The sport of boxing in the 1930s was affected by one of the biggest economic struggles in the history of the United States: the
depression era.[1][2][3] Because of the suffering American economy, many boxers were offered lower amounts of money causing them to only box for passion.[4][clarification needed] When the decade began, the world Heavyweight title belonged to no one. The sport of boxing suffered because of the lack of money to pay the boxers.[5][6][7][4][8][9][10][11]
The Heavyweights, from 1930 to 1937 in particular, could be compared to the Heavyweight division of the
1980s. Six champions were crowned before
Joe Louis began his legendary run as Heavyweight champion in 1937. He retired in 1949, still holding the title of world Heavyweight champion.
Three world champions won world titles in three different divisions, a feat no single fighter had accomplished since 1903;
Tony Canzoneri,
Barney Ross and
Henry Armstrong cemented their place in boxing history by achieving this feat. Armstrong was the first and only world champion to reign in three divisions at the same time; modern boxing rules ban boxers from holding the title in more than one division at a time.
1930
February 10 – In the decade's first world title fight,
Jimmy Slattery becomes world Light-Heavyweight champion, beating
Lou Scozza by decision in fifteen rounds for the vacant title, at
Buffalo.
February 18 –
Jack Kid Berg becomes world Jr. Welterweight champion, knocking out Mushy Callahan in ten rounds, London, England
March 21 –
Midget Wolgast wins the vacant New York Flyweight title with a decision over
Black Bill, New York City.
June 11 –
Max Schmeling wins the undisputed world Heavyweight title, defeating
Jack Sharkey by a four-round disqualification, after being hit with a damaging low blow. Schmeling became the first boxer to win the title by disqualification, and he remains as of 2017, the only one to win it that way, in New York.
June 25 –
Maxie Rosenbloom wins the world Light-Heavyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over Jimmy Slattery, in Buffalo.
July 17 –
Al Singer wins the world Lightweight title with a first-round knockout over
Sammy Mandell, setting a record for the fastest fight in that division's history, New York.
October 4 –
Panama Al Brown retains the world Bantamweight title with a fifteen-round decision over
Eugene Huat, in Paris.
November 14 –
Tony Canzoneri wins his second world title, knocking out Al Singer (who in the process became the first world boxing champion in history to both win and lose the title by first-round knockout) in the first round and breaking Singer's record for the fastest finish in a world Lightweight title fight, in New York.
December 11 –
Battling Battalino retains the world Featherweight title with a fifteen-round decision over
Kid Chocolate, in New York.
December 25 –
Frankie Genaro and Midget Wolgast try to unify the world Flyweight title, but their fight results in a draw, in New York.
1931
April 24 –
Tony Canzoneri becomes the second man to win world titles in three divisions, and the first one since
Bob Fitzsimmons in the 19th century, by knocking out
Jack Kid Berg in round three to win the world's Jr. Welterweight title, in Chicago.
22 May – Battling Battalino retains his world Featherweight title, with a ten-round decision over
Fidel LaBarba, in New York City.
July 15 – Kid Chocolate becomes
Cuba's first world boxing champion in history, knocking out world Jr. Lightweight champion
Benny Bass in seven rounds, at
Philadelphia.
July 23 – Battling Battalino retains the world Featherweight title with a ten-round decision over future world champion
Freddie Miller, at
Cincinnati.
August 5 –
Maxie Rosenbloom retains his world Light-Heavyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over former world champion
Jimmy Slattery, at their New York rematch.
September 10 – Tony Canzoneri retains both his Jr. Welterweight and Lightweight world belts, with a fifteen-round unanimous decision over former world champion Jack Berg, at their New York rematch.
October 27 – Panama Al Brown retains his world Bantamweight title with a fifteen-round decision over
Eugene Huat at their rematch, which took place in
Montreal, Canada.
November 20 – Tony Canzoneri retains his world Lightweight title by a fifteen-round decision over world Jr. Lightweight champion Kid Chocolate, in New York.
January 28 –
Jackie Fields defeats
Lou Brouillard by decision in ten rounds to win the world Welterweight title, at Chicago.
June 21 –
Jack Sharkey wins the world Heavyweight title, defeating
Max Schmeling by a fifteen-round decision, at their rematch held in New York City.
June 11 – In a controversial fight,
Marcel Thil wins the world Middleweight title with an eleventh round disqualification over Gorilla Jones, in Paris, France. In front of an audience that included
Amelia Earhart, Jones is disqualified for continuous low hitting and holding.
July 18 – Johnny Jadick retains his world Jr. Welterweight title with a second ten-round decision win over Tony Canzoneri, at Philadelphia.
October 7 –
Benny Leonard's last fight, as the former world Lightweight champion gets knocked out in six rounds by
Jimmy McLarnin, in New York.
November 4 – Tony Canzoneri retains his world Lightweight title with a fifteen-round decision over
Billy Petrolle, at New York.
December 9 – Kid Chocolate retains his world Featherweight title with a fifteen-round decision over
Fidel LaBarba, in New York.
February 21 – Young Corbett III wins the world Welterweight title, defeating
Jackie Fields by a ten-round decision, in San Francisco.
21 May –
Tony Canzoneri recovers his world Jr. Welterweight title, with a ten-round decision over Battling Shaw, in New Orleans.
June 23 –
Barney Ross beats Tony Canzoneri to claim both the world Lightweight and Jr. Welterweight titles held by Canzoneri, by a ten-round decision, in Chicago.
June 29 –
Primo Carnera initiates one of boxing's most controversial reigns in the history of the Heavyweight division, knocking out world champion
Jack Sharkey in six rounds at New York City. It has been widely rumored since that many of Carnera's fights were fixed.
September 12 – Barney Ross retains his world Lightweight and Jr. Weltwerweight titles with a fifteen-round decision over Tony Canzoneri, at New York.
October 21 –
Paulino Uzcudun unsuccessfully tries to become the first
Hispanic world Heavyweight champion, losing a fifteen-round decision to Primo Carnera, in
Rome, Italy.
March 1 –
Primo Carnera retains the world Heavyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over world Light-Heavyweight champion
Tommy Loughran, at Miami.
March 5 –
Barney Ross retains his world Lightweight title with a ten-round draw over world Jr. Lightweight champion
Frankie Klick, in San Francisco.
March 27 – Barney Ross retains the world Jr. Welterweight title with a ten-round decision over
Bobby Pacho, in Los Angeles.
28 May – Barney Ross becomes the third man in boxing history to win world titles in three different divisions, defeating
Jimmy McLarnin for the world Welterweight title by a fifteen-round decision in New York City.
June 14 –
Max Baer drops defending world Heavyweight champion Primo Carnera eleven times en route to an eleventh-round knockout, winning the world Heavyweight title, at New York.
September 17 – Jimmy McLarnin recovers the world Welterweight title, with a fifteen-round decision over Barney Ross, in New York.
December 10 – Barney Ross retains his world Jr. Welterweight title in a rematch against Bobby Pacho, by a twelve-round decision, in
Cleveland.
1935
January 1 – Baby Arizmendi becomes the first world champion from Mexico in boxing history by outpointing
Henry Armstrong by in twelve rounds to win the vacant California and Mexico-recognized world Lightweight titles,
Mexico City, Mexico.
10 May –
Tony Canzoneri recovers the world Lightweight title, winning the belt left vacant by
Barney Ross, with a fifteen-round unanimous decision over
Lou Ambers, in New York City.
28 May – Barney Ross recovers the world Welterweight title, defeating
Jimmy McLarnin with a fifteen-round unanimous decision in the third and final installment of their rivalry, at New York. Former world Heavyweight champion
Jack Dempsey refereed.
June 13 –
James J. Braddock, with 24 losses, produces one of the biggest upsets in world Heavyweight championship history, defeating world champion
Max Baer to take the world title, by a fifteen-round unanimous decision, in New York.
September 9- –
Benny Lynch wins the N.B.A.'s world Flyweight title with a second-round knockout over
Jackie Brown, in
Manchester, England.
November 15 – In their rematch, Sixto Escobar recovers the N.B.A.'s world Bantamweight title with a fifteen-round decision over Lou Salica, at New York.
1936
January 20 –
Marcel Thil retains the world Middleweight title by a fourth round disqualification against
Lou Brouillard, Paris, France.
March 13 –
John Henry Lewis retains the world Light-Heavyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over
Jock McAvoy, in New York City.
