Black Bill
(Claude Brooks)


 

BLACK BILL, whose real name was Claude Brooks, was a heavyweight boxer who was active from 1902 through 1916. He is also known to have fought one fight in 1927. Born around 1886, he is said to be originally from Memphis TN, most of his fights were in Philadelphia PA. He fought several of the top fighters of his day, including Jack Johnson, Joe Jeanette, Joe Walcott (the original, not Arnold Cream), Philadelphia Jack O'Brien, and Young Peter Jackson. Black Bill did not fare that well against the top competition, however. He lost to O'Brien, twice to Jack Johnson, and in ten meetings with Joe Jeanette, come away the winner only once.

After his ring career was over, Claude "Black Bill" Brooks made his home in Camden NJ, residing at 1028 Linden Street, the corner of Linden Street and Summit Avenue. 


Black Bill

Real Name Claude Brooks
Nationality United States
Hometown Memphis TN
Division Heavyweight
Official Record: W 14 (13 ko's) - L 15 - Draw 3 

Record plus newspaper accounts: W 27 (13 ko's)  |  L 26  |  D 4  |  Total 57   

KNOWN RECORD
- NB this record may be incomplete/inaccurate

 
date Lb opponent Lb wld location
1927-02-10 Homer Smith 57-31-4 Rock Hill, MI, USA L KO 3 0
1916-02-22 Sailor Jack Carroll 25-14-3 Norristown, PA, USA L TKO 2 10
One of 3 bouts Carroll had on the same day.
1915-01-11 Fred Robinson 0-0-0
Pioneer S.C., New York, NY, USA W KO 3 10
1914-08-27 Bill Watkins 6-6-0
 
Olympia A.C., New York, NY, USA D NWS 10 10
Newspaper decision as given in New York Times.
1914-08-01 Joe Jeannette 83-17-10 Irving A.C., Brooklyn, NY, USA L TKO 9 10
1914-07-04 Bob Lee 3-5-0 Brooklyn, NY, USA W KO 3 10
Reported in the Boston Globe. Exact venue not given.
1913-05-21 Joe Jeannette 72-15-8
 
Gowanus A.C., Brooklyn, NY, USA L NWS 10 10
The Boston Globe reported as easy win for Jeannette on newspaper decision.
1913-03-18 Bill Watkins 3-3-0
 
Beach A.C., Brooklyn, NY, USA L TKO 1 10
Black Bill suffered an injured hand and had to give up the fight.
1912-12-21 Bob Lee 0-1-0 Royale AC, Brooklyn, NY, USA W KO 3 6
1912-11-12 Battling Jim Johnson 9-10-3 Royale A.C., Brooklyn, NY, USA L KO 7 10
1912-06-15 197½ Joe Jeannette 196½ 52-13-8 Royale A.C., Brooklyn, NY, USA L DQ 6 10
Bill had wrestled Jennette through the ropes several times.
1912-04-04 Joe Jeannette 50-13-8 Lewiston, ME, USA L KO 3 12
1912-02-29 Bill Watkins 2-2-0 National S.C., New York, NY, USA L NWS 6 6
Watkins won the newspaper decision as given in the New York Times.
1911-10-25 Jack (Battling) Brooks 0-3-0 Sharkey A.C., New York, NY, USA W TKO 8 10
1911-04-05 Jeff Clark 10-3-3 Sharkey A.C., New York, NY, USA L NWS 10 10
Newspaper decision for Clarke as reported in the New York Times.
1910-11-10 Joe Jeannette 30-11-7 Long Acre A.C., New York, NY, USA L KO 5 10
1910-09-30 Tom Overby 2-3-2 National A.C., New Yorik, NY, USA L NWS 6 6
Overby won the newspaper decision as reported in the New York Times.
1907-07-17 Morris Harris 18-11-2 Washington S.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA L KO 1 6
1906-09-06 Joe Jeannette 6-7-1 Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA L KO 4 6
1906-06-14 John (Klondike) Haines 27-11-5 Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W NWS 6 6
Newspaper decision as given in the Philadelphia Item.
1906-04-16 Jack Johnson 51-6-7 Wilkes-Barre, PA, USA L KO 7 10
1906-02-09 Morris Harris 14-7-0 Kensington A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA L NWS 6 6
Newspaper decision as given in Philadelphia Item.
1906-01-11 Neromus 0-0-0
Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W KO 5 6
Neromus did not use a first name.
1905-11-02 Joe Jeannette 4-4-0 Wilmington, DE, USA D PTS 6 6
1905-10-11 Joe Jeannette 2-4-0 Wilmington, DE, USA L KO 7 10
1905-07-13 Jack Johnson 44-5-7 Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA L NWS 3 3
Johnson fought both Black Bill and Morris Harris on this program.
1905-06-08 Joe Jeannette 0-3-0
 
Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA L NWS 6 6
1905-05-02 Jack Johnson 41-5-7
 
Knickerbocker A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA L KO 4 6
Johnson defends world 'colored' heavyweight title
Claude Brooks used the name "Black Bill"
1905-04-20 Joe Jeannette 0-2-0
   
Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W KO 2 6
1905-04-07 Larry Temple 7-3-4
 
Knickerbocker A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W NWS 6 6
Newspaper decision as given in Philadelphia Item. Bill handed Temple a sound beating.
1905-03-16 Morris Harris 14-4-0
 
Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W NWS 6 6
Newspaper decision as given in the Philadelphia Item. Black Bill gave Harris another licking.
1905-01-05 Morris Harris 13-2-0
 
Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W NWS 6 6
Newspaper decision as given in Philadelphia Item. Black Bill gave Harris a sound whipping.
1904-12-09 Morris Harris 12-1-0
 
Manhattan A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA L KO 5 6
1904-12-03 Charley Stevenson 28-19-1
 
Keystone A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W NWS 6 6
Newspaper decision as given in Philadelphia Item.
1904-11-17 Philadelphia Jack O'Brien 109-4-19
 
Manhattan A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA L NWS 6 6
Newspaper decision as given in the Philadelphia Item. O'Brien won easily.
1904-07-28 George Cole 44-14-11
 
Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W NWS 6 6
Newspaper decision as given in the Philadelphia Item.
1904-03-11 Young Peter Jackson 62-18-18
 
Baltimore, MD, USA D PTS 15 15
Black Bill and Young Peter Jackson did not meet in Philadelphia on April 14, 1904, as previously listed here. According to the Philadelphia Item, there was no program in the city on that night.
1904-02-26 Joe Walcott 88-13-16
 
Lenox A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W NWS 6 6
Newspaper decision as given in the Philadelphia Item.
1904-02-15 Jack Johnson 36-4-7
 
Lenox A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA L NWS 6 6
Johnson defends world 'colored' heavyweight title- Newspaper decision as reported in the Philadelphia Item.
1904-01-16 Bob Long 7-12-3
 
Richmond A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W DQ 6 6
Newspaper decision as reported in the Philadelphia Item.
1903-12-17 Charley Stevenson 26-18-1
 
Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W NWS 6 6
Newspaper decision as reported in the Philadelphia Item. Black Bill was an easy winner.
1903-11-19 Charley Stevenson 26-17-1
 
Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W NWS 6 6
Newspaper decision as given by Philadelphia Item. Stevenson was floored 14 times.
1903-09-07 Young Peter Jackson 58-16-18
 
National A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W NWS 6 6
Newspaper decision as reported in the Philadelphia Item.
1903-08-18 Bob Long 5-8-0
 
Southern A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W NWS 6 6
Newspaper decision as given in the Philadelphia Item.
1903-05-22 Larry Temple 5-1-1
 
Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA L KO 3 6
1903-04-24 George Cole 37-12-7
 
Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA L NWS 6 6
Newspaper decision as reported in the Philadelphia Item.
1903-04-17 Joe Conaghy 0-1-0
 
Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W KO 1 6
1903-03-20 Charley Stevenson 24-16-1
 
Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA L NWS 6 6
Newspaper decision as reported in the Philadelphia Item.
1903-03-13 George Maples 0-0-0
Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W KO 1 6
1903-03-10 Young Peter Jackson 57-16-16
 
Baltimore, MD, USA D PTS 15 0
Black Bill was 65 pounds heavier than Jackson.
1903-03-06 Jack Hirst 0-0-0
Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W TKO 2 6
1903-02-27 Charley Stevenson 24-15-1
 
Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W NWS 6 6
Newspaper decision as given in Philadelphia Item.
1903-02-06 Bill Larry 2-7-0
 
Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W NWS 6 6
Newspaper decision as reported in the Philadelphia Item.
1903-01-30 Charley Smith 0-0-0
Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W TKO 1 6
1903-01-10 Jack Langdon 0-0-0
Keystone A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W TKO 1 6
1902-12-27 Morris Mahoney 0-1-0
 
Keystone A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W KO 3 6
1902-11-22 Big Chief 0-0-0
Keystone A.C., Philadelphia, PA, USA W TKO 4 6

Record from http://www.boxrec.com 

Camden Daily Courier
September 25, 1920

Black Bill
Walter "The Kentucky Rosebud" Edgerton
Jim Blair

 

Camden
Courier-Post

April 6, 1928

Dr. Charles B. Helm
James Wilson
Haddon Avenue
Claude "Black Bill" Brooks
Linden Street
Mickle Street


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