies, he discovered his interest in boxing. [13], In 1938, Armstrong started his season with seven more knockouts in a row, including one over Chalky Wright, a future world champion. Armstrong moved to Los Angeles, where he resumed his amateur status. He was born Henry Jackson, Jr. on December 12, 1912, in Columbus, Mississippi. When Cox sold his contract on Armstrong to Wirt Ross in 1932 for $250, Armstrong entered the professional ranks to stay. 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. var navcontributecold = new Image(); Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. Armstrong lost weight in order to compete in the lower weight division, and beat World Lightweight Champion Lou Ambers by split decision. On October 4, 1940, he lost the championship when Fritzie Zivic outpointed him in 15 rounds. 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. var navathletesover = new Image(); 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. 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. Small in stature, he was often the target for teasing. 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. He was the first boxer to hold three different titles simultaneously. It was one of only two knockouts Armstrong would suffer in his career. Encyclopedia of World Biography. His professio, Hopkins, Bernard 1965 Fritzie Zivic, a veteran journeyman best known for questionable tactics, worked Armstrong's eyes, which were scarred and vulnerable to cutting, and took a unanimous decision. Armstrong was inducted into Ring magazines Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954. He quit his job working for the Missouri-Pacific Railroad, figuring he could make his fortune fighting for pay. In 1943, Armstrong lost a 10-round decision to an up-and-coming Sugar Ray Robinson, who had idolized the three-division champion. Henry Armstrong Stats, Bio. Mead was suspended 13 months after accusing commissioner Bill Brown of favoring Ambers. Armstrong won his most significant fight when he overcame alcoholism. 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. American boxer and television commentator. Herb Goldman ranked Armstrong as the #4 All-Time Lightweight; He was inducted into the Ring Boxing In the same year, he fought for an unprecedented fourth title in the middleweight division, but lost to Ceferina Garcia in a controversial decision. 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 fight lasted 15 rounds. Henry Armstrong's professional boxing career spanned more than 13 years from 1931 to 1945. He also wrote the autobiographical God, Gloves, and Glory (1956). While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Henry Armstrong, Boxer born - African American Registry He is currently ranked by BoxRec as the 12th-greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. 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. been; During 1937, he was 27-0 with 26 knockouts; In 1938, he was 14-0 Fighting true to form, Armstrong applied pressure throughout the bout. 1913-1998 On May 31, 1938, he took the welterweight (147-pound) championship . 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. Other honors include his being ranked 2nd on "The Ring's 2002 list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years." High School Career. Armstrong made his debut against Al Lovino at the age of 18 on July 27, 1931, losing to Lovino via 3rd round KO. In January 1935 he lost to Arizmendi for a second time. Upon his return, he became a boxing manager for a time, but his increasing use of alcohol led to his arrest in Los Angeles. 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. Through 1937 Armstrong entered the ring 27 times, winning every fight and knocking out all but one of his opponents. He was the first champion, Im going to be the next champion, Davis said. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Here he gained his first boxing experience, winning a competition among the pinboys. Velma Tartt was a former girlfriend from his high school days. There he became involved in boxing. All rights reserved. Fleischer ranked him as the #8 All-Time Welterweight; Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. How do we create a person's profile? His preaching drew significant crowds to revivals and other meetings. Henry Armstrong - Historical records and family trees - MyHeritage Use Link to Listen with 30-Day Audible Free Trial: http://bit.ly/ATLASaudiobook. December 5, 1938: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Al Manfredo, winning the fight via 3rd round TKO. The most consecutive boxing world welterweight title defences is 18 by Henry Armstrong (USA) from 25 November 1938 to 23 September 1940. Hall of Fame in 1954 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. 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. Early in his career, he fought some fights under the ring name Melody Jackson. Madison Square Garden Bowl, Long Island City, Queens, California-Mexico World Featherweight Title. Higginbottom believes Davis can be among the best of the best. (WLBT) - The inaugural Henry Armstrong Boxing Classic will be held in Columbus on Saturday. ." 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. He also wrote the autobiographical God, Gloves, and Glory (1956). Hes fighting on the card, and he was the first person in Mississippi to win a title [since 1988], Higginbottom said. Armstrong defended his Lightweight belt in a rematch with Ambers, which he lost on a 15-round decision. Armstrong was one of the few fighters to win in three or more different divisions: featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight. However, the fight was so brutal that Armstrong blacked out at the end and could later recall very little of what happened. if (document.images) { The Greatest Infighter of All Time - YouTube He defended his welterweight title a total of nineteen times.The Ring magazine named him Fighter of the Year in 1937. Henry Armstrong | Encyclopedia.com Henry Irwin Armstrong. Armstrong lost the fight via 10 round PTS. 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.