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The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia -- Black Dynamite

John Lester Johnson

BORN   August 13 1893; Suffolk, Virgina (Some sources report 1895; Death Certificate states South Carolina)
DIED March 27 1968; West Los Angeles, California
HEIGHT 5-11 1/2
WEIGHT 170-184 lbs
MANAGER James "Jim" McMahon
Johnson was a capable fighter who was best known for his desperate fight with the young Jack Dempsey in 1916; Although he went up against many of the top fighters of his day, he was never able to match up consistently on that level

During his career, Johnson defeated such men as "Big" Bill Tate, Kid Norfolk, James "Tut" Jackson, Battling Gahee, "Rough House" Ware, "Captain" Bob Roper, George Cook, "Tiny" Jim Herman, "Long" Tom Hawkins and "Chief" John Metoquah

Johnson went to Hollywood, Ca after his boxing career ended and found work in the movies; He married the former Lulu Dill, who survived him; Johnson is interred at the Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles
1913
Jun  2 George Robinson            New York, NY                     ND 10
Jul 22 Joe Jeannette              New York, NY                     ND 10
Aug  5 Bob Lee                    New York, NY                     KO  3
Aug 23 Bill Watkins               New York, NY                     ND 10
Sep  9 Sam Langford               New York, NY                     LK  1
Oct 11 Bill Watkins               Staten Island, NY                ND 10
Dec 11 Bob Lee                    New York, NY                     KO  3
Dec 26 George Robinson            New York, NY                     ND 10

1914
Apr    Willie Langford            New York, NY                     KO  1
Apr 13 Willie Langford            New York, NY                     ND 10
Jun 13 Bob Lee                    Bronx, NY                        KO  1
Sep  7 Ed "Kid" Butts             New York, NY                     TK  2
Dec  4 Gunboat Washington         New York, NY                     KO  2
Dec 15 Silas Green                New York, NY                     ND  6
Dec 28 "Big" Bill Tate            Brooklyn, NY                     ND 10

1915
Jan 11 Joe Jeannette              New York, NY                     ND 10
          -Some sources report 1/12/15 at "Brooklyn, NY"
Jan 25 "Big" Bill Tate            New York, NY                     ND 10
Feb 27 Dave Mills                 Havana, Cu                       KO 10
          -Some sources report "KO 9" 
Mar 31 Anastasio Penalver         Havana, Cuba                     KO  3
          -Penalver threatened Johnson with a brick
           after the bout and was arrested by police
Apr 23 Dave Mills                 Havana, Cu                        W 10
Jun 25 John Budinich              Havana, Cu                       KO  1
          -Some sources report "KO 4"
Jul  6 Anastasio Penalver         Havana, Cu                       KO  1
Aug 17 "Steamboat" Bill Scott     Havana, Cu                       LF  8

1916
Jan 21 "Big" Bill Tate            Brooklyn, NY                     WF  9
          -Some sources report 1/15/16; Some sources report 1/24/16
Feb  4 Cleve Hawkins              New York, NY                     ND 10
Apr  7 Harry Wills                New York, NY                     ND 10
Jul 14 Jack Dempsey               New York, NY                     ND 10
Sep  9 Charles "Sailor" Grande    New York, NY                     ND 10
Sep 15 Charles "Sailor" Grande    Rockaway Beach, NY               ND 10
Sep 21 Jack Herrick               New York, NY                     ND 10
Oct  2 Jack Keating               Brooklyn, NY                     TK  5
          -Some sources report "New York, NY"
Oct 27 Jim Savage                 New York, NY                     KO  2
          -Some sources report 10/28/16
Nov 17 Dan "Porky" Flynn          New York, NY                     ND 10
Dec 22 Charles "Sailor" Grande    Brooklyn, NY                     ND 10

1919
Apr  4 Jack Dempsey               Schenectady, NY                  EX  4
Apr 25 Jack Dempsey               Des Moines, Ia                  SCH   
           -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Jun 10 Harry Wills                Jersey City, NJ                  ND  8
          -Some sources report "LT 3"
Oct  3 Kid Norfolk                Baltimore, Md                     L 15

1920
Feb  3 Fred Fulton                Boston, Ma                       LK  8
Jun  7 Kid Norfolk                Rochester, NY                    WF  3
          -Some sources report "KO 3"
Jun 14 Kid Norfolk                Rochester, NY                    LK  1
          -Some sources report "Baltimore, Md"
Oct  9 "Battling" Jim McCreary    Boston, Ma                        L 10

