RARE Henry Armstrong vs Ernie Roderick 1939 World welterweight title also featuring Chalky Wright vs George Daly official on-site 4 side card programme, 25th May 1939, Harringay Arena, Harringay, London.

Condition very good (vertical crease, slight foxing and print marks)

Armstrong W pts over 15 rounds

Wright W pts over 8 rounds

Price: £65

Henry Armstrong vs Ernie Roderick

Nearly every fighter in the IBHOF was a world champion. Several are multi-division champions. But the man known as Henry Armstrong, whose real name was Henry Jackson, is still the only fighter to ever hold world championships in three divisions (featherweight, lightweight and welterweight) simultaneously. That accomplishment in and of itself would merit enshrinement, but anyone who ever saw "Hurricane Hank" fight would agree that he was one of the all time greats of the ring.

The Mississippi native moved to St. Louis when he was four. He later lived in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, where, after a prolific amateur career, he turned professional because he failed to qualify for the 1932 Olympic squad. It should be noted that Armstrong had two professional fights in July 1931 under the name Melody Jackson (a kayo loss and a decision win), and changed his name to Armstrong when he resumed his amateur career in California.

His second professional debut was similar to his first; losing two four-round decisions. That's right, at one point, Armstrong was 1-3 as a pro. But that would change as he steadily progressed and ended 1936 with a 52-10-6 record, including wins over four top-10 featherweights.

By any measurement, Armstrong's 1937 campaign ranks with the greatest achievements in the sport. He won all 27 of his bouts, 26 by kayo. Five were against top-10 competition, and he wrested the world featherweight title from Petey Sarron Nov. 19, via sixth-round stoppage.

Armstrong, with his non-stop whirlwind style, continued his impressive streak through 1938, going 14-0 (10). He beat Barney Ross for the welterweight crown May 31, then relieved lightweight champ Lou Ambers of his throne Aug. 17, both wins coming via 15-round decision.

After the win over Ambers, the new triple champion successfully defended the welterweight title against future middleweight king, Ceferino Garcia. Heading into his Aug. 22, 1939 rematch with Ambers, Armstrong had won 46 consecutive fights, including seven consecutive successful defences of the welterweight title.

But the streak ended when Ambers reclaimed the 135-pound title via 15-round decision. Armstrong, who by that time had relinquished the featherweight crown, ran off eight more welterweight defences before challenging Garcia for the middleweight crown and an unprecedented fourth world title. Although the March 1, 1940 bout held in Los Angeles was declared a draw, most ringsiders felt that Armstrong deserved the 10-round decision.

Armstrong's straight ahead, wear-him-down style was very effective, but eventually such tactics begin to take a toll on the attacker. After three more welterweight defences and a non-title win over lightweight champ Lew Jenkins, he was dethroned by Fritzie Zivic, losing a 15-round decision Oct. 4, 1940. Zivic also prevailed in a Jan. 17 rematch, stopping Armstrong in the 12th round. Armstrong would finally get his win over Zivic, a 10-round decision in San Francisco, but it came Oct. 26, 1942, 15 months after he had lost the title to Freddie Cochrane.

Armstrong was no longer a championship fighter, but he still held his own against top-10 contenders. From 1943 until his retirement two years later he had 35 bouts, with an 11-5-1 record against top-10 competition.

After overcoming alcoholism, Armstrong enjoyed his retirement years, becoming an ordained Baptist minister.














Ernie Roderick's career was to last almost 20 years and result in a total of some 139 contests ( won 113, lost 23, drawn 3).

He fought unsuccessfully for the world title, won a Lonsdale belt outright and missed a second, held the British titles at welterweight and middleweight, and was briefly the European welterweight champion.

A lesser known title was that of the 1946 Liverpool champion pigeon fancier which gained him a gold medal. He was one of the keenest and most knowledgeable livestock fancier in the country and at one time was the only male member of the Siamese Cat Club. He also had a keen interest in greyhounds.

On leaving school Ernie joined the St. Joseph’s amateur club ( Liverpool) run by Dom and Tony Vairo and was to turn professional in 1931 after winning the Lancashire and Cheshire title.

For the first 12 months his manager was Billy Metcalf of the Greenside gym and then the Londoner Ted Broadribb. They stayed together for the rest of his career but was handled by his brother in law and featherweight champion Nel Tarleton.

His debut pro fight was on 4th June 1931 against another Liverpool fighter Tony Butcher in a ten rounder which he won. His other early wins were against Tom Bailey and Jerry Smith. His first defeat was a points decision against Jimmy Stewart – which he was to later avenge.

