Black Bill
(Claude Brooks)

BORN   May 13 1877; Norfolk, Virginia (Lived in Merchantville, New Jersey; Fought out of Memphis, Tennessee)
HEIGHT 5-7 (Some sources report 5-8; Some report 6-0)
WEIGHT 165-197 1/2 lbs
MANAGER Ben Forrest, John J. Frost

Black Bill (Claude Brooks) was a light heavyweight who tangled with anyone from middleweight to heavyweight; He was quick and clever and especially game

During his career, "Bill" defeated such men as Joe Jeannette, Morris Mahoney, "Battling" Jack Brooks and Bob Lee and won a high percentage of newspaper verdicts in the "No Decision" bouts in which he fought

 
1897
Nov  8 Al Hendrickson              Trenton, NJ                       W  6
Nov 24 Jimmy Casey                 Bordertown, NJ                   KO  3

1898
Feb  4 Jim Weldron                 Trenton, NJ                      KO  1
Mar  7 Jim Medford                 Trenton, NJ                       W  6
Aug 16 Young Sykes                 Trenton, NJ                      EX  3

1901
Jan 11 Bert Roby                   Bordertown, NJ                   ND  6
Mar 11 George Krall                Trenton, NJ                      LK  5

1902
Nov 22 Big Chief                   Philadelphia, Pa                 TK  4
Dec 27 Morris Mahoney              Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  3

1903
Jan 10 Jack Langdon                Philadelphia, Pa                 TK  1
Jan 30 Charles Smith               Philadelphia, Pa                 TK  1
          -Some sources report "Jim Peterson"
Feb  6 "Cyclone" Bill Larry        Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Feb 27 Charles Stevenson           Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Mar  6 Jack Hirst                  Philadelphia, Pa                 TK  2
          -Some sources report "ND 6" against "Baltimore Bully"
Mar 13 George Maples               Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1
Mar 20 Charles Stevenson           Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
          -Some sources report "LK 5"
Apr 17 Joe Conaghy                 Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  1
Apr 24 George Cole                 Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
May 22 Larry Temple                Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  3
          -Some sources report 11/23/03
Aug 13 Fred Cooley                 Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  1
Aug 18 Bob Long                    Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Sep  7 "Young" Peter Jackson       Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Oct 26 Bob Long                    Philadelphia, Pa                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Nov 19 Charles Stevenson           Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
          -Some sources report 11/18/03
Nov 24 "Scaldy" Bill Quinn         Philadelphia, Pa                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Dec 17 Charles Stevenson           Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6

1904
Jan 16 Bob Long                    Philadelphia, Pa                 WF  6
          -Some sources report "ND 6"
Feb 15 Jack Johnson                Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
          -Some sources report 2/16/04
Feb 26 Joe Walcott                 Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
          -Some sources report 2/26/05
Mar 11 "Young" Peter Jackson       Baltimore, Md                     D 15
Apr 14 "Young" Peter Jackson       Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  5
          -Some sources report "NC 5"
Jul 21 Charles Stevenson           Chester, Pa                     SCH   
          -Black Bill and Stevenson refused to fight due to a poor crowd and low money;
           Some sources report "Charlie Stevens" instead of "Charley Stevenson";
           Some sources report "ND 6"
Jul 28 George Cole                 Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Nov 18 "Philadelphia" Jack O'Brien Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
          -Some sources report 11/17/04
Dec  3 Charles Stevenson           Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Dec  9 Morris Harris               Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  5

1905
Jan  5 Morris Harris               Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Mar 16 Morris Harris               Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Apr  7 Larry Temple                Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Apr 20 Joe Jeannette               Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  2
May  2 Jack Johnson                Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  4
          -Some sources report 5/03/05
Jun  8 Joe Jeannette               Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Jul 13 Jack Johnson                Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
          -Some sources report "ND 3"
Oct 11 Joe Jeannette               Wilmington, De                   LK  7
Nov  2 Joe Jeannette               Wilmington, De                   ND  3
          -Some sources report "LF 3"
           Some sources report "ND 6"
           Some sources report "D 6" 

1906
Jan 11 Neromus                     Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  5
          -Some sources report 2/02/06 
Feb  9 Morris Harris               Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Apr 16 Jack Johnson                Pittston, Pa                     LK  7
Jun 14 Klondike (John Haines)      Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Sep  6 Joe Jeannette               Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  4
Sep 20 "Young" Peter Jackson       Baltimore, Md                     D  4

1907
Jun 11 Joe Jeannette               New York, NY                     LT  4
          -Some sources report "ND 6"
Jul 17 Morris Harris               Philadelphia, Pa                 LK  1
          -Some sources report "LK 3"

1910
Mar    Steve Crosby                Westport, Pa                      L 10
Sep 30 Tom Overby                  New York, NY                     ND  6
Nov 10 Joe Jeannette               New York, NY                     LK  5

1911
Apr  5 Jeff Clark                  New York, NY                     ND 10
Oct 25 "Battling" Jack Brooks      New York, NY                     TK  8

1912
Feb 29 Bill Watkins                New York, NY                     LK  6
          -Some sources report "ND 6"
Apr  4 Joe Jeannette               Lewiston, Me                     LK  3
Jun 15 Joe Jeannette               Brooklyn, NY                     LF  6
          -Some sources report "LK 6"
Nov 13 "Battling" Jim Johnson      Brooklyn, NY                     LK  7
          -Some sources report 11/12/11;
           Some sources report "LK 8"
Dec 21 Bob Lee                     Brooklyn, NY                     KO  3

1913
Mar 18 Bill Watkins                Brooklyn, NY                     LT  1
May 21 Joe Jeannette               Brooklyn, NY                     ND 10

1914
Apr  4 Bob McAllister              Lewiston, Me                     LK  3
Jun 15 Bob McAllister              Brooklyn, NY                     LK  6
Jul  4 Bob Lee                     Brooklyn, NY                     KO  3
Aug  1 Joe Jeannette               Brooklyn, NY                     LT  9
Aug 27 Bill Watkins                New York, NY                     ND 10
          -Some sources report "D 10" 

1915
Jan 11 Fred Robinson               New York, NY                     KO  3

1916
Feb 22 "Sailor" Jack Carroll       Norristown, Pa                   LT  2


*** The Following Bout Is Reported But Not Confirmed ***

1927
Feb 10 Homer Smith                                                  LK  3


*** Most Data Was Provided By Luckett Davis, William Schutte and Kevin Smith ***

*** Asistance Was Provided By Sergey Yurchenko ***

*** Click Here To See Book Review For THE SUNDOWNERS ***
Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization