Tony Chavez’s Armstrong Trilogy
On December 3, 1936, Tony Chavez won by disqualification against Henry Armstrong in St. Louis. Armstrong subsequently beat Chavez twice during 1937, including a knockout in their January 19 rematch in Los Angeles.
A New Mexico boxer on the western circuit
Chavez’s recorded professional bouts begin in 1930. He fought frequently through the following decade, appearing in venues around Albuquerque and Los Angeles and meeting a wide range of opponents. BoxRec lists Albuquerque as his birthplace and Los Angeles as his hometown. The records and contemporary newspaper coverage identify him as a lightweight, although boxing databases also place him among ranked featherweights during the 1930s.
Three fights with Henry Armstrong
Chavez fought Henry Armstrong three times between December 1936 and December 1937. Their first meeting, in St. Louis on December 3, 1936, ended in the eighth round when Armstrong was disqualified; the recorded result was a Chavez win. Armstrong reversed that result in their January 19, 1937 rematch in Los Angeles, knocking Chavez out in the tenth round. In their third bout, on December 6, 1937, Armstrong stopped him in the first round in Cleveland.
The three-bout series captures Chavez’s encounters with one of boxing’s dominant figures. Chavez took their first meeting by disqualification, while Henry Armstrong won the next two contests.
A documented win over Mike Belloise
Chavez continued to face well-known opponents after the Armstrong fights. On May 26, 1939, he stopped Mike Belloise in Hollywood. An Associated Press report published by the Big Spring Daily Herald the following month described Chavez as a New Mexico-born lightweight and noted the stoppage. His 1940 schedule included California Jackie Wilson, whom he met at Legion Stadium in Hollywood; the recorded result was a points loss.
Chavez’s documented career extended through 1948, with activity across western U.S. venues during the 1930s and 1940s. His three recorded meetings with Henry Armstrong remain among the most notable results in his professional history.
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Tony Chavez, Boxing, Boxing History, Championship Results
