European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 27, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page s2 the stars and stripes thursday october 27,1988 commentary Armstrong was something spec a boxing legend Henry Armstrong. 3 titles when they mean something when the boxing Hall of Fame opened in 1954, three men were named inaugural members. Two were heavyweights Jack dumps by and Joe Louis. The third was Henry Armstrong who was what Ever weight he needed 10 be. Fifty years ago Henry Armstrong was the Feather weight Champion of the boxing world a smaller less complicated boning world Ore in which it was some thing special to be identified As a Champion at a time before titles became a dime a dozen. America was still locked in the Depths of he de pression in 1938, and the featherweight title was hardly a ticket to easy Street. But add a couple of other crowns to it and you could make a decent living. So on May 31, 1938, weighing 1331/ pounds l3vi under the division limit featherweight Champ Henry Armstrong jumped right past the 135 Pound lightweight division to beat Barney Ross for the 147-Pound welterweight title. Then z i months later and a half Pound heavier Armstrong dropped Back to clean out the class be tween his two titles defeating Lou ambers for the lightweight championship to ats three championships at one time in weight classes covering a Range of 21 pounds from 126 in the featherweight class through the 135 Light weight limit to the 147 father Wight Standard. And those were undisputed championships legitimate championships not bits and pieces of titles Cut up with surge online precision by ruling bodies that fabricate divisions and race each other to manufacture glitzy looking Bells costume jewelry appropriate to the titles they represent. Thomas Carns likes to boast that he was the first fighter to win four championships. What Hearns does t say is none of them was undisputed the Way Armstrong s three titles were. Sugar Ray Leonard shoots for his fourth and fifth crowns a week from monday in Las vegas nev., against Donny Lalonde who is unlikely to be mis taken for Hall of Fame re Ross and ambers. Whal Leonard does t say is the five include the Aba Junior middleweight a title he never defended mid the wac super middleweight a title that never even existed until now. This is to Lake nothing away from the accomplishments of Leonard and Hearns which arc sub Stantial. But Henry Armstrong was special. Besides the three titles he owned at a Lime when boxing Only had seven divisions Armstrong fought for a fourth missing the middleweight Crown Only when he Drew with cd Scrino Garcia in 1940. He had successfully defended the welterweight title against Garcia on nov. 25, 1938, six months after he won in from Ross and three months after he beat ambers for Lac lightweight Crown. Ten Days after that welterweight defense against Garcia he defended Lac title Ogain stopping Al Manfredo in three rounds. The nest year 1939, Henry Armstrong loss a re match for the lightweight title to ambers in August. Sandwiched around that defeat were 11 successful defences of the Walter Wight title five of them in the space of 21 Days from oct. 9-30. Today a fighter who has five bouts in a year is considered Busy. Armstrong had five fights All of them for his Lille in 21 Days. That was nothing. In 1937, the year he beat pole Sarron for the Walter Wight Crown Henry Armstrong fought 27 times winning at of the bouts 26 by knockout. Of course they had a quaint custom in Hose  a Boxer wanted a payday he had to Box. So Arm Strong a perpetual motion machine at 5-fool-5vj, boxed. And if you got him a fight the weight class did l Mailer that much. He was like a came lion changing classes to fit his needs. Armstrong fought from 1931-45 and lost just 21 of 181 fights. The last defeat came in his final fight a 10-round decision to Chester Slider. I hit the other fellow on the Chin and he broke his leg Armstrong said some years later. But they gave the other fellow the decision life won a decision Over Henry Armstrong the other Day. He died destitute in los Angeles and took a sizeable chunk of boxing legend with my. Tim aunt Lead pm nil from Page 17 finished i6lh in the Overall league stand Ings and just managed to make the play offs on the last weekend of the season. Kelly a Rudey the islanders goalie was the victim of the Leafs perfect re Cord shooting in the second period which gave them a 4-3 Lead which Wreggit pro in Clad during a scoreless third period. Arc Ggut was absolutely super to Ronto coach John Brophy said. But every game he plays he plays like  we get Down 10 a one goal game especially on the Road he seems to gel  in other nil games tuesday canadians 1, Bruins 1 Boston Shayne Corson scored on a