Bob Armstrong (September 4, 1873 – January 5, 1933), was a heavyweight boxer known as the "King of the Battle Royal". He was born in Rogersville, Tennessee, but he moved with his family to Washington, Ohio when he was three years old.

Before he got into boxing, Armstrong worked with racing horses in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He made his debut on September 19 in a six-rounder against Joe Choynski in Chicago, Illinois. He lost the decision on points.

Choynski used him as a sparring partner, as did world heavyweight champion pretender Tom Sharkey and the true heavyweight champs Bob Fitzsimmons and Jim Jeffries.

World Colored Heavyweight Champ On December 21, 1896, he won the World Colored Heavyweight Championship vacated by long-time colored champ Peter Jackson by knocking out Charley Strong in the 19th round in a fight held in New York City (although some sources claim the bout took place in Philadelphia on March 25, 1897). On New Year's Day 1897 he fought Joe Butler in Philadelphia and was knocked out in the second round. They met again on the sixth of March in a title bout, and Armstrong prevailed, winning by a technical knock-out in the 6th round. The following day, he fought Frank Childs and lost to him on points in a non-title bout.

His next fight was a title bout with Sam Pruitt in San Francisco on April 23, 1897, which he won via a 1st round knock-out. His next official fights resulted in a loss on points to Joe Sheehy in a four-rounder in June and a win against Jack Douglass via a TKO in the 2nd round on September 13. Some sources also report that he beat Jack McCormick on September 25. In 1897, he also fought two exhibitions against Tom Sharkey in May and fought two exhibitions against two different opponents, Jimmy Barry and Childs, on May 29. He fought an exhibition against Joe Choynski in August and finished out the year with an exhibition against John Holtman in November.

In the new year of 1898, Armstrong put his championship on the line in a rematch with Childs. On January 29, 1898, and Childs took the title by knocking Armstrong out in the second round.

Post-Championship On August 5, 1898, Armstrong fought top white heavyweight contender James J. Jeffries, who was less than a year away from winning the world's heavyweight championship, in a 10-round bout at the Lenox Athletic Club in New York City. Armstrong lost on points.

He fought colored heavyweight champ Denver Ed Martin for the colored heavyweight title in the Crystal Palace in London on July 25, 1902. According to the Associated Press coverage of the fight:

"Martin proved the cleverer and never gave his opponent a chance, being declared an easy winner on points at the close of the fifteenth round; Martin, it is announced, will challenge the winner of the Jeffries-Fitzsimmons fight in San Francsico."

Martin was not given a title shot and met Armstrong for a rematch in Philadelphia on December 10 According to the Daily Gazette and Bulletin:

"The bout was fast from the start and both men narrowly escaped a knockout. The bell saved Armstrong in the third and fifth and Martin was floored six times in the fourth round."

The six-round bout ended in a no decision . In his next fight, Martin lost his title to Jack Johnson, who would one day break the color bar and become the first African American heavyweight champion of the world.

Armstrong retired after being KO-ed by Walter Johnson in Haverhill, Massachusetts on December 26, 1904. He ended his career with an official record of 17 wins (with 15 KOs) against 11 losses (in which he was KO-ed six times) and five draws. He also had a newspaper decision record of one win and one draw.

On January 29, 1932, he worked the corner for King Levinsky in his fight against Max Baer.

He died on January 5, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois.

Legacy & Honors

In 2020 award-winning author Mark Allen Baker published the first comprehensive account of The World Colored Heavyweight Championship, 1876-1937, with McFarland & Company, a leading independent publisher of academic & nonfiction books. This history traces the advent and demise of the Championship, the stories of the talented professional athletes who won it, and the demarcation of the color line both in and out of the ring.

For decades the World Colored Heavyweight Championship was a useful tool to combat racial oppression-the existence of the title a leverage mechanism, or tool, used as a technique to counter a social element, “drawing the color line.”

Professional boxing record All information in this section is derived from BoxRec, unless otherwise stated.

