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The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia -- Black Dynamite

Bob Armstrong
("King of the Battle Royal")

BORN    September 4 1873; Rogersville, Tennessee; Family moved to Washington, Ohio when he was three
DIED    January 5 1933; Chicago, Illinois
HEIGHT  6-3
WEIGHT  185-217 lbs
MANAGER Charles E. "Parson" Davies
Armstrong was a very good fighter who was used as a sparring partner during 1895-1910 by Jim Jeffries, Bob Fitzsimmons, Tom Sharkey, and Joe Choynski

He was a natural left-hander who moved quickly, had an excellent straight, sharp left jab and a hard right hand punch; He was a good counter-puncher who was light on his feet and "cool-under-fire"; His greatest weakness was taking punches to the body
Undated
          -Armstrong worked with racing horses before he started
          boxing; He worked for a man named Al Orth who owned a 
          large stable of horses in Minneapolis, Mn 

1893
       Bill Crockett              Des Moines, Ia                   KO  1
Sep 11 Joe Sheehy                 Des Moines, Ia                   KO  2
          -Sheehy promoted this bout and made off with
          all the money after the contest; Some sources
          report "TK 7"  
       Joe Tansey                 in Iowa                          TK  3

1894
       Con Tobin                  in Iowa                          TK  3
       Joe Choynski               Chicago, Il                       D  6
       George Fownes              Chicago, Il                      KO  3
       Spuds Gallagher            Chicago, Il                       W  6
       Joe Kelly                  Chicago, Il                       W  6
       Jack Miller                Chicago, Il                      TK  3

1893-1895
          -Armstrong won many Battle Royals in Chicago, Il     

1895
May    Tommy Ryan                 Dead Lake, NJ (near Asbury Park) EX   
Jun  8 Joe Choynski               New York, NY                     EX   
Jun 27 Joe Choynski               New York, NY                     EX  6
Jul 15 Walter Johnson             Boston, Ma                        D 10
Nov  5 Frank "Paddy" Slavin       Hoboken, NJ                      KO 10

1896
          -Armstrong won several fights against minor opponents
Aug  2 William Mayo               Dubuque, Ia                      KO  2
          -Some sources report "KO 4"
Aug 31 Tom Forrest                New York, NY                     TK  2
Aug 31 Fred Morris                New York, NY                     EX  4
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Nov 23 Frank "Paddy" Slavin       Philadelphia, Pa                 TK  4
          -Some sources report "TK 6" on 11/25/96
Dec 14 "Hoboken" Tommy Kelly      New York, NY                     EX  3
Dec 21 Charley Strong             New York, NY                     KO 19
          -Some sources report 3/25/97 at "Philadelphia, Pa"

1897
Mar  6 Joe Butler                 Brooklyn, NY                     KO  6
          -Some sources report "New York, NY";
          Some sources report "Philadelphia, Pa"
Mar  7 Frank Childs               Philadelphia, Pa                  L  6
          -Some sources report "W 6"
Apr 23 Sam Pruitt                 San Francisco, Ca                KO  1
May  4 Jimmy Barry                Omaha, Ne                        EX   
May    Tom Sharkey                Southfield, NY                   EX   
May    Tom Sharkey                Southfield, NY                   EX  4
May 29 Frank Childs               Chicago, Il                      EX   
May 29 Jimmy Barry                Chicago, Il                      EX   
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date;
          Some sources report 5/30/97
Jun    Joe Sheehy                 Green Bay, Wi                     L  4 
Aug  6 Joe Choynski               Chicago, Il                      EX   
Sep 13 Jack Douglas               Chicago, Il                      TK  2
          -Some sources report "Philadelphia, Pa"
Sep 25 Jack McCormick             Pittsburgh, Pa                    W  6
Nov 18 John Holtman               St. Louis, Mo                    EX  3
          -Some sources report "D 3"

1898
Jan 29 Frank Childs               Chicago, Il                      LT  2
Feb 21 Yank Kenny                 Chicago, Il                      KO  5
          -Some sources report 2/22/98
Feb 28 Frank Childs               Chicago, Il                      LK 10
Mar 25 Charley Strong             Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Apr  8 Charley Pruett             Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1
          -Some sources report this bout held 4/08/99
Apr 25 Ed Dunkhorst               Syracuse, NY                      W 10
          -Some sources report "D 10"
May 27 Joe Butler                 Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  3
Jun 10 Tom "Stockings" Conroy     Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
          -Some sources report "W 6"
Aug  5 Jim Jeffries               New York, NY                      L 10
Aug 29 Joe Goddard                Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
          -Some sources report "ND 10"
Nov  7 Joe Goddard                Brooklyn, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but cancelled
Dec  4 Ed Dunkhorst               Syracuse, NY                      D 10
          -Some sources report "W 10"
Dec  9 "Mexican" Pete Everett     Denver, Co                       TK 14