In 1933, after some 16 fights, he went to Australia with Nel Tarleton and Johnny Peters "I was still really a raw kid but was matched over 15 rounds with Bobby Blay not long after getting of the boat. I reckon I beat him but only got a draw then lost to Bobby Delaney and Cyril Pluto".


It was to take some 8 years and 100 fights later before he was to get his first title fight against Kilrain which he won with a 7th round KO in front of a 20,000 crowd at Anfield ( Liverpool). His next fight was against Henry Armstrong for the Americans World Title but lost on points after 15 rounds at Harringay. He was promised a quick return but delayed it for a week as he was married on 26 Aug and when the 2nd World War broke out it squashed his hopes.

He was convinced he would win in a return bout and said of Armstrong " He was a slapper really and a good referee wouldn’t have given him any points. In addition when I boxed him I was suffering from a thyroid complaint …"If I had been properly fit I could have beaten him".

It was some 14 months ( 1940), due to the war, before he was able to make his first title defence, and retain, by outpointing Norman Snow. In 1941 he secured a Lonsdale belt by outscoring Arthur Danahar. He moved up to middleweight in 1945 and gained the vacant British title by outpointing Vince Hawkins at the Albert Hall and adding the European welterweight title in 1946 with a win over Omar Kondri at Harringay.

As triple champion he was one of Britain’s best paid fighters but within 5 months lost the British middleweight title to Vince Hawkins and later his European title to Robert Villemain in Paris. He still had his British title and put the first notch on a second Lonsdale belt when he outpointed Gwyn Williams. He followed this with another successful defence against Eric Boon.

Then came disappointment when he lost, in a hotly disputed points decision, to Henry Hall. He had one more try but lost to Eddie Thomas and decided to retire on 6th September 1949.

During his career he had an unusual trick for his opponents. He had a life long habit of grabbing a cigarette just before he went into the ring. He would fill his lungs with smoke and puff at his opponents when he ducked under the ropes.

















Albert (Chalky) Wright's career is a lesson in perseverance. Although he battled the best fighters in the world for more than a decade, it wasn't until his 139th pro fight that he earned a title shot.

When that opportunity presented itself -- Wright took full advantage.

Born on February 10, 1912 in Durango, Mexico, Wright turned pro two weeks after his 16th birthday and scored a four-round win over Nilo Balles. He spent the early part of his career campaigning in Southern California and learned his craft as he progressed.

Wright never shied from quality competition and fought bantamweight contenders Newsboy Brown and Pablo Dano, ex-champ Baby Arizmendi, featherweight contender Al Reid and three-division champ Henry Armstrong en route to the crown.

It wasn't until he began fighting on the East Coast in 1938 that the boxing world took notice of Wright, who at 5-7 1/2 was unusually tall for a featherweight. He utilized his long reach and packed considerable power for a 126-pounder. By 1941, Wright was ranked among the top featherweights in the world and secured a title fight by decisioning future champion Sal Bartolo.

On September 11, 1941, nearly 14 years after he turned pro, Wright knocked out Joey Archibald in the 11th round to win the world featherweight title. Less than a month after winning the title, Wright engaged in two tough non-title fights, losing to top contender Jose Peralta and decisioning former champ Leo Rodak.

In 1942, Wright knocked out future 126-pound champion Richie Lemos and then made successful title defences against Harry Jeffra (KO 10) and Lulu Constantino (W 15). But by year's end, Wright lost his crown via decision to Willie Pep, one of boxing's all-time greats. It has been said the first Pep-Wright encounter inaugurated the featherweight division's Golden Era.

Wright challenged Pep for the title in 1944 but lost another decision. He would also drop two non-title contests to the legendary Pep. Among the other champions Wright fought were Phil Terranova (KO 5), Jackie Wilson (W 10, NC 7) and Johnny Bratton (W 10). He finally retired, a veteran of 201 bouts in a career that spanned 20 years, in 1948.

Wright died tragically on August 12, 1957 in Los Angeles after slipping in the bathtub.

Miscellaneous
* Due to a an error in the old Ring Record Books which listed him as being born in Durango, Mexico, Chalky Wright has been erroneously listed as a Mexican boxer by various publications, up to the present date, when discussing him, or when discussions of all time Mexican fighters are made. Wright was not Mexican ethnically, nor was he born there.
* He may have been born in Durango, Colorado
* His family were migrant farm workers who moved from Texas to Colorado about the time of his birth
* He was a chauffeur for movie star Mae West
* Drowned in his bathtub
* Trainer of Lightweight contender Tommy Campbell (1950)
* 2003: The Ring Magazine's 100 Greatest Punchers