John Lester Johnson boxer
- bouts
- 51
- won
- 34
- lost
- 16
- draw
- 1
- Status
- inactive
- Division
- light heavyweight
- Debut
- 1912-06-03
- Height
- 5′ 11½″/182cm
- Reach
- -
- Age
- 74
- Born
- 1893-08-13
- Death
- 1968-03-27
- Nationality
- USA
John Lester Johnson (born John Leslie Johnson; August 13, 1893 – March 27, 1968) was an American professional boxer and actor. He is perhaps best known for his 1916 boxing match against Jack Dempsey, and his 1933 performance as Bumbo, the titular character in the Our Gang comedy short The Kid From Borneo.Johnson was born in Aug. 13, 1893, in Suffolk, Virginia, one of 11 children. During World War I Johnson served in the 367th Infantry, a Buffalo Soldier outfit of the United States Army.From 1912-1929, Johnson amassed a professional boxing record of 39-29-6, with 23 of his wins by knockout. In 1916 Johnson fought future world heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey to a 10-round draw, during which Dempsey suffered several broken ribs. Although a draw, Dempsey later said, "I thought he Johnson licked me. I didn't know how to fight then and Johnson did. Yes, I think he won."Johnson also had fights against the notable boxers Joe Jeanette, Harry Wills, Kid Norfolk, and Bill Tate.Johnson appeared in the 1933 Our Gang comedy The Kid From Borneo as Bumbo, a circus attraction billed as a "Wild Man from Borneo." Garbed in elaborate tribal attire and repetitively saying "Yum Yum, eat 'em up!" at the sight of candy, Bumbo is mistaken by some of the Our Gang children as both a cannibal and their Uncle George, the latter earlier described by their mother as "the black sheep of the family." A frenetic chase ensues when Bumbo attempts to take the children's candy, during which he and the children demolish much of a home's furnishings.Along with two Three Stooges films, Johnson's other film credits include Radio Patrol (1932), A Scream in the Night (1934), The Glory Trail (1936), Tarzan's Revenge (1938), Mr. Washington Goes to Town (1942), and Professor Creeps (1942).
Date | Opponent | Last Opponents' Results | Place | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1929-05-22 | Les Kennedy | LWWWWW | Wilmington Bowl, Wilmington | LOST Points |
1928-11-01 | Walter Hoffman | LWLLLD | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino | WIN Points |
1928-10-09 | Neil Clisby | WWWWWL | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles | LOST Points |
1928-09-20 | Long Tom Hawkins | WWDLWL | Pasadena | WIN |
1928-08-07 | Chief Metoquah | LLLLLL | 10th Street Arena, Modesto | WIN Points |
1928-05-22 | Neil Clisby | WWLWWW | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles | LOST Points |
1928-05-11 | Long Tom Hawkins | WLWWWD | Coliseum, San Diego | WIN Points |
1927-12-13 | Benny Hill | LWLLWL | 10th Street Arena, Modesto | WIN Technical knockout |
1927-09-21 | Roy Cliffe | WDLLLL | National Hall, San Francisco | WIN KO |
1927-05-13 | Sailor Joe Hughes | LWWDDL | Dreamland Rink, San Francisco | WIN KO |
1927-01-27 | Ralph Smith | WWWWDW | Greenwich Coliseum, Tacoma | LOST Points |
1927-01-04 | Tiny Jim Herman | LDLWDL | Crystal Pool, Seattle | WIN Points |
1926-11-30 | Tony Fuente | WLLWLL | Civic Auditorium, Fresno | LOST |
1926-10-06 | George Cook | WLLWD | Auditorium, Oakland | WIN Technical knockout |
1926-08-27 | George Cook | WWLLW | Dreamland Rink, San Francisco | DRAW Points |
1926-04-20 | Tony Fuente | LWWWWL | Arena, Vernon | LOST |
1926-04-06 | Bob Roper | WLLWLL | Arena, Vernon | WIN Points |
1926-01-27 | Sammy Olson | LDWWLL | National Hall, San Francisco | WIN Points |
1925-10-10 | Ray Bennett | WLDWL | Commonwealth Sporting Club, New York | WIN KO |
1924-08-18 | Battling Gahee | WWLWWL | Idora Park, Youngstown | WIN KO |
1923-07-24 | Tut Jackson | WWDDWL | Idora Park, Youngstown | WIN KO |
1922-12-26 | Ray Bennett | WWLLDW | 15th Regiment Armory, New York | WIN Points |
1922-12-05 | Jamaica Kid | LWDWWL | 15th Regiment Armory, New York | LOST Points |
1922-09-22 | Silent Puryear | WWLWL | National A.C., Philadelphia | LOST |
1922-06-02 | Kid Norfolk | LWWWLW | Riverside Arena, Covington | LOST |
1922-05-24 | Mexican Joe Lawson | LWLL | Oak Hill Auditorium, Youngstown | WIN KO |
1921-10-20 | Rough House Ware | LLLWLL | Jamaica A.C., Jamaica, Queens | WIN KO |
1921-08-31 | Battling Gahee | WWDLWW | Riverside Arena, Covington | WIN KO |
1921-02-02 | Kid Norfolk | WWWWWW | Roller Palace Rink, Detroit | LOST |
1921-01-11 | Battling Jim McCreary | WLWWWL | Mechanics Building, Boston | LOST |
1920-10-09 | Battling Jim McCreary | LLDWLW | Fenway Park, Boston | LOST Points |
1920-06-14 | Kid Norfolk | WWWWWL | Convention Hall, Rochester | LOST KO |
1920-06-07 | Kid Norfolk | WWWWWW | Flower City A.C., Rochester | WIN |
1920-02-03 | Fred Fulton | WWWWWW | Mechanics Building, Boston | LOST KO |
1919-10-03 | Kid Norfolk | WWWWWW | Lyric Theater, Baltimore | LOST Points |
1919-06-10 | Harry Wills | WWWWWD | Jersey City | LOST |
1916-12-22 | Sailor Grande | WLWDWL | Harlem S.C., New York | LOST |
1916-11-17 | Porky Dan Flynn | LWLDLL | Harlem S.C., New York | WIN |
1916-10-27 | Jim Savage | WLLLLW | Harlem S.C., New York | WIN KO |
1916-10-02 | Jack Keating | WWLLLL | Vanderbilt A.C., Brooklyn | WIN Technical knockout |
1916-09-21 | Jack Herrick | LLLWWL | Olympia Boxing Club, New York | DRAW |
1916-09-15 | Sailor Grande | WLLWWW | Brown's Gym A.A., Far Rockaway, Queens | LOST |
1916-09-09 | Sailor Grande | WWLLWW | Fairmont A.C., Bronx | LOST |
1916-08-25 | Larry Williams | WLWWW | Brown's Gym A.A., Far Rockaway, Queens | WIN KO |
1916-07-14 | Jack Dempsey | WWWWWW | Harlem S.C., New York | DRAW |
1916-04-07 | Harry Wills | WWWWLW | Harlem S.C., New York | LOST |
1916-02-04 | Cleve Hawkins | DDLWLL | Harlem S.C., New York | WIN |
1916-02-03 | George Kid Cotton | WLLLWL | Unity Cycle Club, Lawrence | WIN Technical knockout |
1916-01-24 | Bill Tate | WWWWW | Vanderbilt A.C., Brooklyn | WIN |
1915-08-30 | Dave Mills | DLL | Vanderbilt A.C., Brooklyn | WIN |
1915-07-06 | Anastasio Penalver | WWL | Havana | WIN KO |
1915-06-25 | John Budinich | WL | Teatro Politeama, Havana | WIN KO |
1915-04-23 | Dave Mills | WDDL | Havana | WIN Points |
1915-04-17 | Bill Scott | WDLDWL | Havana | LOST |
1915-03-31 | Anastasio Penalver | WW | Havana | WIN KO |
1915-03-12 | Harry Wills | WWWWLL | Tommy Burns Arena, New Orleans | LOST Points |
1915-02-27 | Dave Mills | DWDD | Havana | WIN KO |
1915-01-25 | Bill Tate | LLLWLL | Pioneer Sporting Club, New York | DRAW |
1915-01-11 | Joe Jeannette | WWWDDW | Pioneer Sporting Club, New York | LOST |
1914-12-28 | Bill Tate | LLLLWL | Vanderbilt A.C., Brooklyn | WIN |
1914-12-04 | Gunboat Washington | debut | Olympia Boxing Club, New York | WIN KO |
1914-09-07 | Ed Butts | debut | New Polo A.C., New York | WIN Technical knockout |
1914-07-15 | Silas Green | WWWLWL | Stadium A.C., New York | DRAW |
1914-06-13 | Bob Lee | WWLWL | Fairmont A.C., Bronx | WIN KO |
1914-04-13 | Willie Langford | DDDWW | Olympic A.C., New York | LOST |
1913-12-26 | George Robinson | WWWDLW | Olympia Boxing Club, New York | LOST |
1913-12-11 | Bob Lee | LLWLWW | Olympia Boxing Club, New York | WIN KO |
1913-10-11 | Bill Watkins | WLLWWW | Liberal A.C., Staten Island | WIN |
1913-09-09 | Sam Langford | WWWDDW | Atlantic Garden A.C., New York | LOST KO |
1913-08-23 | Bill Watkins | LWWLLW | St. Nicholas Arena, New York | LOST |
1913-08-05 | Bob Lee | LLLLLW | Atlantic Garden A.C., New York | WIN KO |
1913-07-22 | Joe Jeannette | WWWDW | Atlantic Garden A.C., New York | LOST |
1913-06-02 | George Robinson | DLWWWW | Olympia Boxing Club, New York | DRAW |
1912-06-03 | Bartley Madden | W | Central Institute, Newark | LOST |