Roca (ID 682022)

[Kohall]

Boxrec has Roca listed as taking part in a bout at Oostende 1912-08-12 which resulted in the death of a boxer called Scala. French newspapers of the time tell a different story. According to among others Le Figaro (1912-08-13) the victim of the fatal accident was Roca: Un accident mortal est survenu, dimanche, au cours d'un match de boxe disputé à Ostende et qui mettait en présence le francais Roca et l'anglais Toumy. Ce dernier avait déjà projeté trois fois à terre son adversaire et il lui porta un coup si malheureuse que Roca s'évanouit. Un médicin, présent, lui donna ses soins et le fit conduire à l'hôspital où il rendit le dernier soupir sans avoir repris conaissance. No boxer Scala is mentioned.
It would be a mystery how Roca could have continued to box after this date. Fortunately L'Aéro (1912-08-13) has an explanation. The persons involved were Frenchman Jules Rudelle, announced in the ring as Roca, and Englishman Jack Tony. There is no record to show that Rudelle had boxed before. The match was not a serious one and the autopsy showed that Rudelle ha died from a heart disease.
Roca, who defeated Brévières among others, was a Frenchman (only French citizens could fight for the French title) and he fought Degand for the French welterweight title in Marseille 1914-06-28. Degand won on points over 20 rounds according to Le Figaro (1914-07-01).
Assuming that this notice from Le Petit Parisien (1914-10-15) concerns the same Roca, we also get his Christian name: Henri Roca, champion de boxe militaire, que tous les sportsmen conaissent bien, est prisonnier de guerre au camp de Hammelburg avec de nombreux Montpelliérains. Roca a été fait prisonnier dans un combat livré autour de Dieuze.
He probably came from Montpellier.

[wouter]

Since the Scala was a venue in Oostende where fight cards were held occasionally, I think some of the details have been mixed up along the way. I'm sure the version reported by the French papers is more trustworthy than whatever one we have been using. I'll make the necessary corrections.

[Kohall]

Thanks for solving the problem!