Henry Armstrong record

[dnahar32]

I have much more confidence in the "believed to be complete and accurate" records than the others. The Henry Armstrong record is listed as incomplete. What bouts would be necessary to authenticate this record and complete it? I would like to get a complete record on him if possible and could research some of the "unverified" bouts if they were American.

[Matt]

I would say that dates, and possibly results need to be confirmed against newspapers for some of his early California bouts. He probably isn't missing bouts, unless they were in a small town.

[Senya13]

Anybody tried to compile his amateur record? There obviously were lots of them, but I'm not sure I want to go through LA and other newspapers in 1931 and 1932. Maybe somebody has researched it already?

[Matt]

A bunch of LA area papers have become available over on newspapers.com lately. I have been able to fill in a lot of gaps in our coverage, but some of these club programs of the 1930s are going to be a struggle to complete. The most difficult to find are going to be Pico, El Monte, and the Saturday shows at the Main Street Gym in LA.

Armstrong, I have a feeling probably appeared on the Pico cards, which are probably what you see in his non-venue LA bouts on his record. I have access to a Whittier paper and their coverage was spotty. Someone will have to find an old newspaper in Pico Rivera, California. These programs were in the unincorporated area west of Whittier, which was known as Pico in the 1930s, and is now in Pico Rivera.

[Bob]

Henry Armstrong

1930

Mar 20 James Burch TKO 1 St. Louis Western AAU Champs (negroes) (126)
Oct 28 James Burch St. Louis

1931

*** two pro fights in the Pittsburgh area

1932

Jan 27 Los Angeles Southern California AAU
Jan 28 Los Angeles Southern California AAU semis
Jan 28 Ace Berggren W 3 Los Angeles Southern California AAU finals
Feb 3 Angelo Posedo Inglewood
Feb 6 Joe Valle Los Angeles
Feb 13 Eddie Ware W 3 Los Angeles
Feb 15 Bobby Decker L 3 Los Angeles Intercity (L.A. vs. San Diego) Tourn.
Feb 24 Mickey Merkin Inglewood
Mar 9 Henry Feminola TKO 2 Inglewood
Mar 12 Rudy Gomez Los Angeles
Mar 22 Augie Solis TKO 2 Santa Ana
Apr 4 Babe Gonzales TKO 3 Los Angeles
Apr 21 Joe Carter Los Angeles
May 28 Joe Barrera KO 1 Los Angeles
Jul 20 Frank Gallucci TKO 3 San Francisco Olympic Trials 1st round (118)
Jul 21 Jesse LaBarba L 3 San Francisco Olympic Trials 2nd round (118)

Notes:

1. supposedly began boxing in 1929 in St. Louis
2. one article suggests he only had 3 amateur fights in St. Louis in 1929
3. 7/18/31 article in Pittsburgh paper said in 1930 he had won the
Mississippi Valley Amateur Association 126 lb. Title (confused with Missouri?), and
since then he was 11-1 w/ 8 KOs in 'pro' fights, including wins over Kid Burch, Les Darcy,
Roy "Tiger" Johnson, Red Grover, and Jimmy Du Vallee (TKO)
4. he came to Pittsburgh from either Mississippi or St. Louis (both were stated)
5. the 2/6/32 amateur fight in LA was supposedly his 33rd straight win
6. the 2/15/32 amateur loss to Decker was at lightweight when he filled in for another boxer
7. he first fought as Henry Jackson as an amateur, then Melody Jackson as a pro, and then
Henry Armstrong when he returned to the amateurs in California
8. overall amateur record often quoted as 58-4

[Senya13]

Thanks.
Some additional ama bouts would be

1932
May 19 Joe Grajada L3 San Pedro
May 26 Bill Espinoza KO2 San Pedro
Jun 1 Lupe Hernandez KO3 Hollywood
Jun 16 Augie Soliz W San Pedro
Jun 18 Augie Soliz W Los Angeles
Jul 1 Johnny Hines L4 Los Angeles - 1932 Olympic games preliminaries, 126lbs

[Senya13]

Mississippi Valley Amateur Association 126 lb. Title (confused with Missouri?)

Mississippi Valley Amateur Association was organized in St. Louis on Jan 3, 1930.

