About Me
Contact Box Generated from http://myspacesupport.com
This page is in dedication to one of the GREATEST FIGHTERS of all time. Henry Armstrong.
Here we take a look back at one the most underrated fighters from back in the day. Henry Armstrong has the unique distinction in 1938 of being the ONLY professional boxer to hold THREE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES simultaneously. AND back in those days there were only 8 divisions and ONE champion per division!!!*******Armstrong was a marvel of the ring. He worked at a fast pace, had quick hands and unlike most fighters seemed to pick up speed as the rounds went on. He was also a strong puncher and defensively his bob and weave style kept him from receiving the full impact of his opponent’s blows. The truth of Henry Armstrong is that he had much better boxing skills than some give him credit for******** Most fighters tried to run from Henry, but he never let them get away. He stuck to his opponent’s like superglue and drove them into a corner or trapped them against the ropes and them proceeded to give them a good pasting. Fighters who tried to stand their ground against Hank had difficulty keeping up with his work rate. He would overwhelm them until they were forced to back up and then he would chase them down, pounding away until they were beaten men.................................................it was discovered that Armstrong’s heart was a third larger than that of the average person (Schwartz). This allowed him to fight at a ferocious pace for 15 rounds without loss of breath. It seems certain that he could have done the same thing in a 20 round bout.Born on December 12, 1912 in Columbus, Mississippi. They moved to St. Louis when he was four. He later lived in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles California, where, after a prolific amateur career, he turned professional because he failed to qualify for the 1932 Olympic squad...................Early in his career he boxed under the name of Melody Jackson. Armstrong fought as an amateur from 1929 to 1932 and first won the featherweight (126-pound) title by knocking out Petey Sarron in six rounds on October 29, 1937.........................................On May 31, 1938, he took the welterweight (147-pound) crown 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............................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. Armstrong was a busy Welterweight Champion, SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED the title 19 times in somewhat more than two years......................................Armstrong's straight ahead, wear-him-down style was very effective, but eventually such tactics begin to take a toll on the attacker. After three more welterweight defenses and a non-title win over lightweight champ Lew Jenkins, he lost the championship when Fritzie Zivic out-pointed him in 15 rounds.........................................His attempt to regain the title from Zivic on January 17, 1941 resulted in his knockout in the 12th round by Zivic.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,(3 points were taken away from ARMSTRONG) permitting Garcia to retain the championship............................Armstrong would retire from the ring in 1945. From 1943 until his retirement two years later he had 35 bouts, with an 11-5-1 record against top-10 competition.In an era dominated by the likes Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Robinson, Armstronmg fought for 26 world title fights and from 1931-1945 in 175 bouts, winning 97 by KO..... Anyone who ever saw "Hurricane Hank" fight would agree that he was one of the all time greats of the ring...............Intelligent and a fluent speaker, he turned to preaching and was ordained a Baptist minister in 1951. He also helped run the Herbert Hoover Boys’ Club in St.Louis and trained young boxers.
In 1990 Armstrong was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Armstrong was also one of the first inductees when the Boxing Hall of Fame opened in 1954.
