The welterweight champ Armstrong moves up to challenge the middleweight terror Nigel Benn. How does this one go?
Armstrong was too short to fight a power puncher like Benn at middle, he started at feather and there has never been a natural feather that has moved up and beaten a middleweight champion, I think he would have had his moments sparring with Benn though and I feel the much more clumsy Nigel would miss a lot vs the savvy wind mil that was Armstrong who got in the pocket with his head at a low level like Dempsey did at heavyweight
don't be ridiculous, this is not an elite small man against a 3rd rate bigman… NO Chance for Henry. even Garcia was a relatively small middle, LWs & Welters that's Armstong… Benn is a S-MW cum l-hw. in Henry's time Benn IS a L-HW
Benn was a small middleweight when he was in his middleweight prime. In Armstrong's time he wouldnt have been missing the 24 hour weigh in. Henry has proved to be the better of several very good welterweights while Benn has not shown himself to be anything more than a good middleweight.
Nigel Benn Statistics Real name Nigel Gregory Benn Nickname(s) The Dark Destroyer Weight(s) Middleweight Super-middleweight Height 5 ft 9 1⁄2 in (177 cm) Reach 73 in (185 cm)
Henry Armstrong in 1937 Statistics Real name Henry Melody Jackson Jr. Nickname(s) Homicide Hank Hurricane Hank Hammerin' Hank Weight(s) Featherweight Lightweight Welterweight Middleweight Height 5 ft 5 ½ in Reach 67 in (170 cm) Armstrong was far too small to fight a hard punching middleweight.
Benn is far too crude in the late 80s to compete with Hank. Be that they if they match up in Benn's or Armstrong's time. Henry picks Benn apart.
Armstrong sought to become the first boxer to win world titles in four different categories in a rematch with Garcia, already the World Middleweight Champion, but the fight ended in a ten-round draw, and so Armstrong's attempt to win a fourth division's world title was frustrated.[8] According to boxing historian Bert Sugar, many felt Armstrong deserved the decision in this fight.[9]
Benn frequently weighed in below the limit in his middleweight days. At super middleweight he was often disadvantaged in strength and size. Benn is 5'9.5" and always looked very lean. In his middleweight prime he rarely had excess muscle and his legs were quite slender. All this says to me that Benn was not a big 160 pounder.
Since the Garcia fight was only over 10 rounds, it was only sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission as a Middleweight Title fight. Hank of course was originally from California. "The fight was recognized as a World Middleweight Title fight only by the California State Athletic Commission. Garcia was also recognized as World Middleweight Champion by the New York State Athletic Commission, but the NYSAC version of the title wasn't on the line because the fight was scheduled for ten rounds, instead of fifteen."
