He was born in Columbus, Mississippi on December 12, 1912. However, upon his retirement he found the vast majority of his money had been lost to bad investments, management fees, and extravagant spending habits. It began in 1964 when he won the Olym, Moore, Archie His mother, America (Armstrong) Jackson was an Iroquois Indian. Henry Armstrong (Homicide Hank) was an American professional boxer. That didn't surprise anybody in boxing. Info Share. For all the details about Armstrong's world title wins and defenses refer to "Henry Armstrong World Titles". Armstrong was one of the few fighters to win in three or more different divisions: featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight. But there was a sensitive side, too, as he showed at his high school graduation when he read an original poem. It was one of only two knockouts Armstrong would suffer in his career. $57k AVERAGE INCOME Our wealth data indicates income average is $57k. After that, he concentrated once again on defending the world Welterweight title. A Who's Who of Sports Champions: Their Stories and Records. Birth abt 1887 - Iron Bridge, Shropshire, England. Encyclopedia of World Biography. He had fulfilled his goal -- he reigned as champion over three divisions. 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. 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. Professional Boxer. 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. [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]. 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. The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) named him Fighter of the Year in 1940. In January 1935 he lost to Arizmendi for a second time. 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. 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. 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. After winning his second pro fight by decision, he moved to Los Angeles with Harry Armstrong.Once in Los Angeles, he decided to return to the amateur ranks. By the time Armstrong graduated from high school at the age of 17, the Great Depression had arrived. 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. var navclassiccold = new Image(); He suffered his first loss in his professional debut against Al Lovino via 3rd round KO. 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. Father Charles Godfrey Armstrong. As a youngster, he got into neighborhood street fights. Henry Armstrong now had one win and three losses in four pro fights. We encourage you to research and examine these records to determine their accuracy. Please be sure to subscribe! Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Corrections? var navcontributeover = new Image(); Armstrong fought as an amateur from 1929 to 1932. 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. navpostcardover.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_postcard_over.gif"; existed; At the beginning, his performance was rather good but not function inact(imgName) { When Cox sold his contract on Armstrong to Wirt Ross in 1932 for $250, Armstrong entered the professional ranks to stay. In a publicity stunt, Jolson and Mead falsely advertised the buy-out price as $10,000. 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 died of heart failure on October 22, 1988 in Los Angeles. His mother died a year later, and he was raised by his grandmother. Armstrong is a Hall of Famer. [citation needed], In 1945, Armstrong retired from boxing. Professional boxer Twenty-six of the bouts were ended by a knockout, including that of Sarron in their 126-pound fight. 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. Of his total 151 wins, 100 of them were via KO (66.2%). Armstrong began his professional career on July 28, 1931, in a fight with Al Iovino, in which Armstrong was knocked out in three 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. navathletescold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_athletes_cold.gif"; As an amateur Armstrong fought under the name of Melody Jackson. (WLBT) - The inaugural Henry Armstrong Boxing Classic will be held in Columbus on Saturday. He is now the NBA and The Ring featherweight world champion. ever hold three undisputed titles at the same time. Birth Abt 1861 - null. The fight lasted 15 rounds. 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. However, the date of retrieval is often important. Henry Armstrong (1912-1988) became the first boxer in history to hold world titles in three separate weight classes at the same time. The former fighter, who for. The final title bout of his career was a failed attempt to regain the lightweight title in a rematch with Zivic on January 17, 1941. After the decision was announced, the second fight started; both managers and the New York State Athletic Commission were the participants. document[imgName].src = eval(imgName + 'cold.src'); American boxer Armstrong won his most significant fight when he overcame alcoholism. 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. Working at the "colored" Young Men's Christian Association, Armstrong met Harry Armstrong, a former boxer, who became his friend, mentor, and trainer. December 11, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Jimmy Garrison, winning the fight via 7th round KO. The road to becoming a champion was not entirely smooth. After retiring from boxing, Armstrong became an ordained Baptist minister, working with disadvantaged youth. