Joe Walcott
*Joe Walcott was born on this date in 1873. He was an Afro Barbadian boxer.
From Barbados, British West Indies, he came to the United States in 1887 and fought in and out of Boston, Massachusetts. At 5-1 1/2 and 133-148 pounds, he was a short, squat fighter with long arms and an extremely powerful punch; he was also quick and durable.
Managed by Tom O’Rourke, Walcott was one of the greatest "pound-for-pound" fighters in boxing history. During his career, he fought men weighing from lightweight to heavyweight.
Many sports writers rank Walcott as the #1 all-time Welterweight. He was elected to the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1955 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991.
Called the "Barbados Demon," Joe Walcott died October 4, 1935, in a Massillon, Ohio, automobile accident.
Boxing Album: An Illustrated History
by Peter Brooke Bell
Smithmark Publisher, 1995
ISBN 0831748109