Power play at 2 26 of Lac second period to give Montreal a tie and end Boston s three game winning Streak. Boston goalie Reggie a Mclin pre served the tic when he made a Point Blank save on Bobby Smith at 4 06 of overtime. Smith was All alone at the right Corner of the crease when he took Mike canc s pass from the left Side but a Mclin knocked the puck away. The Bruins whose goal was scored by Craig Janancy at 17 20 of the Fibril period Poulshot the canadians 25-10 in the first two periods. Bui Montreal held the Edge 11-7 in the third period and 3-1 in overtime. Penguins 6, flames 1 Pittsburgh Mario Lemieux had two goals and Ihrck assists and Steveg Nelte stopped 43 shots to Lead pills Burgh Over Calgary. Lemieux leads the nil with is goals and 31 Points in eight games. Guenette has a 4-0-0 record and has allowed Only nine goals in four Barnes. Pittsburgh succeeded on two of is first Ihrcke Power play chances against Lac flames who had previously killed All 13penalties on the Road this season. In improving their record to 6-2-0, the pen Guins killed off seven of Lac flames eight Power play chances. Sabres 7, devils 4 East Rutherford . Pierre Turgeon scored twice and Dave Andry Chuk snapped a tic with his second goal of the game As Buffalo continued its Mastery Over new Jersey. The Victory raised the sabres record against new Jersey to 14-2-3 since the devils moved from Colorado for the 1982 season. The Victory was due in Large part to the work of Buffalo s special teams which converted on four of seven Power plays while limiting the new Jersey Power play to two goals in nine opportunities. Blackhawk 7, Nordques 4 Quebec Dan Vinceletti scored twice and Denis Savard added a goal and three assists in leading Chicago to a Triumph Over Quebec. The Blackhawk who entered the game with a l-7-l record the worst in the nil ended 8 five game losing Streak. They led 4-1 after the opening period and although Quebec scored twice in the Middle session Steve Larm or set up Rick Vaive on the Power play Early in the third to apply the brakes to Lac Nordques surge. The loss was the fourth straight for the Nordques who have won Only once in their last six starts. In the last fou games Quebec has yielded 27 goals to their opposition. Oilers 5, King 4 Inglewood Calif. Esa Tikka non scored with 11 58 left to help give Edmonton a Victory Over los Angeles and Wayne Gretzky who was held with out a goal against his former teammates for the second time in less than a week. Tikkanen got the puck from a Falcoff spun and fired past los Angeles goalie Glenn scaly to give the oilers a 4-3 Lead. Greg Simpson scored with less than two minutes left for the oilers with what became the winning goal when Dave Taylor scored at the Buzzer for Lac Kings. Doug Smith had pulled Edmonton into a 3-3 tic at 10 54 of the period when he beat scaly from 15 feet on the stick Side. Gretzky had one assist when Steve Duchesne Pul in a rebound of Gretzky s shot to give the Kings a 3-2 Lead 6 12 into the final period. Gretzky had two assists last wednes Day night As the Kings loss 8-6 in his firs game at Edmonton since being traded to los Angeles from the oilers. Jimmy Carson broke a five game per Sonal scoring drought 2 04 into the third period to give the oilers a 2-1 Lead. Car son took a pass from Glenn Andersen at the top of the zone Juke Paul Guay and beat former teammate heal 1 High on he Glove Side from close in. Carson who scored two goals on opening night had tallied four assists in the last three games including one in the oilers Victory Over the Kings last week John Tonelli lied it less than two min utes later on a breakaway slapping the puck past Grant Fuhr on the Glove Side from 10 feet out Gretzky Mike Krush Myski and Marty Mcsorley were traded to the Kings in Early August for Carson 1988first-round draft pick Martin go Sinai three future first round draft choices and $15 million. Kings opponents had scored first in every game this season but uni Shetyski ended that Streak just 38 seconds into the game when he took a pass from Ron Duguay in front of the crease and shot past Fuhr s Glove  took a High stick in the face from Normand Lacombe at Center ice Midway through the second period and Felt to the ice for a few moments. La Combe was t penalized. Capluls4,cnbcks3, Vancouver British Columbia Mike Ridley scored on a Power play 2 55 into overtime to lift Washington Over  broke a three game losing Streak and extended the capitals unbeaten Streak Over the canucks to 13 games spanning five seasons. Dale Hunter Ken Carlson and Dave Christian took advantage of shaky goal tending by Vancouver s Kirk Mclean Totake a 3-1 Lead after one period. With Steve weeks replacing Kirk Mclean inthe second period Vancouver tied the score on Tony Tanti i two goals