Birth 22 Sep 1768 . ." He also continued his ministry as an assistant pastor of the First Baptist Church. . After retiring from boxing, Armstrong became an ordained Baptist minister, working with disadvantaged youth. He continued to box actively until announcing his retirement in 1945 at the age of 32. In 1932, Armstrong moved to Los Angeles, where he lost two four-round decisions in a row to Eddie Trujillo and Al Greenfield. Two years later he was ordained as a Baptist minister at Morning Star Baptist Church. To pursue his third title, Armstrong dropped back a weight class to compete as a lightweight. Make sure to follow us on Twitter for updates and announcements. [15], Returning to the welterweight division, Armstrong successfully defended the title five more times, until Fritzie Zivic beat him to take the world title in a 15-round decision. American boxer and television commentator. More on VHS Collection here: http://www.vhscollection.com/.Thanks for tuning in. One of the greatest fighters in history, Hurricane Hank is the only fighter to hold 3 world Championships simultaneously. [13], In 1938, Armstrong started his season with seven more knockouts in a row, including one over Chalky Wright, a future world champion. Father Charles Godfrey Armstrong. . This ended Armstrong's reign as Welterweight Champion. Armstrong knocked Sarron out in six rounds, becoming the World Featherweight Champion. 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. In the same year, he fought for an unprecedented fourth title in the middleweight division, but lost to Ceferina Garcia in a controversial decision. Henry lived in Norwich, Connecticut 06360, USA. navpostcardcold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_postcard_cold.gif"; This fight is the second best . var navgallerycold = new Image(); Info Share. His final professional record stood at 174 recorded bouts, 145 wins with 98 by knockout. A few notable opponents of that year include Ritchie Fontaine, Baby Arizmendi, former world champion Juan Zurita, and Mike Belloise. . [10], In 1936, Armstrong split his time among Los Angeles, Mexico City and St. Louis. She died on the way to the hospital in Armstrong's arms, having suffered chest pains. Armstrong successfully defended his NBA and Ring Magazine welterweight titles. (February 23, 2023). Armstrong fought as an amateur from 1929 to 1932. Hall of Fame in 1954 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. Davis, who has been training at the Pearl Boxing Club, is undefeated so far in his professional career at 4-0, with four knockouts. 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. Armstrong lost the fight via 10 round PTS. He suffered his first loss in his professional debut against Al Lovino via 3rd round KO. The current phone number is (214) 444-3246. 1921-1989 Armstrong starred in the feature film Keep Punching (1939) in 1939. Henry Armstrong. He officially turned pro a year later after failing to make the 1932 Olympic team, and he lost his first two fights, both four-round decisions in Los Angeles in 1932. He had fought 26 world title fights and from 1931 to 1945 had fought 175 bouts, winning 97 by knockouts. 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. Professional Boxer. Armstrong won his most significant fight when he overcame alcoholism. 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}. He finally did beat Zivic, by decision in 1942, but Zivic was no longer champ. Birth 10 December 1850 - Detroit City, . His official record was 152 wins, 21 losses and 9 draws, with 101 knockout wins.[10]. 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. function act(imgName) { His attempt to regain the welterweight championship on January 17, 1941, resulted in his knockout in the 12th round by Zivic. Following these two losses, however, he started a streak of 11 wins. After retiring from boxing in 1946, Armstrong briefly opened a Harlem nightclub, the Melody Room (named after his first nickname). After that, he concentrated once again on defending the world Welterweight title. Seven months later, a fading Armstrong finally lost his welterweight title after the 19 successful defenses, including six in 1940. (You will need to register / login for access). 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. Encyclopedia of World Biography. [12], Armstrong's two nicknames were Hurricane Henry and Homicide' Hank. Born Henry Jackson, Jr., on December 12, 1912, in Columbus, Mississippi, Armstrong was the eleventh of the family's 15 children. Hometown: Columbus, MS. Year Induction: 2010. document[imgName].src = eval(imgName + 'over.src'); 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. Comments below may relate to previous holders of this record. The Ring magazine named him Fighter of the Year in 1937. 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 event is even more special for Davis. Armstrong had his first world title fight at the age of 24 on October 29, 1937 after 93 professional fights, against Petey Sarron for the featherweight NBA and The Ring titles. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. "If you spit any more blood on that floor," referee Billy Cavanaugh told Armstrong, "I'm going to stop this fight.". 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. When Cox sold his contract on Armstrong to Wirt Ross in 1932 for $250, Armstrong entered the professional ranks to stay. Henry Armstrong. In 1938 with 14 consecutive wins, 10 by knockout, Armstrong achieved his goal, becoming the first boxer to November 25, 1938: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Ceferino Garcia, winning the fight via 15 round unanimous decision. Chester Slider, John Thomas, Sugar Ray Robinson, Beau Jack, and Willie Joyce are some of the boxers who have beaten Armstrong. 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 was a 3-weight-class world champion. sensational; However, when he hit stride Armstrong had his cornermen remove his mouthpiece so he could swallow the blood flowing in his mouth the last five rounds. He first set his sights on the lightweight division, but his challenge to a title fight was declined by lightweight titleholder Lou Ambers. 