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, Tenn., 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, came away the winner only once.
After his ring career was over, Claude “Black Bill” Brooks made his home in Camden, N.J., residing at 1028 Linden Street, the corner of Linden Street and Summit Avenue.
Fighter Profile
| Real Name | Claude Brooks |
| Nationality | United States |
| Hometown | Memphis, Tenn. |
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Official Record | W 14 (13 KOs) – L 15 – D 3 |
| Full Record | W 27 (13 KOs) | L 26 | D 4 | Total 57 |
The full record includes newspaper decisions not counted in the official record. This record may be incomplete or inaccurate.
Known Record
Record from BoxRec. This record may be incomplete or inaccurate.
| Date | Wt | Opponent | Opp. Wt | Opp. Rec. | Location | Res. | Method | Rd | Sched. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927-02-10 | Homer Smith | 57-31-4 | Rock Hill, MI | L | KO | 3 | — | ||
| 1916-02-22 | Sailor Jack Carroll | 25-14-3 | Norristown, PA | 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 | W | KO | 3 | 10 | ||
| 1914-08-27 | Bill Watkins | 6-6-0 | Olympia A.C., New York, NY | 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 | L | TKO | 9 | 10 | ||
| 1914-07-04 | Bob Lee | 3-5-0 | Brooklyn, NY | 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 | 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 | 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 A.C., Brooklyn, NY | W | KO | 3 | 6 | ||
| 1912-11-12 | Battling Jim Johnson | 9-10-3 | Royale A.C., Brooklyn, NY | L | KO | 7 | 10 | ||
| 1912-06-15 | 197½ | Joe Jeannette | 196½ | 52-13-8 | Royale A.C., Brooklyn, NY | L | DQ | 6 | 10 |
| Bill had wrestled Jeannette through the ropes several times. | |||||||||
| 1912-04-04 | Joe Jeannette | 50-13-8 | Lewiston, ME | L | KO | 3 | 12 | ||
| 1912-02-29 | Bill Watkins | 2-2-0 | National S.C., New York, NY | 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 | W | TKO | 8 | 10 | ||
| 1911-04-05 | Jeff Clark | 10-3-3 | Sharkey A.C., New York, NY | L | NWS | 10 | 10 | ||
| Newspaper decision for Clark as reported in the New York Times. | |||||||||
| 1910-11-10 | Joe Jeannette | 30-11-7 | Long Acre A.C., New York, NY | L | KO | 5 | 10 | ||
| 1910-09-30 | Tom Overby | 2-3-2 | National A.C., New York, NY | 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 | L | KO | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1906-09-06 | Joe Jeannette | 6-7-1 | Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, PA | L | KO | 4 | 6 | ||
| 1906-06-14 | John (Klondike) Haines | 27-11-5 | Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, PA | W | NWS | 6 | 6 | ||
| Newspaper decision as given in the Philadelphia Item. | |||||||||
| 1906-04-16 | Jack Johnson | 51-6-7 | Wilkes-Barre, PA | L | KO | 7 | 10 | ||
| 1906-02-09 | Morris Harris | 14-7-0 | Kensington A.C., Philadelphia, PA | L | NWS | 6 | 6 | ||
| Newspaper decision as given in Philadelphia Item. | |||||||||
| 1906-01-11 | Neromus | 0-0-0 | Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, PA | W | KO | 5 | 6 | ||
| Neromus did not use a first name. | |||||||||
| 1905-11-02 | Joe Jeannette | 4-4-0 | Wilmington, DE | D | PTS | 6 | 6 | ||
| 1905-10-11 | Joe Jeannette | 2-4-0 | Wilmington, DE | L | KO | 7 | 10 | ||
| 1905-07-13 | Jack Johnson | 44-5-7 | Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, PA | 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 | L | NWS | 6 | 6 | ||
| 1905-05-02 | Jack Johnson | 41-5-7 | Knickerbocker A.C., Philadelphia, PA | 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 | W | KO | 2 | 6 | ||
| 1905-04-07 | Larry Temple | 7-3-4 | Knickerbocker A.C., Philadelphia, PA | 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 | 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 | 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 | L | KO | 5 | 6 | ||
| 1904-12-03 | Charley Stevenson | 28-19-1 | Keystone A.C., Philadelphia, PA | 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 | 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 | W | NWS | 6 | 6 | ||
| Newspaper decision as given in the Philadelphia Item. | |||||||||
| 1904-03-11 | Young Peter Jackson | 62-18-18 | Baltimore, MD | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | L | KO | 3 | 6 | ||
| 1903-04-24 | George Cole | 37-12-7 | Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, PA | 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 | W | KO | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1903-03-20 | Charley Stevenson | 24-16-1 | Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, PA | 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 | W | KO | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1903-03-10 | Young Peter Jackson | 57-16-16 | Baltimore, MD | D | PTS | 15 | — | ||
| Black Bill was 65 pounds heavier than Jackson. | |||||||||
| 1903-03-06 | Jack Hirst | 0-0-0 | Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, PA | W | TKO | 2 | 6 | ||
| 1903-02-27 | Charley Stevenson | 24-15-1 | Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, PA | W | NWS | 6 | 6 | ||
| Newspaper decision as given in Philadelphia Item. | |||||||||
| 1903-02-06 | Bill Larry | 2-7-0 | Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, PA | 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 | W | TKO | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1903-01-10 | Jack Langdon | 0-0-0 | Keystone A.C., Philadelphia, PA | W | TKO | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1902-12-27 | Morris Mahoney | 0-1-0 | Keystone A.C., Philadelphia, PA | W | KO | 3 | 6 | ||
| 1902-11-22 | Big Chief | 0-0-0 | Keystone A.C., Philadelphia, PA | W | TKO | 4 | 6 | ||
Kentucky Rosebud in Carnival Windup
Camden Daily Courier —
The Kentucky Rosebud is slated to meet an unknown in the windup at the outdoor carnival, Haddon avenue and Mickle street, this evening. “Black Bill” and Jim Blair are also scheduled to box a return engagement. These two put on a fast bout last night.
‘Black Bill’ Is Hurt When Car Hits Wagon
Camden Courier-Post —
Thrown from his wagon when it was struck by a truck, Claude Brooks, known in the sporting world as “Black Bill,” was cut on the hand and suffered body bruises yesterday afternoon.
Brooks was driving on Haddon avenue when at Mickle street a vehicle driven by Rocco Turchi, Jr., 22, of 1526 South Twelfth street, Philadelphia, crashed into the wagon.
The horse was injured and was killed by Dr. Charles B. Helm, city veterinarian and purchasing agent. Brooks was treated at Cooper Hospital.
Turchi, driver for John Morrell & Co., Philadelphia, was arrested by James Wilson, motorcycle policeman, for reckless driving. He was released under $227 bail for a hearing Tuesday. Brooks, at the height of his fistic career many years ago, fought such notables as Jack Johnson and others. He is 42 and lives at 1028 Linden street.