Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-29
WALCOTT FIGHTS
ONLY FOR MONEY
BLACK BOXER is NOT LOOKING
FOR REPUTATION
During Rubin and sharkey Bout Joe
States He Can Defeat Both, but
viii Not Have Chance Be-
cause They Know It

Joe walcott is one of the most in
teresting fighters in the world. He has
fought everywhere and was always
big card, both from his fighting ability
and his clown tactics in the ring.
Unfortunately, like Cans, his black
hide is additionally smirched by few
shady mills on his page in the fighting
almanac.
But that one battle at Maspeth with
Kid Lavigne, wherein he had to fight
for the full fifteen rounds, will make up
to poSterity for many a shady scrap.
Although Walcott could bring down
the big ones of the ring there was one
man who always had 1t on him little,
and Joe knew It; yet he would fight him
whenever purse was offered.
That was Tommy West They fought
four times, and each won one decision
and the other two were draws.
That last Walcott-West fight oc-
Cured In the coronation tournament at
the National Sporting club in London
in 1902 and took the prize for all kinds
of things, including an unparalleled
display of gameness by both and some
high class bantering.
Opens With Swing
In the first round Joe crashed swing
into Tommy's ribs that would have
ended the fight then and there had
West not been the gamest man on
earth.
Two of his Stats were cracked as was
afterwards proved by a medical exam
ina tion, yet he stayed the limit, fifteen
rounds, and lost very close decision.
During the hottest part of the fight
nature forced West to slow up little
and Joe banteringlv remarked:
Come on out and play, honey, amt
goin' to hurt va"
With that West waded into furious
mixup, and in the resultant clinch he
Kissed out:
"All you need is a tail and you could
sign UP with the menagerie. you sawed
off baboon."
IT'S sawed off SOS All kin throw me
hooks into yo' ribs, chile" Joe came
back, sending along with 1t a couple
of smashes that would crack wall.
you ought to be up a tree throwing
cocoanuts, replied West, apparently
not minding the wallops on his spread
Stats.
Pokes Head in Ring
1t was at the same tournament that
Rubin stopped Sharkey in eleven
rounds, and Joe's round shiny knob
was half way through the ropes all
through the fight.
Richard Croker the Tammany leader.
who had ringside seat, and who was
great admirer of Walcott as fighter,
said to him:
II believe you could lick both those
fellows, Joe"
"You'se dead right Ah kin, boss, but
All amt goin' to get no chance to
prove it. cause dey bof knows it."
Walcott was the real hit of the tourn-
ament All the high life Britishers
took to him and Joe took all that was
loose.
He was Interviewed on almost every
subject. 1 remember one chap asked
him:
Thinks Only of Money
"How do you feel just before a bat
tie, when you think there might be a
chance to have few bones broken ?"
''De only bones dat'll be broken III he
de bones dat ah git fo de fight, and
just 'fo' a fight ah always feel good,
for All knows dat soon Aim goin' to
get the money"
And that was all Walcott ever
thought of-money.
When he was matched to fight Will
lie Lewis near Detroit, and the fight
was shifted suddenly because of raid.
Joe wouldn't fight because he didn't
think there was enough money in
sight.
"You're afraid" taunted Lewis. "You
know I'll win that title from you if
I get you in the ring"
'Lor,, chile, you can have that title
eff yo' kin fin it on me. All All wants
is the money"