[Senya13]

1930
Oct 28 Jimmy Du Valle TKO St. Louis (round not specified in Globe-Democrat)

1931
Mar 19 Roy Johnson TKO1 St. Louis (130lbs)

[Bob]

Henry Armstrong

1930
Mar 20 James Burch TKO 1 St. Louis Western AAU Champs (negroes) (126)
Oct 28 Jimmy du Valle TKO St. Louis (???)

1931
Mar 19 Roy Johnson TKO 1 St. Louis

*** two pro fights in the Pittsburgh area

Nov 12 Clarence Tolan TKO 2 Pasadena (HA of Pasadena - 133)
Nov 19 Jimmie Garcia KO by 1 Burbank (128)
Nov 26 Leo Sentoya W 3 Burbank (brother Harry)
Dec 10 Henry Olsen W 3 Burbank (brother Harry)

1932
Jan 6 Sailor Alfredo Ortiz Inglewood (HA of Los Angeles - 128)
Jan 20 Augie Solis Inglewood
Jan 27 Los Angeles Southern California AAU
Jan 28 Los Angeles Southern California AAU semis
Jan 28 Ace Berggren W 3 Los Angeles Southern California AAU finals
Feb 3 Angelo Posedo Inglewood
Feb 6 Joe Valle Los Angeles
Feb 13 Eddie Ware W 3 Los Angeles
Feb 15 Bobby Decker L 3 Los Angeles Intercity (L.A. vs. San Diego) Tourn.
Feb 24 Mickey Merkin L 3 Inglewood
Mar 9 Henry Feminola TKO 2 Inglewood
Mar 12 Perfecto Lopez L 3 Los Angeles
Mar 22 Augie Solis TKO 2 Santa Ana
Apr 4 Babe Gonzales TKO 3 Los Angeles
May 14 Gene Dagupa Los Angeles
May 19 Joe Grajada L 3 San Pedro
May 21 Manuel Hernandez TKO 1 Los Angeles
May 26 Bill Espinosa KO 2 San Pedro
May 28 Joe Barrera KO 1 Los Angeles
Jun 1 Lupe Hernandez TKO 3 Santa Monica
Jun 4 Frankie Leon W 3 Los Angeles
Jun 16 Augie Solis W 3 San Pedro
Jun 18 Joe Grajada W 3 Los Angeles
Jul 1 Johnny Hines L 3 Los Angeles Olympic Sectional Tryouts
Jul 20 Frank Gallucci TKO 3 San Francisco Olympic Trials 1st round (118)
Jul 21 Jesse LaBarba L 3 San Francisco Olympic Trials 2nd round (118)

[delisa]

Pro bout for Armstrong -- this was reported in Mexican RIng MAgazine. Bout occurred prior to Feb 15 Casanova bout.


Feb Francisco "Traca" Hernandez Pachuca, MEX KO 3
Feb 15 Baby Casanova Mexico City, Mexico LDQ 5

[Bob]

Will someone please check why the 12/7/31 bout versus Kid Ponce is listed in his record...I believe Ponce fought Billy Armstrong at lightweight that night, and not Henry (as listed in two papers of the time).

[Matt]

"In a drab and uninteresting bout Victor "Kid" Ponce decisioned Harry Armstrong, Alabama bon-bon in the special event after four rounds of waltzing. They weighed 133 pounds." Santa Monica Evening Outlook

The Santa Monica Outlook usually covered the Ocean Park and Culver City cards more thoroughly than the other LA county papers, and the details make it more likely.

[Bob]

Completely understood...just seems a bit strange that the L.A. Times and L.A. Daily News (both off of the same correspondent I would assume) reported Ponce beating Billy Armstrong, the Chicago 130 lber. and already a pro fighting 4-rounders, on December 7th, while Henry still fought as an amateur on November 26th and December 10th in the same general area. Then Henry wins the Southern California AAUs seven weeks later and goes on to fight in the Olympic Trials and nobody seems to notice (or cares) that he fought as a professional a few miles away. Not trying to dispute the research or the work...just seems a bit of a stretch to me that Henry Armstrong could fight as a professional and no one would notice / report this when his amateur career takes off and is well reported. I know Eddie Eagan and Edward Flynn did it prior to winning Olympic medals, so perhaps this is the case here as well.

[Matt]

The Venice Evening Vanguard which was very good at covering the Culver City cards has become available, and it's report make this confusing beyond the point of being reconcilable.

"Kid Ponce took a slow four round nod over Bob Armstrong in the special event. After being warned by referee Gilmore to start fighting and quit stalling they finally managed to put in a few pops now and then though they never really hurt each other after that."

I think it's safe to say at this point we don't have a clue who Ponce fought on that card. It's probably unlikely that it was Henry Armstrong, for reasons given here and above; and likely since it was a day of substitute someone the promoter pulled together to save a fight for Ponce.

I have switched it to Bob Armstrong.