Columbus committee dedicates road to boxing champion Henry Armstrong

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – He was the Western Whirlwind, the Dark Angel of Destruction. He was also from Columbus.

Boxing champion Hurricane Henry Armstrong is being honored in his hometown.

Today, local leaders and the Henry Armstrong Celebration Committee officially dedicated 3rd Street North from Main Street to 7th Avenue as Henry Armstrong Way.

Born Henry Jackson, Junior in 1912, he took on the name Armstrong after he started boxing.

He was considered one of the greatest fighters of all time and was the first to hold three titles at one time when he was Featherweight, Lightweight, and Welterweight Champions of the World in the late 1930s. An attempt to take the Middleweight crown ended in a draw, and many boxing historians believe he deserved the decision.

Armstrong retired from boxing with a record of 152 wins, 101 of those by knockout to only 21 losses and 9 draws.

Armstrong became a Baptist Preacher and spent years working with young people.

“It’s just one thing we can do to not only recognize him, but to keep his memory alive, and to let people know just how great he was. Everybody’s heard the name just about, but not too many people know just how great he was and how prominent he was,” said Glenn Lautzenhiser, Co-chair of the Henry Armstrong Celebration Committee.

A marker honoring Armstrong also stands near the intersection of Waverly Ferry and Wilkins-Wise Roads in Columbus. The Henry Armstrong Foundation based in Los Angeles continues to help youth in low-income communities.

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