Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1912-03-01
WORLD FAMOUS TRIO
OF NEGRO FIGHTERS,
Dixon, WaIcott and Cans Held the
Center Of the Stage.

There are some truly remarkable ne
gro fighters today-Johnson, Langford,
Jeanette, McV ea-but one splendid
trio Of negro battlrers is foremost in pu-
gilstic history.
It was composed Of George Dixon,
Joe Cans and Joe Walcott, Dixon, the
first negro worlds champion; Cans,
OF knockout fame; Walcntt, the Bar
bados terror, whose head was so close
to his shoulders that 1t was next to
impossible to hurt him All three
won the highest honors the ring can
bestow.
Dixon was ruler of the feather
weights and bantams. Cans of the
igthweights, and WalcOtt became
master Of the welters.
Dixon was the most popular negro
that ever raised q glove, He was
likewise the greatest ring artist. HIS
career started in Halifax. Nova Scotia
in 1886, when he knocked out Young
Johnson. The following year he came
to this country and located in Boston
lie had &c fights in Massachusetts
cities and in other eastern towns, dat
ing from 1887 to February 7, 1890,
when he met Cal Mccarthy for the
bantam championship of America
The men fought 10 rounds to draw
with two ounce gloves.
Dixon was different miller from
the general run OF fighters. Where,
as a rule coming champions knock
out most Of their opponents in the
early days Of their careers, Dixon
played safe and was learning clever
ness, but when he fought Mccarthy
he did not look much like the star ne
became later.
Little Chocolate had four fights
,C hi Poi. II
Carthy, and then Tom O'Rourke took
him to London, where in June. 1890,
he defeated Unc Wallace, bantam
champion Of England, in Is rounds
Nine months later he again fought
Mccarthy for the bantam champion
ship Of America and won it at Troy in
% rounds Next he met Abe Willis
the Australian champion, at San Fran
cisco, and knocked him out in FIVE
rounds. Dixon became bantam cham
Pion Of the world as a result Of this
feat
There being no good bantans left he
fought several featherweights and
whipped them, one after another A
year later, after his battle with Willis,
he was, matched With Fred Johnson
for the championship. They struggled
at Coney Island for the worlds feath-
erweight championship and a $1,000
purse, and Dixon dropped Johnson for
the count in the 14th round.
Dixon continued in the game until
| 1906 In 1900 he lost the feather
weight title to Terry MoGovern.
| In the SOS Joe Waloott hlazed 2
trail for lightweighte, welterweights
/ and nntddleweights that was hard to
follow. Walcott was q Welterweight.
but he trained down to 1873 pounds
for KID Lavigne, when the Kid was
champion at that weight in 1895, and
! the M1catgander gave Kim a terrific
| lacing. Before the Lavigne fight, and
after, Walcott was universally feared.
| He was animalistic in his attack and
established a string Of knockouts.
! Walcott was a powerful puncher and
! never heEitated to fight a man from
I ten to sixty pounds heavier than him
| self.
| Walcott became welterweight champ
after the title had passed back and
| forth between RUDE Ferns, Matty Mat
tfews and Mysterious Billy Smith He
was the greatest demon welterweight
Of two decades, Walcott got his
took him in hand when he came from
Barbados.
Joe Cans YVES the name Of a box
ing marvel from Baltimore who arose
to the heights of lightweight cham
pien in 1902. after eleven years OF
mixing, He was the third negro tc
become e. titled head. His career waa
sixteen years long, The curtains were
lowered ON him when Bat Nelson Stop
ped him twice in 1907,
Cans was the greatest Knockout mar
AT tbs ring, Sixty one forms buried
their faces in the carpet at the be.
hest OF his tlludding fists. Cans was
beth q fightsa and i. baxef--a true art
ist. He had an eye for distance tina,
was remarkable and his blows rarely
tgaseslad eAasT qeurLs af inches Hi