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. He was a 3-weight-class world champion. if (document.images) { Garraty, John A. and Mark C. Carnes, American National Biography, Volume 1. With his aggressive attitude and incessant windmill style, he was all over opponents, as evidenced by his 101 knockouts and. Skip Ancestry main menu Main Menu. Armstrong worked on his athletic abilities, often running the eight miles to school. Armstrong knocked down the champ in the fifth and sixth rounds, but Ambers cut him severely. Armstrong started 1937 off with a string of 22 straight wins, en route to 27 total wins that year. Chester Slider, John Thomas, Sugar Ray Robinson, Beau Jack, and Willie Joyce are some of the boxers who have beaten Armstrong. navclassiccold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_classic_cold.gif"; 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. Hall of Fame in 1954 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. Sims is 9-1 in his professional boxing career, with five knockouts in his nine wins. Davis is excited to fight in his hometown. On October 4, 1940, he lost the championship when Fritzie Zivic outpointed him in 15 rounds. Al Weill, Ambers' manager, was suspended four months for his unsportsmanlike behavior. He and Willa Mae Shony had one daughter, Lanetta. He had fought 26 world title fights and from 1931 to 1945 had fought 175 bouts, winning 97 by knockouts. Armstrong retired from the ring in 1945. a bowling alley. 1921-1989 How do we create a person's profile? To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. He voluntarily relinquished his featherweight crown, and the next August he lost the lightweight title back to Ambers on a unanimous decision. Omissions? Because the fight was scheduled for just ten rounds, the fight was recognized as a title fight only by California. 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. While he was certainly a formidable boxer, he hadn't yet established himself as one of the all-time greats. 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. The streak finally ended when Arizmendi lasted ten rounds before losing a decision to Armstrong in their fourth fight. Armstrong first married in 1934. www.martialbot.com/boxing/h/henry-armstrong.html. Comments below may relate to previous holders of this record. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Here he gained his first boxing experience, winning a competition among the pinboys. His outstanding ring record was 151 wins, 21 defeats, and 9 draws with 101 knockouts. 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. Henry J Armstrong is thirty-eight. 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. In defending himself against bullies, he discovered his interest in boxing. Henry Armstrong. 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. Armstrong won three world titles at three weight classes. Henry W. "Harry" Armstrong (July 22, 1879 - February 28, 1951). Boxing as a featherweight, he gained quite a bit of experience from 1933 to 1935, fighting 46 times, mostly in California and Mexico. . On November 25, 1938 Henry Armstrong defeated Filipino boxer Ceferino Garcia via 15 round unanimous decision. In the same year, he fought for an unprecedented fourth title in the middleweight division, but lost to Ceferina Garcia in a controversial decision. navgallerycold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_gallery_cold.gif"; 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. 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. 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. 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. [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. The Ring, a boxing magazine, named Armstrong Boxer of the Year for 1938. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. He returned to St. Louis in 1972 to become the director of the Herbert Hoover Boys Club. His father, suffering from rheumatism, struggled to provide for the family. Higginbottom believes Davis can be among the best of the best. edited by Melanie Parry, Larousse Kingfisher Chambers Inc., 1997. Following these two losses, however, he started a streak of 11 wins. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/henry-armstrong, "Henry Armstrong Aldo Spoldi was the only opponent to take him the full 10 rounds. He finally relinquished his welterweight title to Fritzie Zivic by unanimous decision after 15 thrilling rounds. Armstrong made his debut against Al Lovino at the age of 18 on July 27, 1931, losing to Lovino via 3rd round KO. Archie Moore was one of the most colorful and respected figures in the modern history of boxing. 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. His mother, America, was half-Cherokee Indian. He graduated as an honor student from Vashon High School in St. Louis[9] Later he took the surname Armstrong as his fighting name. Its a possibility that the heavyweight champion of the world will be from Mississippi one day, he said. Returning to St. Louis, he founded the Henry Armstrong Youth Foundation and directed the Herbert Hoover Boys Club. After school, he worked as a pinboy at He grew up in, Frazier, Joe 1944 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. Henry W. Armstrong (July 22, 1879 - February 28, 1951) was an American boxer, booking agent, producer, singer, pianist, and Tin Pan Alley composer. 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. #GreatestOfAllTime#HenryArmstrong#TeddyAtlas Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. October 9, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Al Manfredo, winning the fight via 4th round TKO. . African-American Sports Greats: A Biographical Dictionary. Alternate titles: Henry Jackson, Melody Jackson. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Henry Armstrong is recognized by boxing historians as one of the greatest fighters. What makes a Guinness World Records title? October 20, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Richie Fontaine, winning the fight via 3rd round TKO. Early in his career, he fought some fights under the ring name Melody Jackson. ", Ten weeks later, Armstrong's fight with Ambers was a war. 