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Henry Armstrong, originally named Henry Jackson, was inspired to become a boxer after reading in a St. Louis newspaper that Kid Chocolate had defeated Al Singer at the Polo Grounds in New York, earning a $75,000 purse.
At the "colored" YMCA on Pine Street in St. Louis, he met Harry Armstrong, an older fighter who became his friend, mentor, and trainer. After three amateur bouts, he turned professional in 1931 under the name "Melody Jackson." He earned $35 in his pro debut but was knocked out in three rounds. After winning his second professional fight by decision, he moved to Los Angeles with Harry Armstrong.
In Los Angeles, he chose to return to amateur boxing. Since he already had two professional fights as Jackson, he claimed to be Harry's younger brother and adopted the name Henry Armstrong.
Armstrong participated in the 1932 Olympic trials but lost and then returned to the professional ranks. In 1936, entertainer Al Jolson and actor George Raft helped purchase Armstrong's managerial contract from Edward Mead.
In 1937, Armstrong won the World Featherweight Championship by knocking out Petey Sarron in six rounds and was named "The Ring Fighter of the Year" that same year.
The following year, Armstrong defeated Barney Ross via a fifteen-round unanimous decision to claim the World Welterweight Championship, then defeated Lou Ambers by a fifteen-round split decision to secure the World Lightweight Championship.
Armstrong remains the only boxer to simultaneously hold undisputed world titles in three different weight divisions. After his achievement in 1938, no boxer was permitted to hold multiple divisional titles at the same time.
In 1939, Armstrong lost the World Lightweight Championship in a rematch with Ambers by a fifteen-round unanimous decision, with referee Arthur Donovan deducting five rounds due to low blows. That year, Armstrong also starred as boxer Henry "Little Dynamite" Jackson in the feature film Keep Punching.
In 1940, Armstrong challenged Ceferino García for a portion of the World Middleweight Championship. García was recognized as champion only by New York and California, and since the fight was scheduled for ten rounds, only California considered it a title match. The bout ended in a draw, allowing García to retain the title, though many observers believed Armstrong deserved the win. A victory would have earned Armstrong a fourth divisional title at a time when there were only eight weight classes.
Armstrong defended the World Welterweight Championship a record 19 times. His records include 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. He defeated sixteen world champions throughout his career.
After retiring from boxing, Armstrong became an ordained minister and dedicated himself to helping underprivileged children. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. Other honors include being ranked second on The Ring's 2002 list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years. In his 2006 book Boxing's Greatest Fighters, historian Bert Sugar ranked Armstrong as the second greatest fighter of all time.