June 19 – In the start of their legendary boxing rivalry, former world Heavyweight champion
Max Schmeling inflicts
Joe Louis' first defeat, with a twelve-round knockout, in New York.
August 4 –
Henry Armstrong becomes world champion for the first time, beating Baby Arizmendi by a ten-round decision in Los Angeles, to take the Californian and Mexican world Lightweight titles.
August 31 –
Sixto Escobar unifies the world Bantamweight title, with a thirteenth-round knockout win over
Tony Marino, at New York.
October 13 – Sixto Escobar retains the world Bantamweight title, with a first-round knockout over Indian Quintana, in New York.
November 9 – John Henry Lewis retains the world Light-Heavyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over
Len Harvey, in London.
January 19 – In a rematch,
Benny Lynch retains the world Flyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over Small Montana, in London.
February 21 – At their rubber match,
Sixto Escobar retains his world Bantamweight title with a fifteen-round decision victory over
Lou Salica in
San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is also the first world title fight ever held in
Puerto Rico.
7 May –
Lou Ambers retains his world Lightweight title with a fifteen-round decision over former champion
Tony Canzoneri, at their New York City rematch.
June 3 –
John Henry Lewis retains his world Light-Heavyweight championship with an eighth-round knockout of former world champion
Bob Olin in
St. Louis.
June 21 –
Joe Louis becomes Heavyweight champion of the world, knocking out
James J. Braddock in round eight, at Chicago. The new champion then says he won't consider himself a champion until he beats
Max Schmeling in a rematch.
August 30 – In his first defense of the world Heavyweight title, Joe Louis meets stiff competition from
Tommy Farr, but he still manages to retain the title by a fifteen-round unanimous decision, at New York.
September 23 – A world title fight marathon in New York City:
Harry Jeffra beats Sixto Escobar by decision in fifteen rounds to win the world Bantamweight title; Lou Ambers defeats
Pedro Montañez by decision in fifteen to retain the world's Lightweight title;
Barney Ross defeats future world Middleweight champion
Ceferino Garcia by decision in ten to retain the world Jr. Welterweight title and
Fred Apostoli knocks out
Marcel Thil in ten rounds to win the world Middleweight title.
October 29 –
Henry Armstrong wins his second simultaneous title, the world Featherweight title (to go along with the world Lightweight championship as recognized by California and Mexico), knocking out defending world champion
Petey Sarron in six rounds, at New York.
31 May –
Henry Armstrong makes history by becoming the first man in the history of boxing to hold world titles in three divisions at the same time, defeating world Welterweight champion
Barney Ross by a fifteen-round split decision, at New York City.
June 22 – In the second fight of their famous rivalry,
Joe Louis retains the world Heavyweight title with a first-round knockout of former world champion
Max Schmeling, at New York.
June 29 –
Benny Lynch retains the world Flyweight title with a twelve-round knockout over
Peter Kane in
Paisley, Scotland, then retires.
September 22 – Peter Kane conquers the vacant world Flyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over
Jackie Jurich, in
Liverpool, England.
1939
January 10 –
Henry Armstrong begins what would be a run of 20 successful title defenses of his world Welterweight title in the same year, defeating Baby Arizmendi by a ten-round decision, in Los Angeles.
January 25 –
Joe Louis retains the world
Heavyweight title with a first-round knockout of world Light-Heavyweight champion
John Henry Lewis in the first round, in New York City. It would be Lewis; last career fight, as it was later discovered that he had been fighting while suffering
cataracts since 1936.
June 28 – Joe Louis recovers from a third round knockdown and retains his world Heavyweight title, knocking out
Tony Galento in round four, at New York.
July 13 –
Billy Conn defeats
Melio Bettina by decision in fifteen rounds to win the vacant world Light-Heavyweight title, in
Pittsburgh.
August 21 –
Lou Ambers defeats Henry Armstrong to regain the world Lightweight title, with a fifteen-round unanimous decision, at New York.
November 17 – Billy Conn retains the world Light-Heavyweight championship with a fifteen-round decision over
Gus Lesvenich, in New York.
