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Edward Roberts (born as Edwin Lionel Rowland) (January 20, 1903 – March 3, 1968), better known as Eddie Roberts, was an American Welterweight/
Roberts left the Navy and asked Jack Connors in late 1921 if Connors would be his coach (Connors was also the coach of future Welterweight World champion, Freddie Steele and briefly the coach of the future 15th governor of Washington Albert Rosellini), Connors accepted, Roberts left the Navy and had his professional debut on September 2, 1922, at the age of 19 in the Welterweight weight class with a win against Fred Kelly. Roberts' popularity and skill grew quickly, and by 1923, he was participating in main event fights like the one at the now
File:Eddie Roberts March 19, 1922.jpg, Eddie Roberts in his boxing outfit March 19, 1922
File:Eddie Roberts bout against Gene Cline.jpg, Eddie Roberts vs Gene Cline January 24, 1924
File:Eddie Roberts February 16, 1924.png, Picture of Roberts in his boxing outfit February 16, 1924
File:Eddie Roberts 1924.png, Eddie Roberts wearing his boxing outfit. March 22, 1924
File:Roberts's knockout of Joe Dundee.png, Roberts's knockout of Joe Dundee December 4, 1926
File:Roberts's knockout of Joe Dundee December 4, 1926.png, Roberts's knockout of Joe Dundee December 4, 1926
File:Eddie Roberts (boxer).png, 2 pictures of Eddie Roberts (boxer). one of him in a suit and another of him with his boxing equipement on. December 22, 1926
File:Eddie Roberts December 16, 1928.jpg, headshot of Eddie Roberts, published on December 16, 1928
File:Eddie Roberts in Hotel Anchovy.png, Frame from the movie short 'Hotel Anchovy' showcasing Eddie Roberts. April 13, 1934
File:Eddie Roberts in Sea Sore.png, Frame from the movie short 'Sea Sore' showcasing Eddie Roberts. April 20, 1934
Lionel Rowland , Anacortes Museum
Middleweight
Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional
In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to .
Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...
boxer Boxer most commonly refers to:
* Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing
*Boxer (dog), a breed of dog
Boxer or boxers may also refer to:
Animal kingdom
* Boxer crab
* Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans
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, actor and a World War I, World War II and Korean War veteran who competed from 1922 to 1931. He held the title of Pacific Northwest Welterweight Champion and was a serious contender for the World Welterweight championship in 1926–1927.
Early life
Eddie Roberts was born on January 20, 1903, in Anacortes, Washington to father Edwin Luther Rowland of Scotch-Irish parentage, the owner of a Livery and transport business and aCity Marshal
Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...
, and mother Mamie Kreamen of German parentage, a Housewife. The youngest of two brothers, he lived in Anacortes up until at least the age of 7, reportedly he later grew up in Alameda. His father passed away when Roberts was seven years old due to a broken neck in an automobile accident. Roberts attended Whitney Primary School. Roberts filled his draft registration card under a fake name on September 12, 1918, at the age of 15. He joined the United States Navy and was stationed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard after which being moved to the battleship USS Arkansas
USS ''Arkansas'' may refer to one of these ships of the United States Navy named in honor of the 25th state.
* , a screw steamer originally named the ''Tonawanda'' that served in the American Civil War. After that war, she was renamed ''Tonowand ...
in Guantánamo Bay
Guantánamo Bay ( es, Bahía de Guantánamo) is a bay in Guantánamo Province at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the largest harbor on the south side of the island and it is surrounded by steep hills which create an enclave that is cut off ...
in 1920 at the latest and gaining the rank of fireman and afterwards water tender. On November 27, 1929, Roberts married Agnes Serene Anderson.
Amateur career
While serving on the USS Arkansas as a Master-at-arms, Roberts' boxing skills were noticed by his fellow sailors, who would often engage in friendly sparring matches with him. His impressive performance in these matches caught the attention of the ship's athletic director, who saw his potential as a competitive boxer. With the encouragement of his the athletic director, Roberts decided to join the Atlantic Squadron fistic competition. Roberts' decision to join the competition turned out to be a wise one, as he quickly rose through the ranks and eventually won the middleweight championship of the navy.Professional career
Roberts left the Navy and asked Jack Connors in late 1921 if Connors would be his coach (Connors was also the coach of future Welterweight World champion, Freddie Steele and briefly the coach of the future 15th governor of Washington Albert Rosellini), Connors accepted, Roberts left the Navy and had his professional debut on September 2, 1922, at the age of 19 in the Welterweight weight class with a win against Fred Kelly. Roberts' popularity and skill grew quickly, and by 1923, he was participating in main event fights like the one at the now Kaiser Convention Center
Kaiser Convention Center is a historic, publicly owned multi-purpose building located in Oakland, California. The facility includes a 5,492-seat arena, a large theater, and a large ballroom.Ward, Jennifer Inez (June 28, 2011)"Historic Kaiser Conve ...
against Oakland Jimmy Duffy.
On March 6, 1924, Roberts became the Pacific Northwest Welterweight Champion after winning against Ted Krache in a round six points decision, 19 days later he lost the title to Bobby Harper but would later regain it after winning against Harper on November 20, 1924. Roberts would lose the title again 19 days later and would never regain it.
