Did Hank Armstrong ever go up against a great boxer?

[tenPt]

Barney Ross. Ross was an excellent technician who moved, countered, gave angles and was defensively sound. The problem against Armstrong was Hank was non stop pressure from the opening bell never giving Ross any breathing room let alone a chance to breath at all. After the 3rd round Ross told his corner he had no more legs. After that he was cannon fodder for the perpetual motion that was Armstrong.

You can say it was Ross' last fight and he was finished after a long hard career, but that wouldn't be entirely accurate. Barney had said on many occasions that the first time he took a beating in the ring would be his last and retired at the tender age of 28. Less than a year earlier Ross was able to beat Ceferino Garcia who had two close bouts with Armstrong less than 2 years later.

I doubt you're going to find anyone to fit the Marquez/Mayweather description to a T, but fighters like Ross, Chalky Write and Lou Ambers were excellent technicians in their own right. What makes Armstrong so great though was his ability to force an opponent to fight his fight. Neither Floyd nor JMM have fought anyone like Armstrong either. If they had is there any guarantee they could adjust to his style? Not bend to his will?

Barney Ross was a great technician. I'd green you but I just did recently.

[Sugarj]

Judging from the tapes I've seen of him, its been all guys that came at him and stood with him.

Did he ever face any opponents that resembled a Floyd Mayweather or Juan Manuel Marquez counter punching moving specialist?

Someone considered a great contemporary in that style.

I've tried looking but haven't found anyone. Its very possible he was just matched properly by his promoter/managers to make him look better than he really was.

Prove me wrong.

There was a guy that he went up against who was a dab hand at this boxing gaff......what was his name? Oh.............. Sugar Ray Robinson. Hee hee

Armstrong was past his best and lost by decision to a prime version who outweighed him by a few pounds too. That is really tough match making!

I've never seen the fight. I doubt it exists on film, but I'd imagine that Armstrong would have found it difficult to deal with Ray's mobility and counterpunching. He lost the decision.....

[rorymac]

Sugar Ray Robinson, Barney Ross, Beau Jack (underrated ATG). Fritzie Zivic was good as well.

[talip bin osman]

Sugar Ray Robinson, Barney Ross, Beau Jack (underrated ATG). Fritzie Zivic was good as well.

beau jack aint what you call a "slick, defense oriented, counter-puncher..."

his calling card was action and agression... he was a crowd pleaser because of this style and he rarely clinched...

and zivic? im not sure if it is right to call him a sweet punching cutesy... he was more known to employ dirty tricks like using his thumbs and elbows and head-butting... i remember manchine posting a photo of hank some years ago right after his fight with zivic... hank was severely busted up...

[rorymac]

beau jack aint what you call a "slick, defense oriented, counter-puncher..."

his calling card was action and agression... he was a crowd pleaser because of this style and he rarely clinched...

and zivic? im not sure if it is right to call him a sweet punching cutesy... he was more known to employ dirty tricks like using his thumbs and elbows and head-butting... i remember manchine posting a photo of hank some years ago right after his fight with zivic... hank was severely busted up...

Ah sorry didn't read OP just thread title, got ahead of myself. Didn't really know about Zivic's style either

[TBear]

Amazing that someone hasn't considered the possibility that a fighter with over a hundred and eighty fights has not faced every style at one time or another.

[Barn]

Even Barney Ross, albeit he was a good technician and clever boxer. He wasn't a Floyd Mayweather esque fighter no matter how you slice it.

[Obama]

Slickest dude he fought was Midget Wolgast. Problem was Wolgast was on the decline.

[Toney Loc]

Saw the Ross fight. Ross looked old and didn't move at all the way a great boxer would.

He brawled and couldn't hang.

A good boxer like Floyd would beat Armstrong with ease. Guys with Armstrongs style have lead feet and its not surprising they matched him with guys that didn't move.

[Toney Loc]

Tbh, I wonder how someone like Armstrong would do against a prime Ricky Hatton or even a Margarito in a pressure vs. pressure matchup.



Cuz' judging from the tape, Armstrong is not what he is made out to be.