Barbados Joe Walcott His amateur boxing and wrestling years spanned roughly from 1887-89. His early professional boxing years between 1890 and 1896 focused in the areas of Boston and New York city. One of his more noteworthy bouts included a 15-round draw with Mysterious Billy Smith, and a fifteen-round loss to George "Kid Lavigne" in March and December 1895. He lost to Welsh born middleweight Tommy West in 1894 and 1897. West acted as a sparring partner for Walcott in late October 1904. Walcott first challenged for the Lightweight Championship on October 29, 1897, at the Lennox Athletic Club in New York, but
Barbados Joe Walcott ring on January 15, 1907, Walcott lost a fifteen-round decision on points to Mike Donavan in Providence, Rhode Island. Though winning only a few of his remaining bouts, Walcott succeeded in twice beating George Cole, a competent hard hitting middleweight from Philadelphia, in December 1907 and January 1908. In fact, of their December meeting in Philadelphia, one source noted that "with the exception of the third round when Cole sent over some very hard punches," the "battle was Walcott's all the way". On January 7, 1908, Walcott lost to a noteworthy opponent Jimmy Gardner, in twelve rounds at the Armory