Kid Norfolk

Kid Norfolk was an American professional boxer who fought as a light heavyweight and heavyweight from 1910 through 1926, holding wins over many notable boxers of his day including Joe Jeanette, Billy Miske, Jack Blackburn, Harry Greb, Tiger Flowers, Battling Siki, and Gunboat Smith. Norfolk was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007.

Professional career

Born William Ward in Belmont, Virginia, Norfolk moved with his family to Panama as a youngster. He made his professional boxing debut on 29 November 1910 at the Albaugh Theater in Baltimore, Maryland, losing a six-rounder to Kid Jasper on points. He fought in Baltimore through 1913, then began campaigning in Panama in 1914. He took his name from having been born on Norfolk Street back in Belmont.

Panamanian heavyweight title

Norfolk defeated Abraham Hollandersky decisively in January 1914 in Colon, Panama. Hollandersky had briefly held the Panamanian Heavyweight title from May 1913. Norfolk first officially fought for the Heavyweight Title on 16 May 1915, taking on Jeff Clark at the Vista Alegre Bull Ring in Panama City. Clark gave Kid Norfolk a beating, and won the 20-rounder on points. Their weights properly classed them as light heavies. In a rematch on 12 November 1916, Kid Nortolk took Clark's title away from him on points in 20 rounds. The Kid defended the title against one time world heavyweight contender Arthur Pelkey, a Canadian who had held the Dominion's heavyweight title and the White Heavyweight Championship during the latter days of Jack Johnson's reign. The Kid K.O.-ed Pelkey in the 13th round.
Norfolk fought Sam Langford for the World Colored Heavyweight Championship on 17 December 1917 at Stockyards Stadium in Denver, Colorado, and was K.O.-ed in the second round of the scheduled 20-round bout. On 30 May 1921, The Kid fought Lee Anderson for the colored light heavyweight title in a scheduled 10-round bout in Phoenix, Arizona. Anderson won on a technical knock out when Norfolk returned to his corner in the ninth round, being unable to continue to fight. Of their first meeting in Phoenix for the "Colored World Championship", there was surprisingly little coverage, though the Arizona Republic wrote "two thousand fans watched the fights and every one of the 2000 is will to admit it was the best fight ever staged in the state". Norfolk was unable to return to battle at the opening of the ninth round, claiming blindness, as his "left eye was completely closed."

Norfolk vs. Greb

His next fight was against future world middleweight champ Harry Greb on 29 August 1921 in a 10-rounder at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Kid, who at 178¾ lbs. outweighed Greb by 17 1/2 lbs., won four of the first five rounds and knocked Greb down in the third. Greb, however, won all of the last five rounds. Greb won a newspaper decision, when two of the three newspaper covering the fight and the Associated Press gave him the win. During the fight, The Kid apparently landed a punch that caused a detachment of the retina in Greb's eye that later led to Greb going blind in that eye.

World colored light heavyweight champion

When Norfolk fought The Jamaica Kid on 20 December 1921 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, he had claimed the world colored light heavyweight title. He beat the Jamaica Kid on points in an eight-round bout. In Atlanta on 30 January 1922, Norfolk faced Tiger Flowers, the boxer who would dethrone Greb and become the first African American world middleweight champ in 1926, K.O.-ing him in third round of a 10-rounder. He met reigning colored heavyweight champ Harry Wills on 2 March 1922 in Madison Square Garden in New York City for a 15-round non-title bout, losing to the great champion via a K.O. in the second round. Wills outweighed him by 25¾ lbs.
He had a draw in a fight with Tiger Flowers on the Fourth of July 1922 in Memphis, Tennessee, and they fought again on 8 May 1923, in Springfield, Ohio for the colored Light Heavyweight Title. The Kid prevailed by K.O.-ing Tiger at 2:50 in the first round of their scheduled 12-round bout, in possibly his greatest and most historic victory. Though technically a world championship, there was surprisingly little coverage of the fight, with the Cincinnati Enquirer writing only one line, "Kid Norfolk stopped Tiger Flowers in one round the other night in Springfield, Ohio." Norfolk received far more coverage of non-championship bouts he had against well known white opponents.

Norfolk vs. Greb II

Norfolk fought Greb one more time on 19 April 1924 in a scheduled 10-rounder in Boston. The Kid won when Greb was disqualified for fighting in the sixth round. The fight was wild and wooly, The Kid besting Greb through the first five rounds. In the second round, Greb had lowered his head and The Kid through the ropes and into the press section, which should have disqualified him, according to the Boston Globe. The last two rounds was a brutal, dirty fight, in which Norfolk intentionally punched Greb in the groin several times. When Greb retaliated, he was disqualified which angered the crowd and forced the referee to quit the ring. The result of the fight was a six-month suspension for both fighters. The boxing commission suspended both Greb and Norfolk six months for fighting after the bell.

Later career

On 25 May 1925 at the Stadium Rink in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Norfolk fought Canadian light heavyweight champ Jack Reddick in a 12-rounder, winning a decision on points. Though the fight was between two men who had held World Championships, newspaper coverage was minimal. Norfolk retired in 1926 with an official record of 70 wins against 22 losses and six draws along with 30 wins and two losses via newspaper decisions. Despite being a top contender, he never challenged for a world title, the color bar having been drawn in the light heavy and heavyweight divisions in his era.
Norfolk died in 1968.

Honors

Norfolk was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007.

Professional boxing record

All information in this section is derived from BoxRec, unless otherwise stated.

Official record

All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as "no decision" bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column.

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Age	Location	Notes
151	Loss	87–25–7	Ted Moore	DQ	4	Mar 19, 1926		Dreamland Rink, San Francisco, California, U.S.	Norfolk was tossed out of the ring for "not fighting"
150	Loss	87–24–7	Frank Moody	KO	4	Sep 21, 1925		Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S.
149	Loss	87–23–7	Floyd Johnson	DQ	4	Jun 17, 1925		Auditorium, Oakland, California, U.S.	Norfolk was DQ'd for a low blow
148	Win	87–22–7	Frank Farmer	MD	10	Jun 1, 1925		Armory, Portland, Oregon, U.S.
147	Win	86–22–7	Jack Reddick	PTS	12	May 25, 1925		Stadium Rink, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada	Won Canadian light-heavyweight title
146	Win	85–22–7	Ray Pelkey	KO	5	May 6, 1925		Auditorium, Oakland, California, U.S.
145	Loss	84–22–7	Bob Lawson	KO	1	Mar 14, 1925		Commonwealth Sporting Club, New York City, New York, U.S.
144	Loss	84–21–7	Tommy Gibbons	TKO	6	Dec 9, 1924		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
143	Win	84–20–7	Dan Bright	KO	2	Sep 27, 1924		Cambria Fairgrounds, Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
142	Win	83–20–7	Battling Jim McCreary	PTS	10	Sep 9, 1924		Mechanics Building, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
141	Win	82–20–7	Mexican Joe Lawson	KO	5	Jul 17, 1924		Bacharach Ball Park, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
140	Win	81–20–7	Tut Jackson	KO	2	May 28, 1924		Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
139	Win	80–20–7	Smiling Kid Nolan	KO	3	May 17, 1924		Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
138	Loss	79–20–7	Bob Lawson	DQ	2	May 12, 1924		Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.	Low blow
137	Win	79–19–7	Harry Greb	DQ	6	Apr 19, 1924		Mechanics Building, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
136	Win	78–19–7	Lee Anderson	PTS	12	Feb 23, 1924		Commonwealth Sporting Club, New York City, New York, U.S.
135	Win	77–19–7	Battling Jim McCreary	PTS	10	Feb 8, 1924		Mechanics Building, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
134	Win	76–19–7	Sydney Grant	KO	2	Jan 9, 1924		Gayety Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
133	Win	75–19–7	Battling Siki	PTS	15	Nov 20, 1923		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
132	Win	74–19–7	Smiling Kid Nolan	KO	3	Sep 10, 1923		Maryland Baseball Park, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
131	Win	73–19–7	Tut Jackson	TKO	3	Aug 24, 1923		Gayety Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
130	Win	72–19–7	Jamaica Kid	KO	2	Jul 14, 1923		Commonwealth Sporting Club, New York City, New York, U.S.
129	Win	71–19–7	Tiger Flowers	KO	1	May 8, 1923		Springfield, Ohio, U.S.	Retained world colored light-heavyweight title
128	Loss	70–19–7	Battling Jim McCreary	PTS	10	Apr 24, 1923		Grand Opera House, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
127	Win	70–18–7	Wolf Larsen	KO	1	Mar 31, 1923		Portland, Maine, U.S.
126	Win	69–18–7	Jack Taylor	PTS	12	Mar 27, 1923		Pioneer Sporting Club, New York City, New York, U.S.
125	Loss	68–18–7	Wolf Larsen	DQ	2	Jan 30, 1923		Knickerbocker A.C. Arena, Albany, New York, U.S.	Norfolk was disqualified for hitting low
124	Win	68–17–7	Lee Anderson	PTS	10	Dec 22, 1922		Mechanics Building, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
123	Win	67–17–7	Jamaica Kid	PTS	12	Sep 25, 1922		North Side Field, Dayton, Ohio, U.S.	Not to be confused with Jamaica Kid
122	Win	66–17–7	Lee Anderson	PTS	8	Sep 11, 1922		Arena, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
121	Draw	65–17–7	Tiger Flowers	PTS	8	Jul 4, 1922		Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
120	Draw	65–17–6	Jack Taylor	PTS	10	Jun 23, 1922		Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
119	Win	65–17–5	John Lester Johnson	NWS	12	Jun 2, 1922		Riverside Arena, Covington, Kentucky, U.S.
