Barbados Joe Walcott
| Joe Walcott | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Joe Walcott |
| Nickname(s) | Barbados Demon |
| Rated at | Welterweight |
| Height | 1.56 m (5 ft 1 in) |
| Reach | 65 in (165 cm) |
| Nationality |
 Barbadian
|
| Born |
March 13, 1873 Demerara, British Guiana |
| Died | October 1, 1935 (aged 62) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 166 |
| Wins | 104 |
| Wins by KO | 61 |
| Losses | 32 |
| Draws | 27 |
| No contests | 3 |
Joe Walcott, (March 13, 1873 – October 1, 1935) also known as Barbados Joe Walcott to distinguish him from the American known by the same name, was a Barbadian boxer who held the World Welterweight Championship. Nicknamed "The Barbados Demon" Walcott, who stood 5'1½ tall, was a formidable fighter who fought from 1890 to 1911. 'Barbados' Joe Walcott was the idol of the more contemporary boxer 'Jersey' Joe Walcott, who chose to use his idol's name as his own ring name in his honor.
Walcott spent part of his youth in Barbados. As a youngster, he set out to see the world and got a job as a cabin boy on a ship sailing to Boston. He soon settled in Boston as a piano mover, and porter and took other odd jobs as well. Later, he landed a job in a gym, and became popular with other boxers as a human punching bag before turning professional.
Walcott first challenged for the Lightweight Championship on October 29, 1897, but was TKO'ed by the champion George "Kid" Lavigne in the 12th round. He was also unsuccessful in his first attempt to win the world Welterweight Championship when he was outpointed by Mysterious Billy Smith on December 6, 1898. Walcott won the title on December 18, 1901 from James "Rube" Ferns via a 5 round TKO.
On April 4, 1904 Walcott defended his title against Dixie Kid. He was winning the fight handily when the referee disqualified Walcott for no apparent reason in the 20th round. The match was disregarded as a title bout when it was discovered that the referee had bet on Dixie Kid to win the match.
Walcott also fought the well known Sam Langford to a draw and met Joe Gans in a non-title fight. The Gans fight occurred on September 30, 1904, and was scored a draw after 20 rounds. After the Gans fight, Walcott accidentally shot himself in the hand during a New Year's celebration, effectively ending his days as a top prizefighter. While he would return to the ring in 1906, though losing his welterweight crown to William "Honey" Mellody in the process, Walcott never quite regained his old form, losing many of his subsequent fights.
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