Henry armstrong couldn't beat willie pep

[ron davis]

What do you guys think?

[Willie Pep 229]

Although he started at featherweight I think of Armstrong as the bigger guy. So what's the platitude? 'A great bigger man will always beat a great smaller man.'

I would have to go with Armstrong, but I don't want to. A Split Decision based on Armstrong's 'effective aggression' (whatever the hell that actually means).

But then again, there will be at least one night when Willie will dance him in circles and take a UD. (There now I feel better.)

[DeeMoney]

“Couldn’t” carries some pretty hefty connotations. It implies that given a preponderance of fights Armstrong would not win a single one against Pep; i find that to be far fetched.
Armstrong could beat Pep.

Now if you want to say you’d favor Pep to beat Armstrong thats different.

[cfang]

Pep would beat Armstrong at feather on pts. I cant see how henry wins it.

[Happy Lora]

He could've and would've more often than not, the way I see it.

[cfang]

Odd fighter Armstrong. He's pretty unimpressive when you see him and only fought one way. Its as also odd that he lost twice on the turn to zivic. His record is unlike any other fighter's. Lots of defences and multiple belts in a period of a year or two.

I find it hard to know where to place him in all time top ten. Its like hes got to be there but there's doubts. No such doubts sbout greb, langford, srr etc. Pep is incredibly impressive on film a real master. Most likely he wasnt quite the same after his accident and saddler was a freakishly powerful feather. If be shocked if pep couldnt find a way to negate Armstrong and win on pts

[Happy Lora]

I find Saddler a lot less impressive than Armstrong on film.

[The Old LefHook]

Pep outboxes Hank.

[billeau2]

Hank looks ugly but there is a reason why some think he was in fact, the greatest. he was a solitary version of the Mongol Hordes... Picture a classroom in Westpoint, the finest military minds discussing favorite generals... The tactics of Alexander the Great, Napolean's epic battles, and then someone talks about the Mongols... "Jim they just kept coming and there is no defense against an unmitigated onslaught... " Tactics? Not the chess game of Diamyo's fighting for the unification of Japan... hardly! Lee out thinking Grant... What if neither had time to think?

The Mongols designed a system that was such, they would literally cook their meat by putting it under the saddle and letting friction do its work, they just never stopped coming... Instead of chess, it was a question of keeping the enemy on the run.

If Sugar Ray was the ordered brilliance of Apollo, Hank was the appetite for destruction of Mars, the God of war.

Hank's methods were easy to underestimate, but they were every bit as thought out as fighters like Pep who looked the part of a great fighter.

Pep may have looked better...Hannibal on his elephants ready to punish the Roman legions... But Hank was the savagery that swept through the steppes of Asia. I don't care how good your artillery is, if you are overrun, defeated, and another horde sweeps in behind...and Hank didn't care how good your jab was, he knew he would get past it, and drive you back again and again and again...

At light weight its hard to see Hank losing to anyone in his prime.

[ron davis]

Really, the only thing you got right was Armstong's best weight was Lw. He meant a Tatar in MSQ, who nearly killed him, no joke. 'Davey Day vs. Henry Armstrong' put that in Google. There are newspaper clippings of the fight, with pictures. Day was a nightmare to Uncle Mike Jacob, and his monopoly (control) of all fights in NY. The referee at 2:48 of the 12th round, looked at Armstrong and said,
"you can rest now" he also quoted that he never seen anyone throw as many punches near the end of the 12th round. The sport writer's comment was Henry throw 2000 punches, and was ready to collapse when the Ref. stopped the fight on a TKO Day was getting up, when the ref. called the fight.
Day blind in one eye, and just a squint out the other, fought Armstrong half blind from the 6th rd to the 12th and was ahead. Hank came out in the 11th rd. and hit Davey, five times in the balls. The Ref. called afoul and gave Day the round. He overlooked all the other low blows in each round. They had to carry Armstrong out of the ring still wearing his crown. Day fought Ambers in 1937 and lost in SD was robbed. Three years later the NBA stripped Ambers of his crown, for not fighting Day, who was the #1 Lt. and Welt. contender. Thank you