Schoolboy

Name: Schoolboy
Birth Name: Leroy Battle
Hometown: El Paso, Texas, USA
Birthplace: El Paso, Texas, USA
Died: 1963-05-25 (Age:71)
Pro Boxer: Record


Schoolboy was reported to enter the September 17 1927 Willie Henry fight with a record of 69 knockouts in 95 fights, among his knockout victims being Young Sam Langford, Jamaica Kid, Gorilla Jones, Lee Anderson and Bat Norfolk. He was also said to have fought Brad Simmons five times and to have been stopped only by Jack Johnson.

In September 1931 Schoolboy was charged with assault with intent to murder and carrying a concealed weapon after shooting fellow boxer Chihuahua Kid Brown in the leg following an argument at Hotel Paso Del Norte. In the September 11 1931 El Paso Herald-Post Schoolboy stated: 'Me and the Kid argued about $9 he owed me. He wanted to shoot me in the mouth right at the hotel. I talked him out of that. We agreed to shoot it out in the alley. I know I wasn't good on the draw, so I went to the alley first and held my gun ready under a newspaper. Pretty soon I saw the Kid coming. he had his gun in his pants. That's where he made his mistake. I lets him have it. Did he jump? And did he run? Man! Man!' In the same paper the Chihuahua Kid gave a different account of what happened: 'I didn't agree to no duel. I was just going by that alley, when, bluie, comes a bullet and nicks me in the leg. I didn't wait to ask no questions. I didn't have no gun.' In May of 1935 the fighters would engage in an El Paso wrestling match that ended with Brown pinning Schoolboy.

Following his boxing career, Schoolboy moved to Fresno, California, where he died on May 25, 1963. According to his obituary, he had never revealed his true name. This is confirmed by census data, his marriage license and draft registration in which he is always referred to as simply 'School Boy'. The mystery of his identity appears to be solved by information from the Fresno County Cemetery, where he is buried under the name of Leroy Battle.