December 11 – Henry Armstrong defends his world Welterweight title for the eleventh time in 1939, defeating
Jimmy Garrison by a knockout in round seven, at
Cleveland. decides to retire
The sport of boxing in the 1930s was affected by one of the biggest economic struggles in the history of the United States: the
depression era.[1][2][3] Because of the suffering American economy, many boxers were offered lower amounts of money causing them to only box for passion.[4][clarification needed] When the decade began, the world Heavyweight title belonged to no one. The sport of boxing suffered because of the lack of money to pay the boxers.[5][6][7][4][8][9][10][11]
The Heavyweights, from 1930 to 1937 in particular, could be compared to the Heavyweight division of the
1980s. Six champions were crowned before
Joe Louis began his legendary run as Heavyweight champion in 1937. He retired in 1949, still holding the title of world Heavyweight champion.
Three world champions won world titles in three different divisions, a feat no single fighter had accomplished since 1903;
Tony Canzoneri,
Barney Ross and
Henry Armstrong cemented their place in boxing history by achieving this feat. Armstrong was the first and only world champion to reign in three divisions at the same time; modern boxing rules ban boxers from holding the title in more than one division at a time.
1930
February 10 – In the decade's first world title fight,
Jimmy Slattery becomes world Light-Heavyweight champion, beating
Lou Scozza by decision in fifteen rounds for the vacant title, at
Buffalo.
February 18 –
Jack Kid Berg becomes world Jr. Welterweight champion, knocking out Mushy Callahan in ten rounds, London, England
March 21 –
Midget Wolgast wins the vacant New York Flyweight title with a decision over
Black Bill, New York City.
June 11 –
Max Schmeling wins the undisputed world Heavyweight title, defeating
Jack Sharkey by a four-round disqualification, after being hit with a damaging low blow. Schmeling became the first boxer to win the title by disqualification, and he remains as of 2017, the only one to win it that way, in New York.
June 25 –
Maxie Rosenbloom wins the world Light-Heavyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over Jimmy Slattery, in Buffalo.
July 17 –
Al Singer wins the world Lightweight title with a first-round knockout over
Sammy Mandell, setting a record for the fastest fight in that division's history, New York.
October 4 –
Panama Al Brown retains the world Bantamweight title with a fifteen-round decision over
Eugene Huat, in Paris.
November 14 –
Tony Canzoneri wins his second world title, knocking out Al Singer (who in the process became the first world boxing champion in history to both win and lose the title by first-round knockout) in the first round and breaking Singer's record for the fastest finish in a world Lightweight title fight, in New York.
December 11 –
Battling Battalino retains the world Featherweight title with a fifteen-round decision over
Kid Chocolate, in New York.
December 25 –
Frankie Genaro and Midget Wolgast try to unify the world Flyweight title, but their fight results in a draw, in New York.
1931
April 24 –
Tony Canzoneri becomes the second man to win world titles in three divisions, and the first one since
Bob Fitzsimmons in the 19th century, by knocking out
Jack Kid Berg in round three to win the world's Jr. Welterweight title, in Chicago.
22 May – Battling Battalino retains his world Featherweight title, with a ten-round decision over
Fidel LaBarba, in New York City.
July 15 – Kid Chocolate becomes
Cuba's first world boxing champion in history, knocking out world Jr. Lightweight champion
Benny Bass in seven rounds, at
Philadelphia.
July 23 – Battling Battalino retains the world Featherweight title with a ten-round decision over future world champion
Freddie Miller, at
Cincinnati.
August 5 –
Maxie Rosenbloom retains his world Light-Heavyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over former world champion
Jimmy Slattery, at their New York rematch.
September 10 – Tony Canzoneri retains both his Jr. Welterweight and Lightweight world belts, with a fifteen-round unanimous decision over former world champion Jack Berg, at their New York rematch.
October 27 – Panama Al Brown retains his world Bantamweight title with a fifteen-round decision over
Eugene Huat at their rematch, which took place in
Montreal, Canada.
November 20 – Tony Canzoneri retains his world Lightweight title by a fifteen-round decision over world Jr. Lightweight champion Kid Chocolate, in New York.
January 28 –
Jackie Fields defeats
Lou Brouillard by decision in ten rounds to win the world Welterweight title, at Chicago.
June 21 –
Jack Sharkey wins the world Heavyweight title, defeating
Max Schmeling by a fifteen-round decision, at their rematch held in New York City.