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. Garcia retained the title with a draw, but most at ringside felt that Armstrong had won. Joe Frazier had many moments in boxing history. He lost by knockout only two times in his 15 years of boxing. Nonetheless, Armstrong had achieved his goal, becoming simultaneously the undisputed champion of the featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight divisions. . 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. Up to 1937, Armstrong compiled a record of 52-10. March 4, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Bobby Pacho, winning the fight via 4th round TKO. if (document.images) After three amateur fights, he turned professional in 1931 under the name "Melody Jackson." [13], In 1938, Armstrong started his season with seven more knockouts in a row, including one over Chalky Wright, a future world champion. He first won the featherweight (126-pound) title by knocking out Petey Sarron in six rounds on October 29, 1937. [2] Historian Bert Sugar also ranked Armstrong as the second-greatest fighter of all time. So, its just a coincidence that all this is coming together like that.. 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. He was managed by Wirt Ross, Eddie Mead, jazz singer Al Jolson and Hollywood actor George Raft. Armstrong's attempt to win a world title in a fourth division was frustrated. "Henry Armstrong," Notable Black American Men, Gale Research, 1998. http://www.galenet.com(December 13, 2000). Armstrong defended the World Welterweight Championship a division record 19 times. out - if he didn't manage that, he certainly battered him thoroughly The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. "Henry Armstrong," Newsmakers 1989, Issue 4. Referee Arthur Donovan took five rounds away from Armstrong for low blows. 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. He was stopped two times and lost 20 times via decision. Fleischer ranked him as the #8 All-Time Welterweight; navcontributecold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_contribute_cold.gif"; ." ESPN ranked Armstrong as number 3 on their list of the 50 greatest boxers of all time. "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. Armstrong had a 151-21-9 record in his 15-year professional career. 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. 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. navpostcardcold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_postcard_cold.gif"; He is currently ranked by BoxRec as the 12th-greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time. . Armstrong knocked Sarron out in six rounds, becoming the World Featherweight Champion. Al Silvani. March 16, 1939: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring lightweight titles against Lew Feldman, winning the fight via 1st round KO. He became an ordained Baptist minister in 1951. . Born Henry Jackson on Dec. 12, 1912, in Columbus, Miss., he was the 11th of 15 children. 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. Henry held three world titles - Welterweight, All rights reserved. He played a boxer named Henry "Little Dynamite" Jackson.In 1940, Armstrong challenged Ceferino Garca for a portion of the World Middleweight Championship. A few notable opponents of that year include Ritchie Fontaine, Baby Arizmendi, former world champion Juan Zurita, and Mike Belloise. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Henry Armstrong (1887 - Unknown) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. Armstrong was the only boxer to hold world titles in three different weight divisions simultaneously, and all three titles were . He was among the very best of his generation and is one of the pound-for-pound best boxers of all time. He finally did beat Zivic, by decision in 1942, but Zivic was no longer champ. For more details about these defeats, refer to "All of Henry Armstrong's losses". Henry Armstrong. Henry Armstrong (1912-1988) became the first boxer in history to hold world titles in three separate weight classes at the same time. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. Armstrong successfully defended his NBA and Ring Magazine welterweight titles. Research genealogy for Henry Armstrong of Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland, England, as well as other members of the Armstrong family, on Ancestry. However, he successfully defended his two other titles 12 times during 1939. 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. Vashon High School (St. Louis, MO) . His last professional fight was a non-title rematch against Chester Slider at 32 years of age, on February 14, 1945. He became a born-again Christian and an ordained Baptist minister and youth advocate, helping to run the Herbert Hoover Boys Club. Born Henry Jackson, Jr., on December 12, 1912, in Columbus, Mississippi, Armstrong was the eleventh of the family's 15 children. On May 31, 1938, he took the welterweight (147-pound) championship . All records listed on our website are current and up-to-date. ESPN ranked Armstrong as number 3 on their list of the 50 greatest boxers of all time. Henry Armstrong. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. For a full list of record titles, please use our Record Application Search. He did manage to win his second fight on points; however, he decided to return to St. Louis. Armstrong, at 133+12 pounds, beat Ross, at 142 pounds, by unanimous decision, adding the World Welterweight Championship to his belt. Statistics for all 21 Henry Armstrong results: 61 yrs AVERAGE AGE 40% are in their 40s, while the average age is 61.