Lewis was a freak of nature, arguably beating immeasurable talent like Benny Leonard and Mike Gibbons. How will Hank do? How would the fight play out?
For several years Armstrong was invincible. Too aggressive, too much energy and stamina. Threw too many punches and wore guys out. If we're talking about those prime years, roughly 1937-39, Armstrong wins by TKO.
I knew a guy who defeated Henry Armstrong in 1942 when Hank was just beginning to slip a little. "Cowboy" Reuben Shank was from Colorado east of Denver where I spent 40 years. Shank defeated Fritzie Zivic, too. I met him 40 years later when he was too punchy to speak intelligibly. Nice fella. He took a beating in 1947 that was so brutal the Colorado Boxing Commission revoked his boxing license. In his later years he was a street sweeper for Denver Public Works. Has any of you heard of him?
Never before now, but reading his record he looks to be a handy fighter. Beating Armstrong, Zivic and Jannazzo is nothing to smirk at.
Toughest one to call we've had on here for ages. Lewis and Armstrong are, basically, the same Fighter. Astonishing energy levels, all out aggression and no little power. Lewis's best weight was Welter whereas Hank was never natural there, certainly not at his peak. I'd take Ted at 147 but Hank at Lightweight.
Cowboy Reuben Shank was a rugged, crude, rawboned white welterweight from the West. His surprise win over Henry Armstrong propelled him to a shot at Madison Square Garden against Ray Robinson. The fight was scheduled for ten rounds. It lasted two. Shank never fought in the Garden again but continued fighting against top talent. In 1944 he decisioned Artie Levine, the slugger who put Sugar Ray's lights out in the middle rounds of a 10-rounder, according to Ray, himself. Shank split two fights with Fritzie Zivic, another fighter Don Dunphy would call a rough customer. Then in 1946 he suddenly embarked on a string of defeats ending in two 10-round decision losses to Fred Apostoli, a vaunted body puncher. In the wings waited Mel Brown of Minneapolis, whose last knockout victim it took 15 minutes to revive. Now a middleweight, Reuben Shank fared worse, as the record shows. He was near death for 12 hours from a "severe head injury sustained during this bout".
