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. After 152 victories in 14 years, Armstrong retired in 1945. He is currently ranked by BoxRec as the 12th greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time. var navathletesover = new Image(); 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. ESPN ranked Armstrong as number 3 on their list of the 50 greatest boxers of all time. var navcontributecold = new Image(); A few notable opponents of that year include Ritchie Fontaine, Baby Arizmendi, former world champion Juan Zurita, and Mike Belloise. The Greatest Infighter of All Time - YouTube Early in his career, he boxed under Melody Jackson. Henry Armstrong | American boxer | Britannica [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. 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. Henry Armstrong, Boxer born - African American Registry Fighting true to form, Armstrong applied pressure throughout the bout. [citation needed], Later in 1938, Armstrong, still the Featherweight division world champion, challenged Barney Ross for the title. By his last professional fight on February 14, 1945, Armstrong's boxing record stood at 151-22-10 (100 KO wins, 2 KO losses). American boxer [2] Historian Bert Sugar also ranked Armstrong as the second-greatest fighter of all time. Armstrong was dynamite in a small He also wrote the autobiographical God, Gloves, and Glory (1956). 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. 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. [citation needed], In 1945, Armstrong retired from boxing. sensational; However, when he hit stride The most consecutive boxing world welterweight title defences is 18 by Henry Armstrong (USA) from 25 November 1938 to 23 September 1940. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. March 4, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Bobby Pacho, winning the fight via 4th round TKO. However, upon his retirement he found the vast majority of his money had been lost to bad investments, management fees, and extravagant spending habits. Henry "Hurricane Hank" Armstrong (1912-1988) - Find a Grave He finally did beat Zivic, by decision in 1942, but Zivic was no longer champ. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. He died at age 75 on Oct. 24, 1988, in Los Angeles. "If you spit any more blood on that floor," referee Billy Cavanaugh told Armstrong, "I'm going to stop this fight.". Because the fight was scheduled for just ten rounds, the fight was recognized as a title fight only by California. Herb Goldman ranked Armstrong as the #4 All-Time Lightweight; He was inducted into the Ring Boxing Henry Armstrong (1912-1988) became the first boxer in history to hold world titles in three separate weight classes at the same time. Oxford University Press, 1999. He was among the very best of his generation and is one of the pound-for-pound best boxers of all time. Henry Armstrong 1861-1870 - Ancestry Henry J Armstrong is thirty-eight. Henry Armstrong - St Louis Sports Hall of Fame 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. "I carried him the last four rounds," Armstrong said. 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. Statistics for all 21 Henry Armstrong results: 61 yrs AVERAGE AGE 40% are in their 40s, while the average age is 61. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Henry lived in Norwich, Connecticut 06360, USA. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Early in his career, he fought some fights under the ring 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. His father, Henry Jackson, Sr., was a sharecropper and a butcher. 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. Use Link to Listen with 30-Day Audible Free Trial: http://bit.ly/ATLASaudiobook. Copyright 2023 WLBT. Upon his return, he became a boxing manager for a time, but his increasing use of alcohol led to his arrest in Los Angeles. Mother Ellen Lawrance. On November 25, 1938 Henry Armstrong defeated Filipino boxer Ceferino Garcia via 15 round unanimous decision. He became a born-again Christian and an ordained Baptist minister and youth advocate, helping to run the Herbert Hoover Boys Club. His mother, America (Armstrong) Jackson was an Iroquois Indian. var navpostcardover = new Image(); Info Share. 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. 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. He died on October 24, 1988 at the age of 75 years. For a full list of record titles, please use our Record Application Search. Henry W. Armstrong - Wikipedia May 31, 1938: Armstrong wins the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles from Barney Ross, by beating Ross via 15 round unanimous decision. Armstrong went on to win his last 12 fights in 1936. 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. His preaching drew significant crowds to revivals and other meetings. When Armstrong was 4, the family moved to St. Louis. New York Online Genealogy Records - FamilySearch Free Family Trees He graduated as an honor student from Vashon High School in St. Louis[9] Later he took the surname Armstrong as his fighting name. His mother, America, was half-Cherokee Indian. Joe Frazier had many moments in boxing history. 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. Corrections? See an An Overview of Records at the National Archives Relating to Military . Bert Sugar ranks him #2, and I rank him #3 on my list of the greatest boxers of all time. Career record 151-21-9 with 101 knockouts (Third All-Time behind Archie Moore & Sugar Ray Robinson) It was one of only two knockouts Armstrong would suffer in his career. Robinson, Sugar Ray 19211989 Born Henry Jackson, Jr., on December 12, 1912, in Columbus, Mississippi, Armstrong was the eleventh of the family's 15 children. Birth 10 December 1850 - Detroit City, . Alternate titles: Henry Jackson, Melody Jackson. 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. We have 458 records for Henry Armstrong ranging in age from 31 years old to 97 years old. But the tides turned later in the year when he won against former flyweight champion Midget Wolgast. He was managed by Wirt Ross, Eddie Mead, jazz singer Al Jolson and Hollywood actor George Raft. 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. document[imgName].src = eval(imgName + 'cold.src'); PEARL, Miss. ever hold three undisputed titles at the same time. 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). . Floyd Patterson was born on January 4, 1935 in Waco, North Carolinathe third of 11 children. Returning to St. Louis, he founded the Henry Armstrong Youth Foundation and directed the Herbert Hoover Boys Club. We encourage you to research and examine these records to determine their accuracy. 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 voluntarily relinquished his featherweight crown, and the next August he lost the lightweight title back to Ambers on a unanimous decision. In 1938 with 14 consecutive wins, 10 by knockout, Armstrong achieved his goal, becoming the first boxer to Armstrong started 1937 off with a string of 22 straight wins, en route to 27 total wins that year. navclassicover.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_classic_over.gif"; Davis, who has been training at the Pearl Boxing Club, is undefeated so far in his professional career at 4-0, with four knockouts. After retiring from boxing in 1946, Armstrong briefly opened a Harlem nightclub, the Melody Room (named after his first nickname). Armstrong is a Hall of Famer. 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. Featherweight, Lightweight, and Welterweight Champion of the World. In January 1935 he lost to Arizmendi for a second time. 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. After losing his first two professional fights in Los Angeles, Armstrong began to consistently win his bouts. 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. Two years later he was ordained as a Baptist minister at Morning Star Baptist Church. Fleischer ranked him as the #8 All-Time Welterweight; Professional Boxer. Armstrong won his most significant fight when he overcame alcoholism. Armstrong knocked Sarron out in six rounds, becoming the World Featherweight Champion. He decided not to maintain the required 126-pound weight anymore and left the featherweight crown vacant.[12]. Henry married Lou M Armstrong. Born Henry Jackson on Dec. 12, 1912, in Columbus, Miss., he was the 11th of 15 children. We encourage . [1] In 2007, The Ring ranked Armstrong as the second-greatest fighter of the last 80 years. 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. 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. Ambers opened a cut on Armstrong's lower lip, and Armstrong, afraid the referee would stop the fight, swallowed the blood throughout the fight and succeeded in winning on points. . William Henry Armstrong 1847-1909 - Ancestry 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. As a youngster, he got into neighborhood street fights. Of his total 151 wins, 100 of them were via KO (66.2%). Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Henry Armstrong (1887 - Unknown) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. was a high pressure, non-stop fighter who threw punches from 60% MARRIED 60% of these people are married, and 40% are single. . He tried for a fourth world title in middleweight but drew with champion Ceferino Garcia. Armstrong fought as an amateur from 1929 to 1932. 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. Determined to enter a title fight, Armstrong boldly offered to challenge welterweight champion Barney Ross. Armstrong and his managers realized that they needed to attract attention away from the rising fame of boxer Joe Louis. Birth abt 1887 - Iron Bridge, Shropshire, England. [13], In 1938, Armstrong started his season with seven more knockouts in a row, including one over Chalky Wright, a future world champion. Info Share. His professio, Hopkins, Bernard 1965 His father, also named Henry, was a mix of Indian, Irish and black blood. Armstrong had a 151-21-9 record in his 15-year professional career. Its my first time in front of all my friends and family, so Im excited, he said. 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. [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. Henry Armstrong now had one win and three losses in four pro fights. Henry Armstrong boxer - BoxerList His biggest hit was "Sweet Adeline", written in 1903 with Richard H. Gerard. 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. Henry Armstrong fought a total of 183 times during his professional career. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. He had fought 26 world title fights and from 1931 to 1945 had fought 175 bouts, winning 97 by knockouts. After retiring from boxing, Armstrong became an ordained Baptist minister, working with disadvantaged youth. Most consecutive boxing world welterweight title defences Armstrong made his debut against Al Lovino at the age of 18 on July 27, 1931, losing to Lovino via 3rd round KO. Al Silvani. if (document.images) He was stopped two times and lost 20 times via decision. However, the fight was so brutal that Armstrong blacked out at the end and could later recall very little of what happened. 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. 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. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Armstrong, however, displayed no interest in fulfilling these wishes. November 25, 1938: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Ceferino Garcia, winning the fight via 15 round unanimous decision. in the mid 1930s, Armstrong was as good as anyone has ever In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Armstrong was one of the few fighters to win in three or more different divisions: featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight. Through 1937 Armstrong entered the ring 27 times, winning every fight and knocking out all but one of his opponents. He teamed up with -- and took the surname of -- a trainer and former boxer named Henry Armstrong. He played a boxer named Henry "Little Dynamite" Jackson.In 1940, Armstrong challenged Ceferino Garca for a portion of the World Middleweight Championship. Comments below may relate to previous holders of this record. Referee Arthur Donovan took five rounds away from Armstrong for low blows. All records listed on our website are current and up-to-date. 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 is currently ranked by BoxRec as the 12th-greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time. Henry Armstrong: Record and Stats - MartialBot Henry Armstrong - BoxRec Henry Armstrong - Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. 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. Henry Armstrong Boxer Stats - BoxStat.co . His biggest hit was "Sweet Adeline", written in 1903 with Richard Gerard . navgalleryover.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_gallery_over.gif"; We encourage you to research and examine these records to determine their accuracy. Armstrong was inducted into Ring magazines Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954. Henry Armstrong - Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Soon after his fight with Ambers, Armstrong, unable to meet the 126-pound limit, relinquished his featherweight title. "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." GET IN TOUCH WITH A RECORD SPECIALIST (Opens in a new window), How to set or break a Guinness World Records title. Two boxers from the Pearl Boxing Club will be fighting in the event: Chown 'Chop Chop' Sims, and Keshaun 'Big Baby' Davis. 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. He became an ordained Baptist minister in 1951. After that, he concentrated once again on defending the world Welterweight title. He defended his welterweight title a total of nineteen times. First, he knocked out featherweight champion Petey Sarron in the sixth round on Oct. 29, 1937. A Who's Who of Sports Champions: Their Stories and Records. 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. To pursue his third title, Armstrong dropped back a weight class to compete as a lightweight. 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. Armstrong was 25 years old with a record of 92-12-7 (60 KOs). var navclassicover = new Image(); American boxer and television commentator. 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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. RECORD. 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. WHAT MAKES A GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS TITLE? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Birth 22 Sep 1768 . the beginning to the end of every round; His goal was to knock his man But 1938 was an even better year for Armstrong, as he took the two more championships. 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. During his years attending Vashon High School, Armstrong excelled, earning good grades and gaining the respect of his peers. } After school, he worked as a pinboy at Henry held three world titles - Welterweight , Lightweight . He had fulfilled his goal -- he reigned as champion over three divisions. His 1905 song "Nellie Dean" became the signature song of the British music hall singer Gertie Gitana , and a popular British pub song. Twenty-six of the bouts were ended by a knockout, including that of Sarron in their 126-pound fight. Hometown: Columbus, MS. Year Induction: 2010. After losing at the trials, he returned to the professional ranks. 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. Garcia was 32 years old with a record of 101-24-12 (60 KOs). . In defending himself against bullies, he discovered his interest in boxing. Over the course of his career, Armstrong earned more than $1 million. After retiring from boxing, Armstrong became an ordained Baptist minister, working with disadvantaged youth. Armstrong's eighteen successful title defenses were the most in history in the Welterweight division. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1995.