Roberts's most notable event of his career was on December 4, 1926, where he fought against Joe Dundee and won in a first-round knockout after only 4 seconds earning him 400 dollars and a big amount of publicity. Roberts would however lose the rematch in a ten-round unanimous decision a month later in front of over 18 thousand spectators inside Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
. Dundee would go on to become World Welterweight Champion.
On March 22, 1927, Roberts won a bout against Olympic athlete Jack Zivic with a round twelve-points decision.
On April 4, 1927, Roberts lost a bout against Olympic athlete Al Mello
Alfons Mello Tavares (January 31, 1906 – October 31, 1993) was an American Olympic and professional boxer who was a contender for the world middleweight title in 1929-30. He held the New England Welterweight title during his career.
Early ye ...
with a round-one knockout
A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...
.
At the end of 1927, Roberts was seventh place in the Welterweight division.
On March 12, 1928, Roberts lost a bout against future Welterweight and Middleweight champion Young Corbett III with a round-nine knockout.
On February 7, 1930, Roberts had a draw with Gorilla Jones after fighting for ten rounds.
Retirement from boxing and acting career
On August 19, 1931, at the age of 28 Roberts sustained two small fractures of the jaw, this occurred during his bout with Buddy Gorman. This incident would be the final catalyst that would push Roberts into his retirement from boxing aside from a few bouts here and there in the coming years. Roberts had started his acting career in 1929 when he starred in the film Follow the Leader where he played a gangster. Roberts would later star in many movies (see below) and also a series of boxing commercials byAl Christie
Charles Herbert Christie (April 13, 1882 – October 1, 1955) and Alfred Ernest Christie (November 23, 1886 – April 14, 1951) were Canadian motion picture entrepreneurs.
Early life
Charles Herbert Christie was born between April 13, 1 ...
alongside Buster West and Tom Patricola. In 1934 Roberts became an athletic instructor for Hecht-MacArthur Productions.
Filmography
Additional info and life after boxing career
In 1932 Roberts was the owner if a Nightclub near San Francisco after his retirement from boxing, in 1935 he sold it. In 1933, Roberts was working as a bartender in San Francisco. In late 1933, Roberts was a bartender aboard the Dollar Liner SS President Hoover in the Trans-Pacific trade. In 1936–1937, Roberts was the owner of a night nlub/cocktail lounge/tavern on Mason Street in San Francisco. In 1940, Roberts was working as a bartender in a hotel lounge in Redding. Roberts loved to hunt and fish and planned to build an outing resort in California. In 1942 at the age of 39, Roberts lived in San Francisco and enlisted in the Navy on July 16, 1942. He was reassigned the rank of water tender and fought in World War II until June 22, 1945, serving first on the USS Bache,USS Houston
Four United States Navy ships have borne the name USS ''Houston'', after the city of Houston, Texas.
* was a cargo ship during World War I
* was a heavy cruiser commissioned in 1930, and sunk in 1942
* was a light cruiser
A light cruiser ...
, starting December 20, 1943 and the USS Mobile starting October 17, 1944.
In 1947, Roberts was a bartender in San Francisco
In 1950, Roberts was again working as a bartender in Seattle.
Between 1950 and early 1953, Roberts fought in the Korean War on the USNS David C. Shanks, SS Brazil Victory, SS Otis L. Hall as a watertender and on the American S.S Fairisle as a Deck Engineer.
On July 19, 1954, Roberts married Colletta M. Johnson in San Francisco.
In 1955, Roberts was working on the SS Young America as an Oiler.
In 1957, Roberts was living in Nome, Alaska
Nome (; ik, Sitŋasuaq, ) is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of Alaska, United States. The city is located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. It had a population of 3,699 recorded ...
as a bartender.
Edward Roberts died on March 3, 1968, in Alameda at the age of 65. and was buried in Willamette National Cemetery under his fake name and birth date.
Style of play
Roberts was a counter fighter with a strong short left hook who refused to play aggressively until his opponent was weakened. Jack Conners in reference to Roberts's toughness told the Oakland Tribune "He had the toughest skin i ever saw on a fighter. No cauliflower ears, no cut lips or flattened nose"Personal life
Roberts changed his name from Edward Lionel Rowland to Eddie/Edward Roberts for "fighting purposes" based on the character "Kid" Roberts byH. C. Witwer
Harry Charles Witwer (March 11, 1890 – August 9, 1929), more commonly known as H. C. Witwer, was an American short-story author. Some 60 comedy film shorts were based on his works, most from the mid-1920s to 1930, the year after Witwer's deat ...
.
Roberts was married multiple times but had no children.
Professional boxing record
All information in this section is derived fromBoxRec
BoxRec or boxrec.com is a website dedicated to holding updated records of professional and amateur boxers, both male and female. It also maintains a MediaWiki-based encyclopaedia of boxing.
The objective of the site is to document every profess ...
, unless otherwise stated.
Official record
Gallery
External links
Lionel Rowland , Anacortes Museum
References