Edward Robertson (born as Edwin Lionel Rowland) (January 20, 1903 – March 3, 1968), better known as Eddie Roberts, was an American

Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term ''welterweight'' was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...

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 beg ...

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 * Boxer snipe ee ...

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

and a

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

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 Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.Livery and transport business and a

City 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 of ...

, 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 An alameda is a street or path lined with trees () and may refer to: Places Canada * Alameda, Saskatchewan, town in Saskatchewan ** Grant Devine Dam, formerly ''Alameda Dam'', a dam and reservoir in southern Saskatchewan Chile * Alameda (Santi ...

. 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. Roberts was a

fireman A firefighter (or fire fighter or fireman) is a first responder trained in specific emergency response such as firefighting, primarily to control and extinguish fires and respond to emergencies such as hazardous material incidents, medical in ...

on the USS ''Chicago'', ''USS Milwaukee'' and the SS ''Saint Paul''. He joined the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

on February 17, 1919 and was stationed at the

Brooklyn Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York (state), New York, U.S. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a se ...

after which being moved to the battleship USS ''Arkansas'' in

Guantánamo Bay Guantánamo Bay (, ) 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 from its immediate hint ...

in 1920 at the latest and gaining the rank of fireman and afterwards

water tender A water tender, sometimes known as a water tanker, is a type of firefighting apparatus that specializes in the transport of water from a water source to a fire scene.

Amateur career

While serving on the USS ''Arkansas'' as a Master-at-arms, Roberts' boxing skills were noticed by his fellow sailors, who often engaged 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 Freddie Steele (December 18, 1912 – August 22, 1984) was a boxer and film actor born Frederick Earle Burgett in Seattle, Washington. He was recognized as the National Boxing Association (NBA) Middleweight Champion of the World between 1936 ...

and briefly the coach of the future 15th governor of Washington

Albert Rosellini Albert Dean Rosellini (January 21, 1910 – October 10, 2011) was an American politician who served as the List of governors of Washington, 15th governor of Washington from 1957 to 1965 and was both the first Italian Americans, Italian-Americ ...

), 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 The Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts is a historic, publicly owned multi-purpose building located in Oakland, California. Originally known as the Oakland Civic Auditorium, it was renamed in honor of Henry J. Kaiser following a 1984 renovation, ...

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 later regained it after winning against Harper on November 20, 1924. Roberts lost the title again 19 days later and never regained it. The most notable event of Roberts's career was on December 4, 1926, where he fought against

Joe Dundee Salvatore Lazzara (August 6, 1903 – March 31, 1982), better known by his boxing alias Joe Dundee, was an American boxer. ...

and won in a first-round knockout after only 4 seconds earning him 400 dollars and a great deal of publicity. However, he lost the rematch in a ten-round unanimous decision a month later in front of over 18,000 spectators in

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 Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

. Dundee later became World Welterweight Champion. On March 22, 1927, Roberts won a bout against Olympic athlete

Jack Zivic John A. Zivic (June 23, 1903 – May 22, 1973) was an American boxer who competed in the featherweight class in the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp. He was a serious contender for the world lightweight championship in 1924, but was defeated ...

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, ...

. 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 Ralph Giordano (born Raffaele Giordano, May 27, 1905 – July 15, 1993), better known as Young Corbett III, was an Italian-born American boxer. He was the Undisputed World Welterweight Champion in 1933 and challenged for the NYSAC Middleweight ...

with a round-nine knockout. On February 7, 1930, Roberts had a draw with

Gorilla Jones William Landon Jones (1906–1982) known as "Gorilla" Jones, was an American boxer who held the NBA Middleweight Boxing Championship of the World. Although he was nicknamed "Gorilla" for his exceptional reach, Jones is to be distinguished from th ...

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 was the catalyst that pushed 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 later appeared in several movies (see below) and also a series of boxing commercials by

Al 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, ...

alongside

Buster West James "Buster" West (31 March 1901 – 19 March 1966) was an American dancer and actor who was a featured performer in vaudeville, the Broadway stage, motion pictures and television. West was known as being one of those performers who was "born i ...

and

Tom Patricola Tomasso Patricola (January 22, 1891 – January 1, 1950) was an American actor, comic and dancer who starred in vaudeville and motion pictures. Born in New Orleans, Patricola established his fame as a hoofer, becoming a leading interpreter of th ...

. 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 A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

near San Francisco after his retirement from boxing, in 1935 he sold it. In 1933, Roberts was working as a

bartender A bartender (also known as a barkeep or barman or barmaid or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the Bar (establishment), bar, usually in a licensed bar (establishment), establishment as ...

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. 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 club/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'', 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 Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

. Between 1950 and early 1953, Roberts fought in the

on the USNS ''David C. Shanks'', SS ''Brazil Victory'', SS ''Otis L. Hall'' as a watertender, on the American SS ''Fairisle'' as a deck engineer and on the SS ''Royal Oak'' and SS ''Mankato Victory'' as an oiler. 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 (; , , also ''Sitŋazuaq'', ''Siqnazuaq'') is a city in the Nome Census Area, Alaska, Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough, Alaska, Unorganized Borough of the US state of Alaska. The city is located on the southern Seward Peninsula c ...

as a bartender. Edward Roberts died on March 3, 1968, in Alameda at the age of 65. and was buried in

Willamette National Cemetery Willamette National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon located about southeast of downtown. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it encompasses straddling the county line between Mu ...

under his fake name and birth date.

Style of play

Roberts was a counter fighter with a strong short left

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...

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 by

H. 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 from

BoxRec 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 encyclopedia of boxing. The objective of the site is to document every profess ...

, unless otherwise stated.

Official record

Gallery

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 equipment 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

External links

Lionel Rowland , Anacortes Museum

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Eddie 1903 births 1968 deaths American male boxers Boxers from Washington (state) Sportspeople from Tacoma, Washington Sportspeople from Alameda, California People from Tacoma, Washington People from Alameda, California Welterweight boxers Middleweight boxers United States Navy sailors 20th-century American male actors Military personnel from Washington (state) United States Navy personnel of World War I United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy personnel of the Korean War Burials at Willamette National Cemetery Male actors from Washington (state) 20th-century American sportsmen