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. Garcia retained the title with a draw, but most at ringside felt that Armstrong had won. We encourage you to research and examine these records to determine their accuracy. The fight lasted 15 rounds. He first won the featherweight (126-pound) title by knocking out Petey Sarron in six rounds on October 29, 1937. He won 14 fights before bypassing the lightweight title and challenging welterweight champion Barney Ross for his crown on May 31, 1938. Its my first time in front of all my friends and family, so Im excited, he said. In 2007, The Ring ranked Armstrong as the second-greatest fighter of the last 80 years. . However, upon his retirement he found the vast majority of his money had been lost to bad investments, management fees, and extravagant spending habits. In January 1935 he lost to Arizmendi for a second time. "Henry Armstrong Two years later he was ordained as a Baptist minister at Morning Star Baptist Church. Armstrong, however, displayed no interest in fulfilling these wishes. Henry Armstrong's professional boxing career spanned more than 13 years from 1931 to 1945. Taking away Lou Ambers' lightweight crown on Aug. 17, 1938 in Madison Square Garden proved more difficult. Armstrong made his debut against Al Lovino at the age of 18 on July 27, 1931, losing to Lovino via 3rd round KO. Early in his career, he boxed under Melody Jackson. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Henry Armstrong (1887 - Unknown) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. Sims is 9-1 in his professional boxing career, with five knockouts in his nine wins. 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 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. On May 31, 1938, he took the welterweight (147-pound) championship . Boxing. [10], In 1936, Armstrong split his time among Los Angeles, Mexico City and St. Louis. Other honors include his being ranked 2nd on "The Ring's 2002 list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years." Armstrong made his professional boxing debut at the age of 18 on July 27, 1931. //]]>. However, the date of retrieval is often important. "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." 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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. he had 72 victories on his ring record. . Al Weill, Ambers' manager, was suspended four months for his unsportsmanlike behavior. He and Willa Mae Shony had one daughter, Lanetta. December 5, 1938: Armstrong successfully defends the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles against Al Manfredo, winning the fight via 3rd round TKO. 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. He returned to St. Louis in 1972 to become the director of the Herbert Hoover Boys Club. 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. 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. Davis, who has been training at the Pearl Boxing Club, is undefeated so far in his professional career at 4-0, with four knockouts. On October 4, 1940, he lost the championship when Fritzie Zivic outpointed him in 15 rounds. 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. 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. Please be sure to subscribe! .