Roscoe Toles Impressive Record Anyone know about him?

[BoxBuzz]

Roscoe Toles is a fighter who fought during the Joe Louis era. The only man to KO him was Louis himself. Otherwise he's got a pretty impressive HW record. He seemed to make a living beating up on Arturo Godoy. Though he did drop a fight or two to Godoy as well, he apparently generally got the better of him. Looking at his record you get the impression that he may have wanted to stay active but no one wanted to fight him.

Anyone know anything about this guy?

http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

[Big Bad John]

Along with Turkey Thompson, Willie Reddish, John Henry Lewis and All Gainer, Toles was one of the forgotten black heavyweights of the 1930s.



They were a good lot, but America wasn't ready for another black-vs.-black heavyweight title bout.

[wouter]

Along with Turkey Thompson, Willie Reddish, John Henry Lewis and All Gainer, Toles was one of the forgotten black heavyweights of the 1930s.

I wouldn't call Thompson a heavyweight of the 30s and Lewis and Gainer heavyweights of any decade. I'd replace them with Jack Trammell, Obie Walker and Leroy Haynes.

[donnellon]

Louis-Lewis WAS THE FIRST BLACK V BLACK AMERICAN HW TITLE FIGHT!

[wouter]

If you mean by 'American' that it was staged in America you're right. Otherwise it's Jack Johnson v. Battling Jim Johnson.

[BoxBuzz]

Wow, I just noticed that his name appears on the game TitleBout where they represent him as lacking punch but apparently quick in reflexes, thinking, and good endurance. (The record of only 1 KO against him and most often outpointing his opponeents probably attests to all of those.) Otherwise can't find much info on him thus far.

[wouter]

Another forgotten black heavyweight from those days - that beat Roscoe Toles - is Johnny Withers from Pontiac Michigan.

[Broncano]

He had Arturo Godoy's and Alberto Lovell's number (the best South America had to offer in the heavyweight division at the time) and was well regarded by fans after his tour of Argentina:

[granberry]

Louis-Lewis WAS THE FIRST BLACK V BLACK AMERICAN HW TITLE FIGHT!

Too bad Sam Langford vs Jack Johnson wasn't the first.

[kikibalt]

Along with Turkey Thompson, Willie Reddish, John Henry Lewis and All Gainer, Toles was one of the forgotten black heavyweights of the 1930s.

I wouldn't call Thompson a heavyweight of the 30s and Lewis and Gainer heavyweights of any decade. I'd replace them with Jack Trammell, Obie Walker and Leroy Haynes.

Turkey Thompson was fighting in the 1940's-50's, I knew Thompson and talk to him 3-4 time a week at the gym.

[Matt]

Along with Turkey Thompson, Willie Reddish, John Henry Lewis and All Gainer, Toles was one of the forgotten black heavyweights of the 1930s.

I wouldn't call Thompson a heavyweight of the 30s and Lewis and Gainer heavyweights of any decade. I'd replace them with Jack Trammell, Obie Walker and Leroy Haynes.

Turkey Thompson was fighting in the 1940's-50's, I knew Thompson and talk to him 3-4 time a week at the gym.

Thompson was compared to Langford early in his career, because he was short (5-8) and had relatively long arms (76 inch reach), plus he could punch and grew out of the middleweight class.

[BoxBuzz]

Another forgotten black heavyweight from those days - that beat Roscoe Toles - is Johnny Withers from Pontiac Michigan.

Looks like Toles got the better of him in the overall series.

Was Vorce a black HW from that time as well?

[wouter]

Another forgotten black heavyweight from those days - that beat Roscoe Toles - is Johnny Withers from Pontiac Michigan.

Looks like Toles got the better of him in the overall series.

Was Vorce a black HW from that time as well?

Yes he was.

[BoxBuzz]

Another forgotten black heavyweight from those days - that beat Roscoe Toles - is Johnny Withers from Pontiac Michigan.

Looks like Toles got the better of him in the overall series.

Was Vorce a black HW from that time as well?

Yes he was.

you say forgotten....is there a book that covers this era and the many names that were involved that you classify is such a way?

Or are they so forgotten that their names appear nowhere in publication......I guess my question is ...is there a book entitled "nearly forgotten HW's from those days "

....you know what I"m gettin at here.

[Matt]

Kevin Smith wrote a book called "The Sundowners" that covers black boxers, mostly prior to the era of Joe Louis.

[BoxBuzz]

thanks for that!