118	Win	65–17–5	Al Smaulding	PTS	8	Apr 7, 1922		El Paso, Texas, U.S.
117	Loss	64–17–5	Harry Wills	KO	2	Mar 2, 1922		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
116	Win	64–16–5	Young Jack Johnson	TKO	8	Feb 20, 1922		Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
115	Win	63–16–5	Tiger Flowers	KO	3	Jan 30, 1922		Auditorium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
114	Win	62–16–5	Jamaica Kid	PTS	8	Dec 30, 1921		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.	Won vacant world colored light-heavyweight title
113	Loss	61–16–5	Harry Greb	NWS	10	Aug 29, 1921		Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
112	Win	61–16–5	Clem Johnson	NWS	10	Jun 8, 1921		Auditorium, Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
111	Loss	61–16–5	Lee Anderson	TKO	9	May 30, 1921		Arizona A.C., Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.	For world colored heavyweight title "claim"
110	Win	61–15–5	Jamaica Kid	PTS	15	May 3, 1921		Manhattan Casino, New York City, New York, U.S.
109	Win	60–15–5	Phil McNeil	KO	3	Apr 18, 1921		Auditorium, Freeport, New York, U.S.
108	Win	59–15–5	Jack Tasco	TKO	4	Apr 7, 1921		Orpheum Theatre, York, Pennsylvania, U.S.
107	Win	58–15–5	Jack Ward	KO	3	Mar 21, 1921		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
106	Win	57–15–5	Pinky Lewis	KO	6	Mar 10, 1921		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
105	Win	56–15–5	Pinky Lewis	DQ	2	Feb 18, 1921		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.	Lewis was disqualified for excessive holding
104	Win	55–15–5	John Lester Johnson	NWS	10	Feb 2, 1921		Roller Palace Rink, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
103	Win	55–15–5	Battling Gahee	PTS	8	Jan 24, 1921		Southern A.C., Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
102	Win	54–15–5	Jamaica Kid	NWS	10	Jan 5, 1921		Roller Palace Rink, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
101	Win	54–15–5	Jack Ward	KO	3	Jan 3, 1921		Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
100	Win	53–15–5	Bill Tate	PTS	10	Dec 14, 1920		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
99	Win	52–15–5	Jeff Clark	TKO	2	Nov 26, 1920		Eureka A.C., Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
98	Win	51–15–5	Jeff Clark	PTS	15	Oct 25, 1920		Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
97	Win	50–15–5	Jamaica Kid	PTS	12	Sep 3, 1920		5th Regiment Armory, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
96	Win	49–15–5	Larry Williams	NWS	10	Aug 18, 1920		Arena, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
95	Win	49–15–5	Jack Blackburn	KO	4	Jun 22, 1920		Madison A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
94	Win	48–15–5	Jeff Clark	PTS	15	Jun 21, 1920		Fairmont Arena, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
93	Win	47–15–5	Cliff Patillo	NWS	8	Jun 18, 1920		National A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
92	Win	47–15–5	John Lester Johnson	KO	1	Jun 14, 1920		Flower City A.C., Rochester, New York, U.S.
91	Loss	46–15–5	John Lester Johnson	DQ	3	Jun 7, 1920		Flower City A.C., Rochester, New York, U.S.
90	Win	46–14–5	Silas Green	KO	5	May 31, 1920		Colonial Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
89	Win	45–14–5	Jamaica Kid	NWS	12	May 17, 1920		Coliseum, Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
88	Win	45–14–5	Cleve Hawkins	NWS	10	May 7, 1920		Moose Temple, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
87	Win	45–14–5	Harry Lindsay	KO	2	Jan 12, 1920		Southern A.C., Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
86	Win	44–14–5	Jack Ward	KO	4	Dec 19, 1919		Moose Temple, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
85	Win	43–14–5	Jamaica Kid	NWS	12	Dec 3, 1919		Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
84	Win	43–14–5	Jamaica Kid	PTS	12	Nov 4, 1919		Grand Opera House, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
83	Win	42–14–5	Jeff Clark	NWS	10	Oct 24, 1919		Moose Temple, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
82	Win	42–14–5	John Lester Johnson	PTS	15	Oct 3, 1919		Lyric Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
81	Win	41–14–5	Jamaica Kid	NWS	6	Jul 28, 1919		Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
80	Win	41–14–5	Larry Williams	KO	1	Jun 30, 1919		Open-Air Arena, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
79	Win	40–14–5	Jack Ward	KO	3	Jun 21, 1919		Oriole Park, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
78	Win	39–14–5	Billy Miske	NWS	8	Jun 9, 1919		Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
77	Draw	39–14–5	Larry Williams	NWS	8	May 26, 1919		Casino Hall, Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.
76	Win	39–14–5	Bert Kenny	NWS	8	May 22, 1919		Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
75	Win	39–14–5	Jim Hosic	NWS	8	Mar 20, 1919		Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
74	Win	39–14–5	Battling Dungy	KO	4	Mar 7, 1919		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
73	Loss	38–14–5	Clay Turner	NWS	10	Jan 20, 1919		Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
72	Win	38–14–5	Clay Turner	KO	4	Jan 8, 1919		Armory A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
71	Win	37–14–5	Jamaica Kid	NWS	6	Jan 1, 1919		Olympia A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
70	Loss	37–14–5	Clay Turner	PTS	12	Nov 19, 1918		Armory A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
69	Win	37–13–5	Joe Jennette	NWS	8	Oct 11, 1918		Spring A.C., West Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S.
68	Win	37–13–5	Joe Jennette	NWS	8	Jul 19, 1918		International League Ballpark, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
67	Win	37–13–5	Battling Jim Johnson	NWS	4	Jul 16, 1918		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
66	Win	37–13–5	George Ashe	KO	3	May 14, 1918		Armory A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
65	Win	36–13–5	Bill Tate	TKO	7	Apr 22, 1918		Lyric Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
64	Win	35–13–5	Porky Dan Flynn	PTS	12	Apr 16, 1918		Armory A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
63	Win	34–13–5	George Christian	KO	3	Apr 15, 1918		Olympia A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
62	Win	33–13–5	George Robinson	PTS	12	Apr 5, 1918		Commercial A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
61	Win	32–13–5	Cleve Hawkins	PTS	12	Apr 4, 1918		North Adams, Massachusetts, U.S.
60	Win	31–13–5	Jack Thompson	NWS	6	Mar 25, 1918		Olympia A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
59	Loss	31–13–5	Sam Langford	KO	2	Dec 17, 1917		Stockyards Stadium, Denver, Colorado, U.S.	For world colored heavyweight title
58	Win	31–12–5	Zulu Kid	PTS	10	Dec 4, 1917		North Adams, Massachusetts, U.S.
57	Win	30–12–5	Tom Cowler	NWS	12	Nov 6, 1917		Rhode Island A.C., Thornton, Rhode Island, U.S.
56	Win	30–12–5	Johnny Espen	NWS	10	Oct 26, 1917		Harlem S.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
55	Win	30–12–5	Billy Miske	PTS	12	Oct 16, 1917		Arena, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
54	Win	29–12–5	George Ashe	NWS	10	Sep 24, 1917		Genesee Arena, Rochester, New York, U.S.
53	Win	29–12–5	Gunboat Smith	NWS	10	Aug 20, 1917		Airdome A.C., Rochester, New York, U.S.
52	Loss	29–12–5	Gus Christie	NWS	10	Aug 16, 1917		Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
51	Win	29–12–5	Gunboat Smith	NWS	10	Aug 3, 1917		Urban Liberty Park, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
50	Win	29–12–5	Bert Kenny	NWS	10	Jul 30, 1917		Airdome A.C., Rochester, New York, U.S.
49	Win	29–12–5	Bert Kenny	NWS	10	Jul 20, 1917		Harlem S.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
48	Win	29–12–5	Tom Cowler	TKO	8	Jul 19, 1917		Urban Liberty Park, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
47	Win	28–12–5	Tom Cowler	NWS	10	Jun 25, 1917		Airdome A.C., Rochester, New York, U.S.
46	Win	28–12–5	Tom Cowler	NWS	10	Jun 4, 1917		Airdome A.C., Rochester, New York, U.S.
45	Win	28–12–5	Morris Tasco	KO	5	May 9, 1917		Monumental Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
44	Win	27–12–5	Sailor Grande	TKO	5	Apr 29, 1917		Rochester, New York, U.S.
43	Win	26–12–5	Arthur Pelkey	KO	13	Feb 11, 1917		Plaza de Toros Vista Alegre, Panama City, Panama
