Draft:Troy Roberts (boxer)

Troy Roberts
Born	Troy Kwakseesthala (1971-07-31) July 31, 1971 Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	240 lb (109 kg; 17 st 2 lb)
Division	Heavyweight
Reach	73 in (185 cm)
Style	Boxing
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Years active	1994–2004 (boxing)
Professional boxing record
Total	21
Wins	8
By knockout	7
Losses	12
Draws	0
No contests	1
Other information
Occupation	Fisherman
Boxing record from BoxRec

Troy Kwakseesthala (born July 31, 1971), also known as Troy Roberts, is a Canadian artist, carver, fisherman, and retired professional boxer.

Born in Campbell River, Roberts is a member of the Campbell River First Nation (Wei Wai Kum) of the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples. He first began his art career in 1993, where he was both part of the design crew and the steering crew of the canoe "KlineeQwala", which roughly translates to "Lightning Speed". In 1994, he made his boxing debut after a successful bout in New Westminster, British Columbia, and followed up with a second win in that year. Roberts continued with several wins in the following years in his native Canada, the United States, the Philippines, and Germany, until 1997, where after an initial win he would face several losses in the coming bouts including matches against famous boxers such as Eric "Butterbean" Esch, Joe Hipp, and Vitali Klitschko.

Hampered by his busy life as a fisherman and lacking time to train, Roberts retired from boxing in 2004, nearly ten years after his debut. He then continued his life as a fisherman as well as creating his own studio, named "Changing Tide Creations" where he continues to create artwork representative of his heritage.

Early Life

Troy Kwakseesthala was born in Campbell River, British Columbia on July 31st, 1971. He is descended from chiefs of the Weiwakum First Nation, and from a young age was immersed in his native cultural heritage; learning about the dances and myths of his people under the disciplined guidance of the late Elizabeth Kwaksistala. In 1993 he was part of the team that created the canoe "KlineeQwala" and was the stern-most figure in the team that paddled the canoe from Campbell River to the Qatuwas Festival in Bella Bella, a distance of about 270 miles (435 km).

Career

Boxing Career (1994-2004)

Kwakseethala debuted his boxing career on July 13, 1994 under the name Troy Roberts, a name which he still uses professionally to this day. His first bout took place at the Queen's Park Arena in New Westminster, British Columbia, winning by technical knockout against Sam Weissman.

Artistry

Roberts' artwork consists of wood carvings featuring but are not limited to totems, masks, and paddles. As a member of the Kwakwaka’wakw / Kwakiutl / Kwagiulth peoples, Roberts' carving style is emblematic of the native culture of the area. Stonington Gallery, an American art gallery focused on exhibiting contemporary art of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, states the following,

Renowned for carving and considered the most theatrical of all of the northwest coast tribes, the Kwakwaka’wakw carving style is bold, with deep incisions. The hallmark bright colors characteristically combined with white paint highlight dramatic expressions intensifying the features in firelight dance performance.

Roberts himself stated in an article by Native Art in Canada, "When a vision comes to me, I put pencil to paper and draw until I am satisfied with what I see. The process of carving has many steps. For example, the right selection of wood is very important. I use red cedar for larger pieces such as masks but I like yellow cedar for rattles, bowls, talking sticks and paddles."

Roberts cites the late Willie Seaweed as one of his inspirations, and considers Seaweed "the most stylistically inventive artist of his time".

Professional boxing record

21 fights	8 wins	12 losses
By knockout	7	10
By decision	1	2
Draws	0
No contests	1

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
21	Loss	8–12–0	Preston Hartzog	UD	6	Feb 7, 2004	Longshoreman's Hall, San Francisco, California, U.S.
20	Loss	8–11–0	Preston Hartzog	PTS	4	Jan 23, 2004	Eccles Convention Center, Ogden, Utah, U.S.
19	Loss	8–10–0	Eric Esch	TKO	1 (4)	Jun 13, 2003	Chinook Winds Casino, Lincoln City, Oregon, U.S.
18	Loss	8–9–0	Egerton Marcus	TKO	1 (8) 1:59	Feb 22, 2001	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada	Referee stopped the bout at 1:59 of the first round.
17	Loss	8–8–0	Shawn Jewell	TKO	3 (6) 1:23	Jul 10, 1999	Lucky Eagle Casino, Rochester, Washington, U.S.
16	Loss	8–7–0	Eric Esch	TKO	3 (4) 0:41	Sep 18, 1998	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
15	Loss	8–6–0	Cody Koch	KO	1 (8) 0:47	Jan 16, 1998	Bank of America Centre, Boise, Idaho, U.S.
14	Loss	8–5–0	Rupert Thomas	TKO	2 (6)	Jun 12, 1997	Mayfield Inn, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
13	Loss	8-4-0	Vitali Klitschko	TKO	2 (6) 1:14	Feb 22, 1997	Sporthalle Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany
12	Win	8–3–0	Patrick Graham	TKO	4 (8)	Jan 22, 1997	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
11	Loss	7-3-0	Joe Hipp	KO	2 (10)	Oct 10, 1996	Yakima Valley SunDome, Yakima, Washington, U.S.
10	Loss	7-2-0	James Smith	TKO	3 (10) 2:36	Apr 11, 1996	University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
9	Win	7–1–0	Ritchie Goosehead	UD	6	Nov 6, 1995	Italian Cultural Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
8	Win	6–1–0	Richard La Stage	KO	1 (?)	Sep 30, 1995	Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Malate, Manila, Philippines
7	Loss	5–1–0	Anthony Moore	TKO	2 (?)	Aug 27, 1995	Swinomish Northern Lights Casino, Anacortes, Washington, U.S.
6	No Contest	5-0-0	Young Joe Wade	ND	1 (4)	Jun 23, 1995	Cloverdale, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
5	Win	5-0-0	Mark Johnson	TKO	1 (4) 3:00	May 20, 1995	Rutherford Playhouse, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
4	Win	4-0-0	Steve Randolph	TKO	1 (4)	Mar 25, 1995	Queen City Ice Palace, Helena, Montana, U.S.
3	Win	3-0-0	Don Laliberte	TKO	1 (4)	Feb 24, 1995	Convention Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
2	Win	2-0-0	Forrest Browatzke	TKO	1 (4)	Dec 9, 1994	Convention Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
1	Win	1-0-0	Sam Weissman	TKO	1 (4)	Jul 13, 1994	Queen's Park Arena, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada

References

Category:Living people Category:1971 births