1899
Mar  4 Frank Childs               Cincinnati, Oh                   LT  6
Apr 17 Tom Sharkey                Pittsburgh, Pa                   EX  3
Apr 18 Tom Sharkey                Pittsburgh, Pa                  SCH   
Apr 20 Tom Sharkey                Pittsburgh, Pa                  SCH   
Apr 21 Tom Sharkey                Pittsburgh, Pa                  SCH   
Apr 22 Tom Sharkey                Pittsburgh, Pa                  SCH   
          -This previous 4 bouts were scheduled; The outcomes are not known
Apr 26 Tom Sharkey                Rochester, NY                    EX  4
Jun  6 "Denver" Ed Martin         New York, NY                     KO  2
          -Some sources report 4/05/99
Jul 21 Tom "Stockings" Conroy     Brooklyn, NY                      W 20
          -Some sources report "New York, NY"
Oct    Tom Sharkey                New Dorph, NY                    EX  8 
Oct 19 Tom Sharkey                New Dorph, NY                    EX   
Oct 23 Tom Sharkey                New Dorph, NY                    EX  8 
Oct 24 Tom Sharkey                New Dorph, NY                    EX  6 
Oct 25 Tom Sharkey                New Dorph, NY                    EX  6 
Oct 27 Tom Sharkey                New Dorph, NY                   SCH    
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known;
          The Mutascope Company was to film the bout
Oct 31 Tom Sharkey                New Dorph, NY                    EX  6 
Nov 14 Ed Dunkhorst               Syracuse, NY                      L 10
          -Some sources report 11/20/98;
          Some sources report "W 10"
Nov 27 Jim Jeffords               Brooklyn, NY                     TK  3

1900
Feb 19 Steve Flanagan             Philadelphia, Pa                 EX  1
          -Flanagan was a bantamweight
Mar 23 "Denver" Ed Martin         Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Aug  7 Bob Fitzsimmons            Bergen Beach, NY                 EX  6
Aug 22 Bob Fitzsimmons            Bergen Beach, NY                 EX  3

1901
Jan  7 Jim Jeffries               Allenhurst, NJ                   EX   
Jan    -Armstrong sparred frequently with Jim Jeffries
Jan 26 Jim Jeffries               Cincinnati, Oh                   EX  4
Oct 31 Jim Jeffries               Harbin Springs, Ca               EX  4
Nov  2 Jim Jeffries               Harbin Springs, Ca               EX   
Nov  4 Jim Jeffries               Harbin Springs, Ca               EX  4
Nov  5 Jim Jeffries               Harbin Springs, Ca               EX  3
Nov 11 Jim Jeffries               Oakland, Ca                      EX  1
Nov 11 Jim Jeffries               Oakland, Ca                      EX  1
Nov 11 Jim Jeffries               Oakland, Ca                      EX  1
Nov 11 Jim Jeffries               Oakland, Ca                      EX  1
        -The previous 4 bouts were held the same date
Nov 12 Jim Jeffries               Oakland, Ca                      EX   

1902
Jul 25 "Denver" Ed Martin         London, Eng                       L 15
Dec 10 "Denver" Ed Martin         Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
          -Some sources report 12/11/02

1903
Feb  9 George Gardner             Philadelphia, Pa                 NC  4
Jun 10 "Denver" Ed Martin         Boston, Ma                       KO  3
Aug 24 John "Sandy" Ferguson      Boston, Ma                       LK  1
          -Some sources report 8/20/03
Sep 23 Steve O'Donnell            Saunderstown, RI                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held; 
          O'Donnell was ill        
Sep 23 Black Fitzsimmons          Saunderstown, RI                 KO  1
          -Fitzsimmons substituted for O'Donnell
Dec  7 Jack Munroe                Boston, Ma                       EX  3
1904 Apr 18 Walter Johnson Haverhill, Ma KO 2 Dec 26 Walter Johnson Haverhill, Ma LK 4 1910 Sam Langford Los Angeles, Ca EX 3 Apr 14 Jim Jeffries Ben Lomond, Ca EX
Apr 15 Jim Jeffries               Ben Lomond, Ca                   EX May 16 Jim Jeffries               Ben Lomond, Ca                   EX Jun Jim Jeffries EX 1912 Jan 29 Tom Cowler London, Eng EX 3 1913 Apr 4 Joe Jeannette New York, NY EX 3 1914 Jan 26 Sam Langford London, Eng EX 3 1922 Nov -Armstrong worked out daily with "Chief" John Metoquah in Larned, Ks during Nov-Dec 1922 1910-1932 -Armstrong worked frequently as a sparring partner or trainer for different fighters 1932 Jan 29 -Armstrong worked the corner for King Levinsky (vs. Max Baer) in New York, NY *** The Following Bouts Are Reported But Not Confirmed *** 1893-1895 C.A.C. Smith W 1898 Jack McCormick Philadelphia, Pa TK 6 Joe Butler Philadelphia, Pa W 6 Joe Butler Philadelphia, Pa LK 2 Jul 4 "Mexican" Pete Everett LK 5 1899 Joe Goddard W 10 *** Some Data Was Provided By Kevin Smith *** *** Click Here To See Book Review For THE SUNDOWNERS *** *** Photo (Below) From Nigel Harding, Great Grandson of Harry Duncan ***

Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization