In an attempt to gain popularity and therefore more important fights with bigger purses, they set a goal of winning titles in three different weight divisions, an accomplishment no boxer had ever achieved. var navclassicover = new Image(); May 31, 1938: Armstrong wins the NBA and The Ring welterweight titles from Barney Ross, by beating Ross via 15 round unanimous decision. navpostcardcold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_postcard_cold.gif"; [14] According to boxing historian Bert Sugar, many commentators of the time said that Armstrong deserved the decision in this fight. Henry Armstrong, Boxing Champion, Dead at 75 - The New York Times . Henry Armstrong, Maryland (21 matches): Phone Number, Email, Address navgallerycold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_gallery_cold.gif"; 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. He is currently the Mid America super middle weight title holder, winning the title in 2020. Garcia retained the title with a draw, but most at ringside felt that Armstrong had won. He was a Black boxer. For United States nationwide collections, go to the United States Online Genealogy Records page. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. function act(imgName) { Reading that a boxer named Kid Chocolate received $75,000 for one bout, Armstrong quickly abandoned his railroad job to pursue a career as a boxer. 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. Henry Armstrong. Armstrong, however, displayed no interest in fulfilling these wishes. His 1905 song "Nellie Dean" became the signature song of the British music hall singer Gertie Gitana , and a popular British pub song. In a career spanning 13 years and 6 months, Henry Armstrong fought 183 times with 151 wins, 22 losses, and 10 draws. 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. After 152 victories in 14 years, Armstrong retired in 1945. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. After three amateur fights, he turned professional in 1931 under the name "Melody Jackson." He is now the NBA and The Ring featherweight world champion. Hes fighting on the card, and he was the first person in Mississippi to win a title [since 1988], Higginbottom said. All but one of his defences were in the USA. Armstrong knocked out 100 of his 183 opponents. out - if he didn't manage that, he certainly battered him thoroughly During his final years, Armstrong suffered from numerous illnesses, including cataracts and dementia, commonly attributed to the punishment he took as a boxer. Armstrong knocked Sarron out in six rounds, becoming the World Featherweight Champion. . 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.