How good was Tommy West?Anyone know anything about him?The Welshman that beat Walcott

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by McGrain, Jul 11, 2009.


Page 1 of 2
  1. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

    113,032
    48,151
    Mar 21, 2007
    And that's Barbados Joe, not Jersey Joe!

    West fought the Demon 6 times, which is enough reason to pin the WORLD'S GREATEST WELSHMAN medal on his chest straight up - and West was a welter, it's not like he even had the usual size advantage over Walcott! Boxrec has them:

    94 - Lost on points
    96 - Draw 19 (fight stopped early for no apparent reason)
    97 - W20
    98 - NC 6
    00 - WTKO 11
    02 - PTS 15

    Seems the cuffs were on Walcott though: "The bout had gone 11 rounds very much in Walcott's favour as he had punished West very badly about the head and body and had him in a very weakened condition. When the bell rang for the 12 th round to the surprise of everyone, Walcott refused to go on, claiming he had injured his left arm. Referee Charles White, sensing crookedness insisted upon Walcott returning but [Walcott] refused to do so which left White with no choice but to declare West the winner. There was quite a large sum of money wagered with West the favourite..."

    Walcott was not paid for this fight. Obviosly it is mad depressing that Walcott had to wear the cuffs sometimes, but I do like this story - either he was asked to quit before the 12th or, more likely, was told to lose, and began to worry that he might win :lol: Anyway, who knows which of these other fights were on the level? But it seems his 1898 contest with Tommy Ryan was not, the 6 round NC derided in the press.

    West fought for the welterweight title and middleweight title against these two men, but came up short. Tough competition though.

    Some other notable results - D10, D20 Billy Smith, TKO8 Jimmy Ryan, tended to lose to the best he fought though. Anyone know anything about him? Looks a bit like a business fighter, but i dunno with all the guys that tried to cheat him (Jack Boner tried to blind him with mustard or some ****!).
     
    McGrain, Jul 11, 2009
    McGrain, Jul 11, 2009
    #1
  2. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

    71,596
    27,269
    Feb 15, 2006
    Tommy West was a short pressure fighter who mixed with the best in perhpas the toughest welterweight era of all time and usualy gave a good acount of himself.

    It was thought by many that he might have been a champion if he had not shared an era with Billy Smith, Tommy Ryan and Joe Walcott.

    I will dig up some clips.
     
    janitor, Jul 11, 2009
    janitor, Jul 11, 2009
    #2
  3. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

    113,032
    48,151
    Mar 21, 2007
    It is definitely a brutal, brutal era.

    I hoped you would happen along. Pound for pound all time etc etc would you have West above Tommy Farr? It sure looks that way to me. What great British fighters would you say he ranks alongside?
     
    McGrain, Jul 11, 2009
    McGrain, Jul 11, 2009
    #3
  4. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

    71,596
    27,269
    Feb 15, 2006
    Here is n acount of the fight where West nearly derailed the career of the then rising prooge Walcott.
    This content is protected
    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected
     
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    #4
  5. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

    71,596
    27,269
    Feb 15, 2006
    West vs Creedon ant catchweight. West got a draw by imposing himself on the much larger Creedon.

    This content is protected
    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected
     
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    #5
  6. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

    71,596
    27,269
    Feb 15, 2006
    Tommy West vs Jack Bonner
    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected
     
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    #6
  7. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

    71,596
    27,269
    Feb 15, 2006
     
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    #7
  8. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

    71,596
    27,269
    Feb 15, 2006
    West vs Ryan
    This content is protected
    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected
     
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    #8
  9. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

    71,596
    27,269
    Feb 15, 2006
    The shenanigans surrounding the previous Bonner fight:
    This content is protected
    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected

    This content is protected
     
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    #9
  10. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

    71,596
    27,269
    Feb 15, 2006
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    #10
  11. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

    113,032
    48,151
    Mar 21, 2007
    Thanks Janitor, this is above and beyond. So a straigh up win over Walcott, eh? That's not bad at all is it...would you mention this fighter in a thread about top fighter's not to lift a title?
     
    McGrain, Jul 12, 2009
    McGrain, Jul 12, 2009
    #11
  12. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

    113,032
    48,151
    Mar 21, 2007
    How does a pressure-fighting welter beat the Demon? That doesn't really conjure for me if I am honest.
     
    McGrain, Jul 12, 2009
    McGrain, Jul 12, 2009
    #12
  13. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

    71,596
    27,269
    Feb 15, 2006
    First lets put West's era and opposition in context.

    Billy Smith, Joe Walcott and Tommy Ryan were sort of the fab three of their era. If you had held a poll of boxing writers in the 1930s or perhaps even 40s to name the top welterweights of all time most of them would have named one of those thee as the #1 and the other two as #2 and #3. On that basis we would have to regard it as the strongest welterweight era certainly untill the post world war II period.


    "In the welterweight class, there are three who rank so closely, there is little choice, namely Joe Wolcott, Tommy Ryan, and Mysterious Billy Smith".


    Van Court (1926)

    West is kind of the Benitez figure of the era. Nearly in with the fab three but not quite. If there had been the same aray of titles as there are today he would likley have held a couple of them. On that basis I would say that he is one of the stronger contenders never to hold a world title. Among British fighters he obviously rates verry highly. I would put him ahead of Tommy Farr and as you know I rate Farr as highly as anybody on this site.
     
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    #13
  14. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

    71,596
    27,269
    Feb 15, 2006
    From what I understand West adopted more of a boxing style to defeat Walcott.

    He was for the most part a pressure fighter but he could be adaptable as well.
     
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    janitor, Jul 12, 2009
    #14
  15. Minotauro

    Minotauro Boxing Addict Full Member

    5,628
    713
    May 22, 2007
    great post janitor.
     
    Minotauro, Jul 12, 2009
    Minotauro, Jul 12, 2009
    #15
Page 1 of 2