The Great & Forgotten Tommy West and His Wars with the Barbados Demon

[McGrain]

By the sixteenth Walcott looked desperate and he twice shoulder-charged West, who, by far the coolest man in the house, jabbed his man back into position even as the crowd rose as one to claim a foul. Walcott was swinging wildly now whilst West sent in lefts and rights to his unprotected head. In the seventeenth, the incredible realization of the pressure West had brought to bear against his all-time great opponent on just two hours notice seemed near, as West first forced him back, then dropped him to the canvas with a chopping right hand, laying him out “flat on his back” according to The Sun. “It looked like a knockout,” wrote The Daily Eagle, “but Walcott rose weakly and saved himself by staying close until the gong sounded.” The Call wrote that he was “saved by the bell.”


[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

[young griffo]

I love these stories of the boxing old timers.

Walcott was an awesome physical specimen and involved in some epics. Some of the best accounts I've read about boxing were written about Walcott's fights with the perhaps even tougher Kid Lavigne.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Walcott, Lavigne, Mysterious Billy Smith etc were true hard bastards.

[Senya13]

Originally Posted by McGrain

Tommy West first tangled with him in January of 1894 in what seemed to be little more than an exhibition won handily by Walcott over the then twenty-one-year-old Welshman although it is was reported in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle that West landed only one punch of note—and broke his arm.

Next-day report in Boston Journal stated that West badly injured his left hand during training, rather than in the bout itself. Boston Herald report (penned by renowned Nelse Inness I believe) had the bout even at the end, although it would favor Walcott if they were to go 10 rounds. The fight was scheduled for 6 rounds, but was cut down to 3 rounds for some reason.

[McGrain]

The version I had was that it was cut to three due to injury, but perhaps the original injury was concealed.

Senya, have you ever read anything about West being Norwegian?

[Senya13]

I didn't research him. No, never heard of him being a Norwegian.

[McGrain]

OK. There are some interesting rumours swirling around about that. Maybe nothing.

[Flea Man]

Only read a couple of hundred words thus far but another worthy addition to your C.V McGrain.

Glad you've still got your zest for writing.

[McGrain]

Yeah, still well into it, just been a bit busy recently.

[orriray59]

Nice. The Barbados Demon.

[apollack]

On March 29, 1901, in a war that saw both men down several times, Marvin Hart scored a KO16 over West. I discuss the fight in In the Ring With Marvin Hart.

[mcvey]

Originally Posted by McGrain

OK. There are some interesting rumours swirling around about that. Maybe nothing.

I thought he was born in Cardiff Wales ?

[Brownies]

Great read ! Thanks !

[McGrain]

Originally Posted by mcvey

I thought he was born in Cardiff Wales ?

Indeed, that's likley. It's also true that he described his ownself as hailing from Wales most of the time - but he occasionally claimed to be "from England" which is interesting for a Welshman. There's also an awful lot of circumstantial evidence linking him with a Norway and a suggestion that he learned to box in the metchant navy rather than the Navy. I think he probably was from Wales but i'm talking to a Norwegian who thinks there's a chance he was actually from Norway originally.


Cheers brownies.

[LittleRed]

So... Norwegian?

[McGrain]

Very possibly.