June 11 – In a controversial fight,
Marcel Thil wins the world Middleweight title with an eleventh round disqualification over Gorilla Jones, in Paris, France. In front of an audience that included
Amelia Earhart, Jones is disqualified for continuous low hitting and holding.
July 18 – Johnny Jadick retains his world Jr. Welterweight title with a second ten-round decision win over Tony Canzoneri, at Philadelphia.
October 7 –
Benny Leonard's last fight, as the former world Lightweight champion gets knocked out in six rounds by
Jimmy McLarnin, in New York.
November 4 – Tony Canzoneri retains his world Lightweight title with a fifteen-round decision over
Billy Petrolle, at New York.
December 9 – Kid Chocolate retains his world Featherweight title with a fifteen-round decision over
Fidel LaBarba, in New York.
February 21 – Young Corbett III wins the world Welterweight title, defeating
Jackie Fields by a ten-round decision, in San Francisco.
21 May –
Tony Canzoneri recovers his world Jr. Welterweight title, with a ten-round decision over Battling Shaw, in New Orleans.
June 23 –
Barney Ross beats Tony Canzoneri to claim both the world Lightweight and Jr. Welterweight titles held by Canzoneri, by a ten-round decision, in Chicago.
June 29 –
Primo Carnera initiates one of boxing's most controversial reigns in the history of the Heavyweight division, knocking out world champion
Jack Sharkey in six rounds at New York City. It has been widely rumored since that many of Carnera's fights were fixed.
September 12 – Barney Ross retains his world Lightweight and Jr. Weltwerweight titles with a fifteen-round decision over Tony Canzoneri, at New York.
October 21 –
Paulino Uzcudun unsuccessfully tries to become the first
Hispanic world Heavyweight champion, losing a fifteen-round decision to Primo Carnera, in
Rome, Italy.
March 1 –
Primo Carnera retains the world Heavyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over world Light-Heavyweight champion
Tommy Loughran, at Miami.
March 5 –
Barney Ross retains his world Lightweight title with a ten-round draw over world Jr. Lightweight champion
Frankie Klick, in San Francisco.
March 27 – Barney Ross retains the world Jr. Welterweight title with a ten-round decision over
Bobby Pacho, in Los Angeles.
28 May – Barney Ross becomes the third man in boxing history to win world titles in three different divisions, defeating
Jimmy McLarnin for the world Welterweight title by a fifteen-round decision in New York City.
June 14 –
Max Baer drops defending world Heavyweight champion Primo Carnera eleven times en route to an eleventh-round knockout, winning the world Heavyweight title, at New York.
September 17 – Jimmy McLarnin recovers the world Welterweight title, with a fifteen-round decision over Barney Ross, in New York.
December 10 – Barney Ross retains his world Jr. Welterweight title in a rematch against Bobby Pacho, by a twelve-round decision, in
Cleveland.
1935
January 1 – Baby Arizmendi becomes the first world champion from Mexico in boxing history by outpointing
Henry Armstrong by in twelve rounds to win the vacant California and Mexico-recognized world Lightweight titles,
Mexico City, Mexico.
10 May –
Tony Canzoneri recovers the world Lightweight title, winning the belt left vacant by
Barney Ross, with a fifteen-round unanimous decision over
Lou Ambers, in New York City.
28 May – Barney Ross recovers the world Welterweight title, defeating
Jimmy McLarnin with a fifteen-round unanimous decision in the third and final installment of their rivalry, at New York. Former world Heavyweight champion
Jack Dempsey refereed.
June 13 –
James J. Braddock, with 24 losses, produces one of the biggest upsets in world Heavyweight championship history, defeating world champion
Max Baer to take the world title, by a fifteen-round unanimous decision, in New York.
September 9- –
Benny Lynch wins the N.B.A.'s world Flyweight title with a second-round knockout over
Jackie Brown, in
Manchester, England.
November 15 – In their rematch, Sixto Escobar recovers the N.B.A.'s world Bantamweight title with a fifteen-round decision over Lou Salica, at New York.
1936
January 20 –
Marcel Thil retains the world Middleweight title by a fourth round disqualification against
Lou Brouillard, Paris, France.
March 13 –
John Henry Lewis retains the world Light-Heavyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over
Jock McAvoy, in New York City.
June 19 – In the start of their legendary boxing rivalry, former world Heavyweight champion
Max Schmeling inflicts
Joe Louis' first defeat, with a twelve-round knockout, in New York.
August 4 –
Henry Armstrong becomes world champion for the first time, beating Baby Arizmendi by a ten-round decision in Los Angeles, to take the Californian and Mexican world Lightweight titles.
August 31 –
Sixto Escobar unifies the world Bantamweight title, with a thirteenth-round knockout win over
Tony Marino, at New York.
October 13 – Sixto Escobar retains the world Bantamweight title, with a first-round knockout over Indian Quintana, in New York.
November 9 – John Henry Lewis retains the world Light-Heavyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over
Len Harvey, in London.
January 19 – In a rematch,
Benny Lynch retains the world Flyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over Small Montana, in London.
February 21 – At their rubber match,
Sixto Escobar retains his world Bantamweight title with a fifteen-round decision victory over
Lou Salica in
San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is also the first world title fight ever held in
Puerto Rico.
7 May –
Lou Ambers retains his world Lightweight title with a fifteen-round decision over former champion
Tony Canzoneri, at their New York City rematch.
June 3 –
John Henry Lewis retains his world Light-Heavyweight championship with an eighth-round knockout of former world champion
Bob Olin in
St. Louis.
June 21 –
Joe Louis becomes Heavyweight champion of the world, knocking out
James J. Braddock in round eight, at Chicago. The new champion then says he won't consider himself a champion until he beats
Max Schmeling in a rematch.
August 30 – In his first defense of the world Heavyweight title, Joe Louis meets stiff competition from
Tommy Farr, but he still manages to retain the title by a fifteen-round unanimous decision, at New York.
September 23 – A world title fight marathon in New York City:
Harry Jeffra beats Sixto Escobar by decision in fifteen rounds to win the world Bantamweight title; Lou Ambers defeats
Pedro Montañez by decision in fifteen to retain the world's Lightweight title;
Barney Ross defeats future world Middleweight champion
Ceferino Garcia by decision in ten to retain the world Jr. Welterweight title and
Fred Apostoli knocks out
Marcel Thil in ten rounds to win the world Middleweight title.
October 29 –
Henry Armstrong wins his second simultaneous title, the world Featherweight title (to go along with the world Lightweight championship as recognized by California and Mexico), knocking out defending world champion
Petey Sarron in six rounds, at New York.
31 May –
Henry Armstrong makes history by becoming the first man in the history of boxing to hold world titles in three divisions at the same time, defeating world Welterweight champion
Barney Ross by a fifteen-round split decision, at New York City.
June 22 – In the second fight of their famous rivalry,
Joe Louis retains the world Heavyweight title with a first-round knockout of former world champion
Max Schmeling, at New York.
June 29 –
Benny Lynch retains the world Flyweight title with a twelve-round knockout over
Peter Kane in
Paisley, Scotland, then retires.
September 22 – Peter Kane conquers the vacant world Flyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over
Jackie Jurich, in
Liverpool, England.
1939
January 10 –
Henry Armstrong begins what would be a run of 20 successful title defenses of his world Welterweight title in the same year, defeating Baby Arizmendi by a ten-round decision, in Los Angeles.
January 25 –
Joe Louis retains the world
Heavyweight title with a first-round knockout of world Light-Heavyweight champion
John Henry Lewis in the first round, in New York City. It would be Lewis; last career fight, as it was later discovered that he had been fighting while suffering
cataracts since 1936.
June 28 – Joe Louis recovers from a third round knockdown and retains his world Heavyweight title, knocking out
Tony Galento in round four, at New York.
July 13 –
Billy Conn defeats
Melio Bettina by decision in fifteen rounds to win the vacant world Light-Heavyweight title, in
Pittsburgh.
August 21 –
Lou Ambers defeats Henry Armstrong to regain the world Lightweight title, with a fifteen-round unanimous decision, at New York.
November 17 – Billy Conn retains the world Light-Heavyweight championship with a fifteen-round decision over
Gus Lesvenich, in New York.
December 11 – Henry Armstrong defends his world Welterweight title for the eleventh time in 1939, defeating
Jimmy Garrison by a knockout in round seven, at
Cleveland. decides to retire