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. First of all, Ive got to thank Pearl Boxing Club, because without them this wouldnt be the possible or without God.. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"_9hAJy7CmJsKH07kPqMVqhJI9fwN_aHmPuAo7fcIZbM-86400-0"}; . In 2007, The Ring ranked Armstrong as the second-greatest fighter of the last 80 years. Mead was suspended 13 months after accusing commissioner Bill Brown of favoring Ambers. 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. 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. Taking away Lou Ambers' lightweight crown on Aug. 17, 1938 in Madison Square Garden proved more difficult. Armstrong's attempt to win a world title in a fourth division was frustrated. Determined to enter a title fight, Armstrong boldly offered to challenge welterweight champion Barney Ross. Armstrong won three world titles at three weight classes. 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. Joe Frazier had many moments in boxing history. navathletescold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_athletes_cold.gif"; Professional boxer, entertainer, businessman It began in 1964 when he won the Olym, Moore, Archie He returned to St. Louis in 1972 to become the director of the Herbert Hoover Boys Club. Armstrong started 1937 off with a string of 22 straight wins, en route to 27 total wins that year. [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. Vashon High School (St. Louis, MO) . Omissions? in the mid 1930s, Armstrong was as good as anyone has ever [CDATA[ 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. "Henry Armstrong," Notable Black American Men, Gale Research, 1998. http://www.galenet.com(December 13, 2000). } Henry Armstrong (Homicide Hank) was an American professional boxer. Armstrong, however, displayed no interest in fulfilling these wishes. [14] According to boxing historian Bert Sugar, many commentators of the time said that Armstrong deserved the decision in this fight. Armstrong is a Hall of Famer. In January 1935 he lost to Arizmendi for a second time. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. 100% CAUCASIAN Our ethnicity data indicates the majority is Caucasian. 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. var navathletescold = new Image(); In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Boxing as a featherweight, he gained quite a bit of experience from 1933 to 1935, fighting 46 times, mostly in California and Mexico. High School Career. Encyclopedia of World Biography. with 10 knockouts; From December, 1936 until September, 1940, Henry After he retired, Armstrong overcame alcoholism. The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) named him Fighter of the Year in 1940. 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. Davis is excited to fight in his hometown. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1995. www.martialbot.com/boxing/h/henry-armstrong.html. 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. Armstrong was inducted into Ring magazines Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954. His father, also named Henry, was a mix of Indian, Irish and black blood. 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. "Henry Armstrong October 13, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Howard Scott, winning the fight via 2nd round KO. After retiring from boxing, Armstrong became an ordained Baptist minister, working with disadvantaged youth. How do we create a person's profile? He is considered to be one of the greatest boxers who lived on Earth. First, he knocked out featherweight champion Petey Sarron in the sixth round on Oct. 29, 1937. 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. navgallerycold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_gallery_cold.gif"; His outstanding ring record was 151 wins, 21 defeats, and 9 draws with 101 knockouts. For more details about these defeats, refer to "All of Henry Armstrong's losses". Working at the "colored" Young Men's Christian Association, Armstrong met Harry Armstrong, a former boxer, who became his friend, mentor, and trainer. All rights reserved. Of 26 title fights, Armstrong won all but four (three losses and a draw). Five-time middleweight champion of the world, Sugar Ray Robinson is remembered as the greatest boxer ever, Patterson, Floyd 1935 Henry Armstrong is a boxer from Mississippi and a world phenomenon in boxing. PEARL, Miss. 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.. edited by David L. Porter, Greenwood Press, 1995. His father, Henry Jackson, Sr., was a sharecropper and a butcher. Early in his career, he fought some fights under the ring name Melody Jackson. The most consecutive boxing world welterweight title defences is 18 by Henry Armstrong (USA) from 25 November 1938 to 23 September 1940. His 1905 song "Nellie Dean" became the signature song of the British music hall singer Gertie Gitana , and a popular British pub song. December 5, 1938: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Al Manfredo, winning the fight via 3rd round TKO. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Nonetheless, Armstrong had achieved his goal, becoming simultaneously the undisputed champion of the featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight divisions. var navcontributeover = new Image(); 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. if (document.images) He was the first champion, Im going to be the next champion, Davis said. ESPN ranked Armstrong as number 3 on their list of the 50 greatest boxers of all time. 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. Armstrong was in many ways the complete prototype of a pressure. Armstrong was the first boxer ever to hold world championships in three different weight divisions at the same time. compiled a 59-1-1 record (51 KOs) competing against the best in the GET IN TOUCH WITH A RECORD SPECIALIST (Opens in a new window), How to set or break a Guinness World Records title. "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. After 152 victories in 14 years, Armstrong retired in 1945. edited by David Crystal, Second edition. 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 was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. His last professional fight was a non-title rematch against Chester Slider at 32 years of age, on February 14, 1945. Henry Armstrong (1912-1988) became the first boxer in history to hold world titles in three separate weight classes at the same time. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. However, the fight was so brutal that Armstrong blacked out at the end and could later recall very little of what happened. Ross was favored by odds makers three to one over Armstrong; however, when the two met in Long Island City on May 31, 1938, Armstrong won convincingly on points in 15 rounds, earning his second title, Welterweight Champion of the World. 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. On October 29, 1937, Armstrong returned to the featherweight division and challenged Petey Sarron for the . . Here he gained his first boxing experience, winning a competition among the pinboys. 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 also wrote the autobiographical God, Gloves, and Glory (1956). American boxer Fleischer ranked him as the #8 All-Time Welterweight; 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. Oxford University Press, 1999. Star Info Other Info Armstrong went on to win his last 12 fights in 1936. Armstrong had a 151-21-9 record in his 15-year professional career. Want more WLBT news in your inbox? "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." 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. He is the only boxer to this day who simultaneously held three world boxing titles - in Featherweight, Lightweight, and welterweight champion in 1938. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Henry Irwin Armstrong (1850 - 1935) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. But not for long. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Henry Armstrong (1768 - 1868) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. He finally relinquished his welterweight title to Fritzie Zivic by unanimous decision after 15 thrilling rounds. [11], In 1937 alone, Armstrong went 270 (26KO). He is currently ranked by BoxRec as the 12th-greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time. Armstrong began his professional career on July 28, 1931, in a fight with Al Iovino, in which Armstrong was knocked out in three rounds. document[imgName].src = eval(imgName + 'cold.src'); His first win came later that year, beating Sammy Burns by a decision in six. Soon after his fight with Ambers, Armstrong, unable to meet the 126-pound limit, relinquished his featherweight title. 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. 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. He was the son of Henry Jackson Sr., a sharecropper of African American descent and America Jackson, said to be a "full-blooded" Iroquois. 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. On November 25, 1938 Henry Armstrong defeated Filipino boxer Ceferino Garcia via 15 round unanimous decision. Encyclopedia.com. Returning to St. Louis, he became a minister, helped run the Herbert Hoover Boys' Club and trained young boxers. Henry Armstrong (1912-1988) became the first boxer in history to hold world titles in three separate weight classes at the same time. October 29, 1937: Armstrong wins his first world titles by defeating Petey Sarron via 6th round KO. 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 became an ordained Baptist minister in 1951. . He defeated sixteen world champions.After he quit boxing, he became an ordained minister and devoted himself to underprivileged children. During the fight Armstrong suffered an eye injury that required surgery. Because the fight was scheduled for just ten rounds, the fight was recognized as a title fight only by California. Despite almost blacking out in the 15th round, Armstrong won a split decision to make history. In defending himself against bullies, he discovered his interest in boxing. Armstrong appeared on the TV game show I've Got a Secret with his simultaneous triple championship as his secret. March 4, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Bobby Pacho, winning the fight via 4th round TKO. navclassicover.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_classic_over.gif"; [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]. 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. 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 retiring from boxing, Armstrong became an ordained Baptist minister, working with disadvantaged youth. Background. Henry Armstrong's professional boxing career spanned more than 13 years from 1931 to 1945. 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 After losing at the trials, he returned to the professional ranks. While he was certainly a formidable boxer, he hadn't yet established himself as one of the all-time greats. While successfully defending this welterweight title, Armstrong was also featherweight world champion and defeated Lou Ambers to become world lightweight champion. Ambers had Armstrong spitting blood from a torn bottom lip, and he cut the challenger's eyes as well. When the promoters postponed the bout for 10 days, Armstrong accepted Joe Louis's invitation to train at Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, with Louis paying for all expenses. "I was asked to do it, and he thanked me. Armstrong worked on his athletic abilities, often running the eight miles to school. Henry held three world titles - Welterweight , Lightweight . His biggest hit was "Sweet Adeline", written in 1903 with Richard H. Gerard. Corrections? He is currently ranked by BoxRec as the 12th greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time. He was stopped two times and lost 20 times via decision. function inact(imgName) { He played a boxer named Henry "Little Dynamite" Jackson.In 1940, Armstrong challenged Ceferino Garca for a portion of the World Middleweight Championship. 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. The streak finally ended when Arizmendi lasted ten rounds before losing a decision to Armstrong in their fourth fight. Statistics for all 21 Henry Armstrong results: 61 yrs AVERAGE AGE 40% are in their 40s, while the average age is 61. //