42	Win	25–12–5	Arthur Pelkey	KO	13	Dec 17, 1916		Santa Ana Plaza, Panama City, Panama	Retained Panamanian heavyweight title
41	Win	24–12–5	Jeff Clark	PTS	20	Nov 12, 1916		Plaza de Toros Vista Alegre, Panama City, Panama	Retained Panamanian heavyweight title
40	Win	23–12–5	Jim Briggs	TKO	4	Sep 10, 1916		Garden Theater, Colon City, Panama
39	Win	22–12–5	Bill Tate	PTS	20	Jun 11, 1916		Plaza de Toros Vista Alegre, Panama City, Panama	Won vacant Panamanian heavyweight title
38	Win	21–12–5	Milton Durant	KO	3	May 14, 1916		Garden Theater, Colon City, Panama
37	Win	20–12–5	Rough House Ware	PTS	25	Mar 12, 1916		Teatro America, Colon City, Panama
36	Win	19–12–5	Gunboat Smith	KO	2	Jan 15, 1916		Garden Theater, Colon City, Panama	Not to be confused with Gunboat Smith
35	Win	18–12–5	Gerald Best	KO	2	Dec 12, 1915		Teatro America, Colon City, Panama
34	Loss	17–12–5	Jeff Clark	PTS	20	May 16, 1915		Plaza de Toros Vista Alegre, Panama City, Panama	Lost Panamanian heavyweight title
33	Win	17–11–5	Jack Herrick	PTS	20	Apr 11, 1915		Teatro America, Colon City, Panama
32	Win	16–11–5	Rough House Ware	PTS	25	Mar 14, 1915		Teatro America, Colon City, Panama	Won Panamanian heavyweight title
31	Win	15–11–5	Bobby Loudon	KO	2	Feb 22, 1915		Teatro America, Colon City, Panama
30	Win	14–11–5	Jack Livingstone	PTS	25	Sep 13, 1914		Colon City, Panama
29	Win	13–11–5	Nat Dewey	PTS	20	Aug 14, 1914		Panama City, Panama
28	Loss	12–11–5	Tommy Connors	PTS	20	May 30, 1914		Bull Ring, Vista Alegre, Panama
27	Draw	12–10–5	Jack Taylor	PTS	10	May 17, 1914		Panama City, Panama
26	Win	12–10–4	Abe Hollandersky	PTS	25	Jan 18, 1914		Skating Rink, Colon City, Panama
25	Win	11–10–4	Jack Livingstone	TKO	2	Dec 25, 1913		Colon City, Panama
24	Win	10–10–4	Jack Livingstone	TKO	18	Nov 27, 1913		Colon City, Panama
23	Win	9–10–4	Battling Haley	TKO	3	Apr 8, 1913		Monumental Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
22	Win	8–10–4	Frank Hunter	PTS	6	Feb 7, 1913		Bohemian Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
21	Loss	7–10–4	Morris Tasco	PTS	6	Jan 16, 1913		Westport A.C., Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
20	Win	7–9–4	Battling Spriggs	TKO	2	Oct 8, 1912		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
19	Win	6–9–4	Howard Johnson	TKO	3	Oct 1, 1912		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
18	Draw	5–9–4	Larry Temple	PTS	3	May 31, 1912		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
17	Draw	5–9–3	Kid Jasper	PTS	4	May 13, 1912		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
16	Draw	5–9–2	Frank Hunter	PTS	3	Apr 9, 1912		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
15	Loss	5–9–1	Black Bill	PTS	4	Mar 7, 1912		Monumental Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
14	Loss	5–8–1	Howard Johnson	PTS	3	Mar 6, 1912		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
13	Draw	5–7–1	Kid Tasker	PTS	4	Feb 6, 1912		St. Patrick's Gymnasium, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
12	Win	5–7	Battling Spriggs	KO	3	Feb 2, 1912		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
11	Loss	4–7	Black Kid Williams	PTS	6	Oct 18, 1911		Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
10	Win	4–6	Battling Spriggs	TKO	3	Aug 28, 1911		Savoy Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
9	Win	3–6	Kid Dale	PTS	3	Jul 10, 1911		Ford Opera House, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
8	Win	2–6	Battling Spriggs	KO	3	May 5, 1911		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
7	Loss	1–6	Kid Jasper	PTS	3	Feb 24, 1911		Lyceum Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
6	Loss	1–5	Kid Stanley	TKO	3	Feb 10, 1911		Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
5	Win	1–4	Jim Williams	PTS	3	Jan 13, 1911		Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
4	Loss	0–4	Kid Jasper	PTS	4	Dec 26, 1910		Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
3	Loss	0–3	Kid Jasper	PTS	5	Dec 14, 1910		Junior Hall, Frederick, Maryland, U.S.
2	Loss	0–2	Kid Cummings	PTS	3	Dec 9, 1910		Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
1	Loss	0–1	Kid Jasper	PTS	6	Nov 29, 1910		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.

Unofficial record

Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw column.

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Age	Location	Notes
151	Loss	115–28–8	Ted Moore	DQ	4	Mar 19, 1926		Dreamland Rink, San Francisco, California, U.S.	Norfolk was tossed out of the ring for "not fighting"
150	Loss	115–27–8	Frank Moody	KO	4	Sep 21, 1925		Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S.
149	Loss	115–26–8	Floyd Johnson	DQ	4	Jun 17, 1925		Auditorium, Oakland, California, U.S.	Norfolk was DQ'd for a low blow
148	Win	115–25–8	Frank Farmer	MD	10	Jun 1, 1925		Armory, Portland, Oregon, U.S.
147	Win	114–25–8	Jack Reddick	PTS	12	May 25, 1925		Stadium Rink, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada	Won Canadian light-heavyweight title
146	Win	113–25–8	Ray Pelkey	KO	5	May 6, 1925		Auditorium, Oakland, California, U.S.
145	Loss	112–25–8	Bob Lawson	KO	1	Mar 14, 1925		Commonwealth Sporting Club, New York City, New York, U.S.
144	Loss	112–24–8	Tommy Gibbons	TKO	6	Dec 9, 1924		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
143	Win	112–23–8	Dan Bright	KO	2	Sep 27, 1924		Cambria Fairgrounds, Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
142	Win	111–23–8	Battling Jim McCreary	PTS	10	Sep 9, 1924		Mechanics Building, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
141	Win	110–23–8	Mexican Joe Lawson	KO	5	Jul 17, 1924		Bacharach Ball Park, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
140	Win	109–23–8	Tut Jackson	KO	2	May 28, 1924		Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
139	Win	108–23–8	Smiling Kid Nolan	KO	3	May 17, 1924		Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
138	Loss	107–23–8	Bob Lawson	DQ	2	May 12, 1924		Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.	Low blow
137	Win	107–22–8	Harry Greb	DQ	6	Apr 19, 1924		Mechanics Building, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
136	Win	106–22–8	Lee Anderson	PTS	12	Feb 23, 1924		Commonwealth Sporting Club, New York City, New York, U.S.
135	Win	105–22–8	Battling Jim McCreary	PTS	10	Feb 8, 1924		Mechanics Building, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
134	Win	104–22–8	Sydney Grant	KO	2	Jan 9, 1924		Gayety Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
133	Win	103–22–8	Battling Siki	PTS	15	Nov 20, 1923		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
132	Win	102–22–8	Smiling Kid Nolan	KO	3	Sep 10, 1923		Maryland Baseball Park, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
131	Win	101–22–8	Tut Jackson	TKO	3	Aug 24, 1923		Gayety Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
130	Win	100–22–8	Jamaica Kid	KO	2	Jul 14, 1923		Commonwealth Sporting Club, New York City, New York, U.S.
129	Win	99–22–8	Tiger Flowers	KO	1	May 8, 1923		Springfield, Ohio, U.S.	Retained world colored light-heavyweight title
128	Loss	98–22–8	Battling Jim McCreary	PTS	10	Apr 24, 1923		Grand Opera House, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
127	Win	98–21–8	Wolf Larsen	KO	1	Mar 31, 1923		Portland, Maine, U.S.
126	Win	97–21–8	Jack Taylor	PTS	12	Mar 27, 1923		Pioneer Sporting Club, New York City, New York, U.S.
125	Loss	96–21–8	Wolf Larsen	DQ	2	Jan 30, 1923		Knickerbocker A.C. Arena, Albany, New York, U.S.	Norfolk was disqualified for hitting low
124	Win	96–20–8	Lee Anderson	PTS	10	Dec 22, 1922		Mechanics Building, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
123	Win	95–20–8	Jamaica Kid	PTS	12	Sep 25, 1922		North Side Field, Dayton, Ohio, U.S.	Not to be confused with Jamaica Kid
122	Win	94–20–8	Lee Anderson	PTS	8	Sep 11, 1922		Arena, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
121	Draw	93–20–8	Tiger Flowers	PTS	8	Jul 4, 1922		Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
120	Draw	93–20–7	Jack Taylor	PTS	10	Jun 23, 1922		Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
119	Win	93–20–6	John Lester Johnson	NWS	12	Jun 2, 1922		Riverside Arena, Covington, Kentucky, U.S.
118	Win	92–20–6	Al Smaulding	PTS	8	Apr 7, 1922		El Paso, Texas, U.S.
117	Loss	91–20–6	Harry Wills	KO	2	Mar 2, 1922		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
116	Win	91–19–6	Young Jack Johnson	TKO	8	Feb 20, 1922		Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
115	Win	90–19–6	Tiger Flowers	KO	3	Jan 30, 1922		Auditorium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
114	Win	89–19–6	Jamaica Kid	PTS	8	Dec 30, 1921		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.	Won vacant world colored light-heavyweight title
113	Loss	88–19–6	Harry Greb	NWS	10	Aug 29, 1921		Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
112	Win	88–18–6	Clem Johnson	NWS	10	Jun 8, 1921		Auditorium, Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
111	Loss	87–18–6	Lee Anderson	TKO	9	May 30, 1921		Arizona A.C., Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.	For world colored heavyweight title "claim"
110	Win	87–17–6	Jamaica Kid	PTS	15	May 3, 1921		Manhattan Casino, New York City, New York, U.S.
109	Win	86–17–6	Phil McNeil	KO	3	Apr 18, 1921		Auditorium, Freeport, New York, U.S.
108	Win	85–17–6	Jack Tasco	TKO	4	Apr 7, 1921		Orpheum Theatre, York, Pennsylvania, U.S.
107	Win	84–17–6	Jack Ward	KO	3	Mar 21, 1921		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
106	Win	83–17–6	Pinky Lewis	KO	6	Mar 10, 1921		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
105	Win	82–17–6	Pinky Lewis	DQ	2	Feb 18, 1921		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.	Lewis was disqualified for excessive holding
104	Win	81–17–6	John Lester Johnson	NWS	10	Feb 2, 1921		Roller Palace Rink, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
103	Win	80–17–6	Battling Gahee	PTS	8	Jan 24, 1921		Southern A.C., Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
102	Win	79–17–6	Jamaica Kid	NWS	10	Jan 5, 1921		Roller Palace Rink, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
101	Win	78–17–6	Jack Ward	KO	3	Jan 3, 1921		Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
100	Win	77–17–6	Bill Tate	PTS	10	Dec 14, 1920		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
99	Win	76–17–6	Jeff Clark	TKO	2	Nov 26, 1920		Eureka A.C., Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
98	Win	75–17–6	Jeff Clark	PTS	15	Oct 25, 1920		Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
97	Win	74–17–6	Jamaica Kid	PTS	12	Sep 3, 1920		5th Regiment Armory, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
96	Win	73–17–6	Larry Williams	NWS	10	Aug 18, 1920		Arena, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
95	Win	72–17–6	Jack Blackburn	KO	4	Jun 22, 1920		Madison A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
94	Win	71–17–6	Jeff Clark	PTS	15	Jun 21, 1920		Fairmont Arena, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
93	Win	70–17–6	Cliff Patillo	NWS	8	Jun 18, 1920		National A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
92	Win	69–17–6	John Lester Johnson	KO	1	Jun 14, 1920		Flower City A.C., Rochester, New York, U.S.
91	Loss	68–17–6	John Lester Johnson	DQ	3	Jun 7, 1920		Flower City A.C., Rochester, New York, U.S.
90	Win	68–16–6	Silas Green	KO	5	May 31, 1920		Colonial Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
89	Win	67–16–6	Jamaica Kid	NWS	12	May 17, 1920		Coliseum, Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
88	Win	66–16–6	Cleve Hawkins	NWS	10	May 7, 1920		Moose Temple, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
87	Win	65–16–6	Harry Lindsay	KO	2	Jan 12, 1920		Southern A.C., Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
86	Win	64–16–6	Jack Ward	KO	4	Dec 19, 1919		Moose Temple, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
85	Win	63–16–6	Jamaica Kid	NWS	12	Dec 3, 1919		Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
84	Win	62–16–6	Jamaica Kid	PTS	12	Nov 4, 1919		Grand Opera House, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
83	Win	61–16–6	Jeff Clark	NWS	10	Oct 24, 1919		Moose Temple, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
82	Win	60–16–6	John Lester Johnson	PTS	15	Oct 3, 1919		Lyric Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
81	Win	59–16–6	Jamaica Kid	NWS	6	Jul 28, 1919		Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
80	Win	58–16–6	Larry Williams	KO	1	Jun 30, 1919		Open-Air Arena, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
79	Win	57–16–6	Jack Ward	KO	3	Jun 21, 1919		Oriole Park, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
78	Win	56–16–6	Billy Miske	NWS	8	Jun 9, 1919		Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
77	Draw	55–16–6	Larry Williams	NWS	8	May 26, 1919		Casino Hall, Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.
76	Win	55–16–5	Bert Kenny	NWS	8	May 22, 1919		Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
75	Win	54–16–5	Jim Hosic	NWS	8	Mar 20, 1919		Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
74	Win	53–16–5	Battling Dungy	KO	4	Mar 7, 1919		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
73	Loss	52–16–5	Clay Turner	NWS	10	Jan 20, 1919		Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
72	Win	52–15–5	Clay Turner	KO	4	Jan 8, 1919		Armory A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
71	Win	51–15–5	Jamaica Kid	NWS	6	Jan 1, 1919		Olympia A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
70	Loss	50–15–5	Clay Turner	PTS	12	Nov 19, 1918		Armory A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
69	Win	50–14–5	Joe Jennette	NWS	8	Oct 11, 1918		Spring A.C., West Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S.
68	Win	49–14–5	Joe Jennette	NWS	8	Jul 19, 1918		International League Ballpark, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
67	Win	48–14–5	Battling Jim Johnson	NWS	4	Jul 16, 1918		Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
66	Win	47–14–5	George Ashe	KO	3	May 14, 1918		Armory A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
65	Win	46–14–5	Bill Tate	TKO	7	Apr 22, 1918		Lyric Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
64	Win	45–14–5	Porky Dan Flynn	PTS	12	Apr 16, 1918		Armory A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
63	Win	44–14–5	George Christian	KO	3	Apr 15, 1918		Olympia A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
62	Win	43–14–5	George Robinson	PTS	12	Apr 5, 1918		Commercial A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
61	Win	42–14–5	Cleve Hawkins	PTS	12	Apr 4, 1918		North Adams, Massachusetts, U.S.
60	Win	41–14–5	Jack Thompson	NWS	6	Mar 25, 1918		Olympia A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
59	Loss	40–14–5	Sam Langford	KO	2	Dec 17, 1917		Stockyards Stadium, Denver, Colorado, U.S.	For world colored heavyweight title
58	Win	40–13–5	Zulu Kid	PTS	10	Dec 4, 1917		North Adams, Massachusetts, U.S.
57	Win	39–13–5	Tom Cowler	NWS	12	Nov 6, 1917		Rhode Island A.C., Thornton, Rhode Island, U.S.
56	Win	38–13–5	Johnny Espen	NWS	10	Oct 26, 1917		Harlem S.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
