} Henry passed away in March 1981, at age 94. Through 1937 Armstrong entered the ring 27 times, winning every fight and knocking out all but one of his opponents. Armstrong and his managers realized that they needed to attract attention away from the rising fame of boxer Joe Louis. Fleischer ranked him as the #8 All-Time Welterweight; In 1943, Armstrong lost a 10-round decision to an up-and-coming Sugar Ray Robinson, who had idolized the three-division champion. In the days when there were only 8 weight classes, Henry Armstrong held championship belts in three of them at the same time. ESPN ranked Armstrong as number 3 on their list of the 50 greatest boxers of all time. . navathletescold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_athletes_cold.gif"; Of 26 title fights, Armstrong won all but four (three losses and a draw). Armstrong fought as an amateur from 1929 to 1932. Garcia retained the title with a draw, but most at ringside felt that Armstrong had won. Armstrong was the only boxer to hold world titles in three different weight divisions simultaneously, and all three titles were . Sims is 9-1 in his professional boxing career, with five knockouts in his nine wins. A Who's Who of Sports Champions: Their Stories and Records. Other honors include his being ranked 2nd on "The Ring's 2002 list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years." 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'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. Featherweight, Lightweight, and Welterweight Champion of the World. Encyclopedia of World Biography. "Henry Jackson," Contemporary Authors Online, Gale Research, 1999. http://www.galenet.com(December 13, 2000). Mead was suspended 13 months after accusing commissioner Bill Brown of favoring Ambers. He also continued his ministry as an assistant pastor of the First Baptist Church. While successfully defending this welterweight title, Armstrong was also featherweight world champion and defeated Lou Ambers to become world lightweight champion. More on VHS Collection here: http://www.vhscollection.com/.Thanks for tuning in. . Boxing as a featherweight, he gained quite a bit of experience from 1933 to 1935, fighting 46 times, mostly in California and Mexico. After retirement, he became an ordained minister. A few notable opponents of that year include Ritchie Fontaine, Baby Arizmendi, former world champion Juan Zurita, and Mike Belloise. He did manage to win his second fight on points; however, he decided to return to St. Louis. 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. He defeated sixteen world champions. DISCLAIMER: Data may be outdated or incorrect, use at your own discretion. After taking 16 months off, he came back and stayed around until 1945, fighting 49 times although he had lost most of his skill. Henry Armstrong Record & Stats Last Updated: February 6, 2023 In a career spanning 13 years and 6 months, Henry Armstrong fought 183 times with 151 wins, 22 losses, and 10 draws. function inact(imgName) { 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 and Willa Mae Shony had one daughter, Lanetta. These 11 fights are the highlight of his career. He died on October 24, 1988 at the age of 75 years. 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 Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) named him Fighter of the Year in 1940. There he became involved in boxing. He finally relinquished his welterweight title to Fritzie Zivic by unanimous decision after 15 thrilling rounds. The current phone number is (214) 444-3246. worldCharley Rose ranked Armstrong as the #6 All-Time Welterweight; Nat Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results William Henry Armstrong (1847 - 1909) . 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. His father, Henry Jackson, Sr., was a sharecropper and a butcher. [2] Historian Bert Sugar also ranked Armstrong as the second-greatest fighter of all time. Historian Bert Sugar also ranked Armstrong as the second-greatest fighter of all time. By his last professional fight on February 14, 1945, Armstrong's boxing record stood at 151-22-10 (100 KO wins, 2 KO losses). 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. He is currently ranked by BoxRec as the 12th greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time. For all the details about Armstrong's world title wins and defenses refer to "Henry Armstrong World Titles". Early in his career he boxed under the name Melody Jackson. been; During 1937, he was 27-0 with 26 knockouts; In 1938, he was 14-0 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. May 31, 1938: Armstrong wins the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles from Barney Ross, by beating Ross via 15 round unanimous decision. Referee Arthur Donovan took five rounds away from Armstrong for low blows. In a career spanning 13 years and 6 months, Henry Armstrong fought 183 times with 151 wins, 22 losses, and 10 draws. Henry married Lou M Armstrong. While successfully defending this welterweight title, Armstrong was also featherweight world champion and defeated Lou Ambers to become world lightweight champion. (You will need to register / login for access). 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. // Local News Death Notices, Articles H