Official record

All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column. ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes37LossWalter JohnsonKO4 (12)Dec 26, 190436Win17–9–5 Walter JohnsonKO2 (12)Apr 18, 190435Win16–9–5 Black FitzsimmonsKO1 (25)Sep 23, 190334Loss15–9–5 Sandy FergusonKO1 (10)Aug 20, 190333Win15–8–5 Denver Ed MartinKO3 (12)Jun 10, 19033214–8–5 George GardnerNC4 (6)Feb 9, 190331Loss14–8–5 Denver Ed MartinNWS6Dec 10, 190230Loss14–8–5 Denver Ed MartinPTS15Jul 25, 190229Draw14–7–5 Denver Ed MartinNWS6Mar 23, 190028Win14–7–5 Jim JeffordsKO3 (25)Nov 27, 189927Loss13–7–5 Ed DunkhorstPTS10Nov 14, 189926Win13–6–5 Tom 'Stockings' ConroyPTS20Jul 21, 189925Win12–6–5 Denver Ed MartinKO2 (20)Jun 6, 189924Loss11–6–5 Frank ChildsTKO6 (10)Mar 4, 189923Win11–5–5 Mexican Pete EverettTKO14 (15)Dec 9, 189822Draw10–5–5 Ed DunkhorstPTS10Dec 4, 189821Draw10–5–4 Joe GoddardNWS6Aug 29, 189820Loss10–5–4 James J. JeffriesPTS10Aug 5, 189819Loss10–4–4 Mexican Pete EverettKO5 (20)Jul 4, 189818Win10–3–4 Tom 'Stockings' ConroyPTS6Jun 10, 189817Win9–3–4 Joe ButlerKO2 (6)May 27, 189816Draw8–3–4 Ed DunkhorstPTS10Apr 25, 189815Win8–3–3 Charley StrongNWS6Mar 25, 189814Win8–3–3Yank KennyKO5 (6)Feb 21, 189813Loss7–3–3Frank ChildsKO2 (6)Jan 29, 189812Win7–2–3Jack DouglassRTD2 (8)Sep 13, 189711Loss6–2–3Joe SheehyPTS4Jun 1, 189710Win6–1–3Sam PruittRTD1 (10)Apr 23, 18979Loss5–1–3Frank ChildsPTS6Mar 7, 18978Win5–0–3Joe ButlerTKO6 (15)Mar 6, 18977Win4–0–3Charley StrongKO19 (20)Dec 21, 18966Win3–0–3Frank 'Paddy' SlavinTKO4 (20)Nov 23, 18965Win2–0–3Tommy ForrestTKO2 (?)Aug 31, 18964Draw1–0–3Fred MorrisPTS4Aug 31, 18963Win1–0–2Frank 'Paddy' SlavinKO10 (?)Nov 5, 18952Draw0–0–2Walter JohnsonPTS10Jul 15, 18951Draw0–0–1Joe ChoynskiPTS6Sep 19, 1894

Unofficial record

Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw column. ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes37LossWalter JohnsonKO4 (12)Dec 26, 190436Win18–10–7 Walter JohnsonKO2 (12)Apr 18, 190435Win17–10–7 Black FitzsimmonsKO1 (25)Sep 23, 190334Loss16–10–7 Sandy FergusonKO1 (10)Aug 20, 190333Win16–9–7 Denver Ed MartinKO3 (12)Jun 10, 19033215–9–7 George GardnerNC4 (6)Feb 9, 190331Loss15–9–7Denver Ed MartinNWS6Dec 10, 190230Loss15–8–7Denver Ed MartinPTS15Jul 25, 190229Draw15–7–7Denver Ed MartinNWS6Mar 23, 190028Win15–7–6Jim JeffordsKO3 (25)Nov 27, 189927Loss14–7–6Ed DunkhorstPTS10Nov 14, 189926Win14–6–6Tom 'Stockings' ConroyPTS20Jul 21, 189925Win13–6–6Denver Ed MartinKO2 (20)Jun 6, 189924Loss12–6–6Frank ChildsTKO6 (10)Mar 4, 189923Win12–5–6Mexican Pete EverettTKO14 (15)Dec 9, 189822Draw11–5–6Ed DunkhorstPTS10Dec 4, 189821Draw11–5–5Joe GoddardNWS6Aug 29, 189820Loss11–5–4James J. JeffriesPTS10Aug 5, 189819Loss11–4–4Mexican Pete EverettKO5 (20)Jul 4, 189818Win11–3–4Tom 'Stockings' ConroyPTS6Jun 10, 189817Win10–3–4Joe ButlerKO2 (6)May 27, 189816Draw9–3–4Ed DunkhorstPTS10Apr 25, 189815Win9–3–3Charley StrongNWS6Mar 25, 189814Win8–3–3Yank KennyKO5 (6)Feb 21, 189813Loss7–3–3Frank ChildsKO2 (6)Jan 29, 189812Win7–2–3Jack DouglassRTD2 (8)Sep 13, 189711Loss6–2–3Joe SheehyPTS4Jun 1, 189710Win6–1–3Sam PruittRTD1 (10)Apr 23, 18979Loss5–1–3Frank ChildsPTS6Mar 7, 18978Win5–0–3Joe ButlerTKO6 (15)Mar 6, 18977Win4–0–3Charley StrongKO19 (20)Dec 21, 18966Win3–0–3Frank 'Paddy' SlavinTKO4 (20)Nov 23, 18965Win2–0–3Tommy ForrestTKO2 (?)Aug 31, 18964Draw1–0–3Fred MorrisPTS4Aug 31, 18963Win1–0–2Frank 'Paddy' SlavinKO10 (?)Nov 5, 18952Draw0–0–2Walter JohnsonPTS10Jul 15, 18951Draw0–0–1Joe ChoynskiPTS6Sep 19, 1894

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