55	Win	37–13–5	Billy Miske	PTS	12	Oct 16, 1917		Arena, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
54	Win	36–13–5	George Ashe	NWS	10	Sep 24, 1917		Genesee Arena, Rochester, New York, U.S.
53	Win	35–13–5	Gunboat Smith	NWS	10	Aug 20, 1917		Airdome A.C., Rochester, New York, U.S.
52	Loss	34–13–5	Gus Christie	NWS	10	Aug 16, 1917		Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
51	Win	34–12–5	Gunboat Smith	NWS	10	Aug 3, 1917		Urban Liberty Park, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
50	Win	33–12–5	Bert Kenny	NWS	10	Jul 30, 1917		Airdome A.C., Rochester, New York, U.S.
49	Win	32–12–5	Bert Kenny	NWS	10	Jul 20, 1917		Harlem S.C., New York City, New York, U.S.
48	Win	31–12–5	Tom Cowler	TKO	8	Jul 19, 1917		Urban Liberty Park, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
47	Win	30–12–5	Tom Cowler	NWS	10	Jun 25, 1917		Airdome A.C., Rochester, New York, U.S.
46	Win	29–12–5	Tom Cowler	NWS	10	Jun 4, 1917		Airdome A.C., Rochester, New York, U.S.
45	Win	28–12–5	Morris Tasco	KO	5	May 9, 1917		Monumental Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
44	Win	27–12–5	Sailor Grande	TKO	5	Apr 29, 1917		Rochester, New York, U.S.
43	Win	26–12–5	Arthur Pelkey	KO	13	Feb 11, 1917		Plaza de Toros Vista Alegre, Panama City, Panama
42	Win	25–12–5	Arthur Pelkey	KO	13	Dec 17, 1916		Santa Ana Plaza, Panama City, Panama	Retained Panamanian heavyweight title
41	Win	24–12–5	Jeff Clark	PTS	20	Nov 12, 1916		Plaza de Toros Vista Alegre, Panama City, Panama	Retained Panamanian heavyweight title
40	Win	23–12–5	Jim Briggs	TKO	4	Sep 10, 1916		Garden Theater, Colon City, Panama
39	Win	22–12–5	Bill Tate	PTS	20	Jun 11, 1916		Plaza de Toros Vista Alegre, Panama City, Panama	Won vacant Panamanian heavyweight title
38	Win	21–12–5	Milton Durant	KO	3	May 14, 1916		Garden Theater, Colon City, Panama
37	Win	20–12–5	Rough House Ware	PTS	25	Mar 12, 1916		Teatro America, Colon City, Panama
36	Win	19–12–5	Gunboat Smith	KO	2	Jan 15, 1916		Garden Theater, Colon City, Panama	Not to be confused with Gunboat Smith
35	Win	18–12–5	Gerald Best	KO	2	Dec 12, 1915		Teatro America, Colon City, Panama
34	Loss	17–12–5	Jeff Clark	PTS	20	May 16, 1915		Plaza de Toros Vista Alegre, Panama City, Panama	Lost Panamanian heavyweight title
33	Win	17–11–5	Jack Herrick	PTS	20	Apr 11, 1915		Teatro America, Colon City, Panama
32	Win	16–11–5	Rough House Ware	PTS	25	Mar 14, 1915		Teatro America, Colon City, Panama	Won Panamanian heavyweight title
31	Win	15–11–5	Bobby Loudon	KO	2	Feb 22, 1915		Teatro America, Colon City, Panama
30	Win	14–11–5	Jack Livingstone	PTS	25	Sep 13, 1914		Colon City, Panama
29	Win	13–11–5	Nat Dewey	PTS	20	Aug 14, 1914		Panama City, Panama
28	Loss	12–11–5	Tommy Connors	PTS	20	May 30, 1914		Bull Ring, Vista Alegre, Panama
27	Draw	12–10–5	Jack Taylor	PTS	10	May 17, 1914		Panama City, Panama
26	Win	12–10–4	Abe Hollandersky	PTS	25	Jan 18, 1914		Skating Rink, Colon City, Panama
25	Win	11–10–4	Jack Livingstone	TKO	2	Dec 25, 1913		Colon City, Panama
24	Win	10–10–4	Jack Livingstone	TKO	18	Nov 27, 1913		Colon City, Panama
23	Win	9–10–4	Battling Haley	TKO	3	Apr 8, 1913		Monumental Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
22	Win	8–10–4	Frank Hunter	PTS	6	Feb 7, 1913		Bohemian Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
21	Loss	7–10–4	Morris Tasco	PTS	6	Jan 16, 1913		Westport A.C., Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
20	Win	7–9–4	Battling Spriggs	TKO	2	Oct 8, 1912		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
19	Win	6–9–4	Howard Johnson	TKO	3	Oct 1, 1912		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
18	Draw	5–9–4	Larry Temple	PTS	3	May 31, 1912		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
17	Draw	5–9–3	Kid Jasper	PTS	4	May 13, 1912		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
16	Draw	5–9–2	Frank Hunter	PTS	3	Apr 9, 1912		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
15	Loss	5–9–1	Black Bill	PTS	4	Mar 7, 1912		Monumental Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
14	Loss	5–8–1	Howard Johnson	PTS	3	Mar 6, 1912		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
13	Draw	5–7–1	Kid Tasker	PTS	4	Feb 6, 1912		St. Patrick's Gymnasium, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
12	Win	5–7	Battling Spriggs	KO	3	Feb 2, 1912		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
11	Loss	4–7	Black Kid Williams	PTS	6	Oct 18, 1911		Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
10	Win	4–6	Battling Spriggs	TKO	3	Aug 28, 1911		Savoy Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
9	Win	3–6	Kid Dale	PTS	3	Jul 10, 1911		Ford Opera House, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
8	Win	2–6	Battling Spriggs	KO	3	May 5, 1911		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
7	Loss	1–6	Kid Jasper	PTS	3	Feb 24, 1911		Lyceum Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
6	Loss	1–5	Kid Stanley	TKO	3	Feb 10, 1911		Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
5	Win	1–4	Jim Williams	PTS	3	Jan 13, 1911		Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
4	Loss	0–4	Kid Jasper	PTS	4	Dec 26, 1910		Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
3	Loss	0–3	Kid Jasper	PTS	5	Dec 14, 1910		Junior Hall, Frederick, Maryland, U.S.
2	Loss	0–2	Kid Cummings	PTS	3	Dec 9, 1910		Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
1	Loss	0–1	Kid Jasper	PTS	6	Nov 29, 1910		Albaugh Theater, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.