From a rarish boxing book of mine. Enjoy. "In the life of Armstrong, Horatio Alger never had it so good. Through the early 1930's, Hank fought to stay off the breadlines, engading in some 62 "benefits" and bootlegs amateurs before he ever saw a decent payday. He was the dupe of some of the most vicious rascals who ever threw a preliminary boy into three fights on the same card. He entered his first pro ring with two broken ribs, sick from lack of food, and was knocked out in three rounds. The first big time manager he approached for help in the gym told him, "I don't handle ******s". Over one stretch-1931-when he won 85 straight fights, 66 by knockout, young Hank lived in flophouses and never was paid more then $2 a fight." Incredible stuff.
Must have been an incredibly determined man to go on to achieve what he achieved after that sort of start.... respect.
I have got so much respect for hank a true warrior, one of the best fighters that ever lived. nice post was a very intresting read
On top of fighting his first fight under those conditions didn't he swallow ungodly amounts of blood in one of his title fights?
I would love to see him face The Pacman Greatest fight ever. Armstrong is one of my favorite atg. He went from featherweight champ all the way up to welterweight 21 lbs. unreal.
Didn't he have an unusually slow heart beat which contributed to his incredible workrate and stamina?
The fitter you get the less beats per miniute your heart will use while resting. Some Tour de France guy had a resting heart beat of 2 per miniute supposedly
Armstrong has said he entered the ring practically malnourished and was KO'd by body blows. Indeed, he weighed in for the fight only about 120 pounds, probably his career low weight. He said he used what money he got from the fight on food, and for his next fight a few days later, he was five pounds heavier.
Yes he did he would shadow box several rounds in his dressing room prior to going on .just to get warmed up.