Henry Armstrong punch output

[JayID]

Does anybody have any numbers they can put forth? Average punches per round?

He was unbelievably relentless.. curious to see how the new guys hold up against it.

[Hawkins]

Personally, I've never seen any verified information as to his punch count per round. I mean, we've all seen the over exaggerated claims that cannot possibly be true.

At any rate, he did have a very low pulse rate and there are those who claim he used to shadow box for 15 rounds before a fight.

[JayID]

Personally, I've never seen any verified information as to his punch count per round. I mean, we've all seen the over exaggerated claims that cannot possibly be true.

At any rate, he did have a very low pulse rate and there are those who claim he used to shadow box for 15 rounds before a fight.

Yeah, I read somewhere that his low pulse rate was due to his slightly enlarged heart. His recovering ability was also noteworthy. Fighting 15 rounds once every two weeks or so.

[Hawkins]

Yeah, I read somewhere that his low pulse rate was due to his slightly enlarged heart. His recovering ability was also noteworthy. Fighting 15 rounds once every two weeks or so.

It would be interesting to see some real numbers regarding his punch output. He was akin to Marciano in that unrelenting forward motion and non-stop punches everywhere. It would be like willingly walking into a buzzsaw.

I've read some accounts that claim he threw upward of an impossible 300 punches per round. However, the fact that those numbers are claimed tells you of his abnormally high work rate. If I had to guess I would say maybe in the 100 range on average.

[Humean]

I just watched highlights of three rounds of two different Henry Armstrong fights and in one he threw 24 punches in one minute of action and in the others he threw 35 punches in just over two minutes and 54 in around a minute and a half. The more holding and grappling there was the less punches he threw, i'd estimate he regularly threw between 50-110 punches a round. It wasn't really so much his punch output that was impressive but that he made his opponent work every second of the fight because he was also moving forward and pressing the action. He just wore almost every opponent down.

[joeandthebums]

I love watching Armstrong. He's a guy you can pick up / drop in any era and he'd always be a big box office star.

[JayID]

I just watched highlights of three rounds of two different Henry Armstrong fights and in one he threw 24 punches in one minute of action and in the others he threw 35 punches in just over two minutes and 54 in around a minute and a half. The more holding and grappling there was the less punches he threw, i'd estimate he regularly threw between 50-110 punches a round. It wasn't really so much his punch output that was impressive but that he made his opponent work every second of the fight because he was also moving forward and pressing the action. He just wore almost every opponent down.

Nice stats! Thanks for your work.

[Humean]

One problem with Armstrong's style if transported to today's boxing is whether he'd get away with a lot of what he was doing with his head. Would referees penalise him for coming in with his head? I could certainly imagine opponents of today complaining constantly about it to the referee and even making it look like he is deliberately headbutting them even when that wasn't his intention. Referees of the 1930s let almost everything go, they'd take a point/round away with too many low blows and would warn boxers for not fighting enough but that was about it.

[Anthony342]

Why not? Holyfield got away with it plenty.