By Jim Amato / Senior Boxing Writer
For a boxer who had crossed gloves with the likes of Sam Langford, Joe Gans. Philadelphia, Jack O’Brien, Mysterious Billy Smith, Kid Lavigne, George Gardner, Dixie Kid, Rube Ferns, Tommy West, Dan Creedon, Honey Mellody and Joe Choynski, his was not a fitting end. Joe Walcott was born on March 13, 1873 in Barbados, British West Indies. On December 15, 1901 he stopped Rube Ferns in five rounds to capture the welterweight title. Ninety years later the man nicknamed the Barbados Demon was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Walcott’s career began in 1890 and lasted through 1911. He engaged in 135 recorded professional contests but Joe insisted there were many more. He failed in his first two attempts to win title recognition losing to lightweight champion Kid Lavigne in 1897 and welterweight champion Mysterious Billy Smith in 1898. After beating Ferns in 1901 he held the crown until losing to Dixie Kid in 1904. He reclaimed the title when Dixie Kid moved up in weight but lost all recognition when he was defeated by Honey Mellody in 1906.