1913-1921
       Jack Thompson                                               LK  3

1921
Jan 11 "Battling" Jim McCreary    Boston, Ma                       LF  8
          -Some sources report "LF 7"
Feb  2 Kid Norfolk                Detroit, Mi                      ND 10
Oct 20 "Rough House" Ware         Brooklyn, NY                     KO  3

1919-1922
       Ted Jamieson               Boston, Ma                        L 10

1922
       Clem Johnson                                                LK   
May 24 "Mexican" Joe Lawson       Youngstown, Oh                   KO  4
Jun  2 Kid Norfolk                Covington, Ky                    ND 12
Jul 23 Battling Gahee             Hamilton, Oh                      L 10
Sep 22 Silent Puryear             Philadelphia, Pa                 LF  2
Nov 16 Jamaica Kid                New York, NY                      L 12
          -Some sources report 12/05/22
Dec 26 Ray Bennett                New York, NY                      W 12
          -Some sources report "W 10"

1923
Jul 24 James "Tut" Jackson        Youngstown, Oh                   KO  4
Sep 11 Battling Davenport         Covington, Ky                    KO  4

1924
Aug 11 Battling Gahee             Youngstown, Oh                   KO 11
          -Some sources report "KO 9";
           Some sources report the previous bout held during 1923

1925
Oct 10 Carl Carter                New York, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held
Oct 10 Ray Bennett                New York, NY                     KO  2
          -Johnson was scheduled to fight Carter; Bennett took Carter's place;
           Some sources report "KO 1"

1926
Jan 27 Sam Olson                  San Francisco, Ca                 W 10
Apr  6 "Captain" Bob Roper        Vernon, Ca                        W 10
Apr 20 Tony Fuente                Vernon, Ca                       LF  3
          -Some sources report "L 8"
Sep 27 George Cook                Oakland, Ca                       D 10
          -Some sources report 8/27/26 at "San Francisco, Ca
           Some sources report "Los Angeles, Ca"
Oct  6 George Cook                Oakland, Ca                      TK  7
Nov 30 Tony Fuente                Fresno, Ca                       LF  4
          -Some sources report 12/01/26 at "Los Angeles, Ca"

1927
Jan  3 "Tiny" Jim Herman          Seattle, Wa                       W  6
          -Some sources report 1/04/27
Jan 27 Ralph Smith                Tacoma, Wa                        L  6
Apr  6 "Captain" Bob Roper        Vernon, Ca                        W 10
May 13 Joe Hughes                 San Francisco, Ca                KO  6
Sep 21 Roy Cliffe                 San Francisco, Ca                KO  1
Dec 13 Benny Hill                 Modesto, Ca                      TK  4

1928
May 11 "Long" Tom Hawkins         San Diego, Ca                     W 10
May 22 Neil Clisby                Los Angeles, Ca                   L 10
Aug  7 "Chief" John Metoquah      Modesto, Ca                       W 10
Sep 20 "Long" Tom Hawkins         Pasadena, Ca                     WF  4
Oct  9 Neil Clisby                Los Angeles, Ca                   L 10
Nov    Walter "Biff" Hoffman      San Bernardino, Ca                W 10

1929
May 22 Les Kennedy                Wilmington, Ca                    L 10
          -This bout probably was held during Mar-Jun 1929

***** The Following Bouts Are Reported But Not Confirmed ***

Undated
       Carl Kurtz                                                  KO  3
       Gene Jones                                                  KO  4
       Smoke Jones                                                  W  6
       Yellow Johnson                                              KO  6
       George Watkins                                              KO  5
       George "Kid" Cotton                                         KO  7
       Charles Bradley                                             KO  2
       Tim Lange                                                   KO  2
       Larry Williams                                              KO  2
       George "Kid" Ashe                                           KO  2
       German Oak                                                  KO  1

1912
       Bartley Madden                                               L  4

1915
Aug 30 Dave Mills                 New York, NY                     ND 10

1924
       Battling Gahee                                               L 10

*** The Following Bout Is Reported But Not For John Lester Johnson ***

1903
Mar  5 Sam Langford               Boston, Ma                        D  6
          -Langford fought "John Johnson"; He was not
           John Lester Johnson if "Lester" was born 
           in 1893 or 1895; Some sources report "D 5"

*** Some Data Was Provided By Kevin Smith ***

*** Some Data Was Provided By Lynda Kelsey Frego ***

*** Some Data Was Provided By Enrique Encinosa ***

*** Click Here To See Book Review For THE SUNDOWNERS ***

Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization