Barbados Joe Walcott | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Joe Walcott March 13, 1873 |
| Died | October 4, 1935 (aged 62) Massillon, Ohio, U.S. |
| Nationality |  Bajan |
| Other names | Barbados Demon Black Demon |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Welterweight |
| Height | 1.56 m (5 ft 1 in) |
| Reach | 65 in (165 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 157 |
| Wins | 96 |
| Wins by KO | 57 |
| Losses | 31 |
| Draws | 27 |
| No contests | 3 |
Joe Walcott (March 13, 1873 – October 1, 1935), also known as Barbados Joe Walcott to distinguish him from the more recent American boxer known by the same name, was a Bajan professional boxer who reigned as the World Welterweight Champion from 1901 to 1906, becoming the first black man ever to capture the title. He was elected to The Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1955 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991.
Walcott was a formidable fighter with exceptional power to his punch. His manager was Tom O'Rourke. In evidence, his wins were an impressive 60% by knockout.
Nat Fleischer rated Walcott as the greatest welterweight of all time, and in 2003 he was included in the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. He was elected to The Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1955 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. [1]
"Barbados" Joe Walcott was the idol of the more contemporary boxer Arnold Cream, who adopted his idol's real name as his own, going by Jersey Joe Walcott in the ring.[2]
Walcott was born on March 13, 1873, in British Guiana but migrated to Barbados at a young age. As a youngster he set out to see the world and got a job as a cabin boy on a ship sailing to Boston that arrived around 1887.[3] He soon settled in Boston as a piano mover and porter and took other odd jobs as well. Later, he landed a job in a gym and became popular with even the best of the boxers as an able opponent before turning professional. His amateur boxing and wrestling years spanned roughly from 1887 to 1889.[4][3]
The focus of his early professional boxing years, between 1890 and 1896, were 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 15-round loss to George "Kid Lavigne" in March and December 1895, respectively. He lost to Welsh-born middleweight Tommy West in 1894 and 1897. West acted as a sparring partner for Walcott in late October 1904.[3]
Walcott first challenged for the lightweight championship on October 29, 1897, at the Lennox Athletic Club in New York, but he was TKO'ed by the champion George "Kid" Lavigne in the 12th round. He was also unsuccessful in his first attempt to win the world welterweight championship when Mysterious Billy Smith outpointed him on December 6, 1898. Walcott fought Smith, likely his most frequent opponent, six times in his career.[5]
On February 23, 1900, Walcott met the Jewish light heavyweight Joe Choynski, winning in a surprising seventh-round TKO, though outweighed by 16 pounds and conceding his opponent a full foot advantage in height. Likely sensing the need for a quick start against his gifted opponent, Walcott sent Choynski to the mat five times in the first round and was the aggressor throughout the bout.[5] Choynski, a 3-1 betting favorite before the bout, suddenly became a 2-1 underdog after the bell ending the first round.[6] Walcott seemed to have a slight advantage in the second, though Choynski landed a solid blow. By the third round, Walcott pressed his advantage with a superior defense and landed blows nearly at will before the sound of the bell. The fourth seemed even and the fifth entirely in Walcott's favor, but in the sixth Walcott cut Choynski's right eye. Walcott sent Choynski to the floor again in the seventh, battering his clearly exhausted opponent. Stopping the final round 38 seconds in, the referee said later that he "felt another blow to Choynski would have put him out."[7]
On September 27, 1901, Walcott impressively defeated Irish boxer George Gardner in a twenty-round points decision at the Mechanic's Pavilion in San Francisco, California. The pre-fight betting was light before the match with Gardner a 10-8 favorite.[8] Gardner, at just under six feet, and holding a serious reach advantage over Walcott, would briefly hold the light heavyweight championship of the world from July through November 1903. Walcott was the aggressor throughout the bout, landing more clean blows, though there was a great deal of clinching and wrestling throughout the furious bout, likely a result of the mismatch in reach between the two opponents. In the first round, Walcott brought Gardner to his knees from a left and right to the head for a nine count, though Gardner returned to the fighting unfazed.[9]
Walcott won the world welterweight title on December 18, 1901, in Buffalo, New York, from reigning champion James "Rube" Ferns achieving a technical knockout in the fifth round. Ferns, from the reaction of the Buffalo crowd as he entered the ring, appeared to be the favorite. Walcott sent Ferns to the floor twice in the fifth round, the first a solid blow to the jaw. Rube took the count both times. At the end, the referee stopped the bout to prevent a knockout. Ferns began to weaken as early as the third round, and in the fourth Walcott sent Ferns through the ropes.[5][10] The bout featured a clinch in the fourth round that brought both boxers to the mat, possibly a result of a tiring Walcott attempting to counter Fern's six-inch height advantage and superior reach. The match brought roughly 2,000 spectators to the clubhouse, and tickets ranged from a respectable $2 to $5.[11] "Walcott battered down Ferns with terrific body blows, and right and left swings to the head. To save Ferns from being completely knocked out, Referee McBride stopped the bout." - Toronto Star.
After the fight, Rube Ferns stated "Well, he won, and I have nothing to say against it. I don't know anybody at the weight - no, nor a good deal above it - that can beat him."
On June 23, 1902, Walcott faced Tommy West in a title defense of his world welterweight title, facing off against West for the sixth time. In their previous encounter in August 1900, the fight had gone as such according to a newspaper called the Durango Democrat. "The bout had gone eleven rounds very much in Wolcott's favor, as he had punished West very badly about the body and head and had him in a very weakened condition. When the bell rang for the twelfth round, to the surprise of everybody, Wolcott refused to go on, claiming he had injured his left arm. Referee Charlie White, suspecting crookedness, insisted upon Wolcott continuing, but the negro refused to do so, which left White no alternative other than to declare West the winner. There was quite a large sum of money wagered, with West as favorite and the referee is very outspoken in reference to Wolcott's peculiar actions. Manager Kennedy, on behalf of the club, announced that Wolcott's share of the money would not be given to him, but would be donated to some charitable institution. " (Durango Democrat)" [12] With their first 5 fights having been in America, they fought their final battle, for the world welterweight championship, at the National Sporting Club, Covent Garden in London, England. Walcott clearly outpointed the Welsh fighter and retained his championship with a 15 round points decision victory overseas.
On June 18, 1903, Walcott fought Young Peter Jackson, an exceptional black contender to a twenty-round draw, in Portland, Oregon, in a match billed as a world welterweight championship. The title did not change hands due to the draw decision.[5] Walcott would later lose to Jackson on June 10, 1904, in a fourth-round knockout during a non-title fight in Baltimore, after receiving a punch to the stomach. Up until the time of the knockout, Walcott was considered to have a slight lead over Jackson, as his blows to the head and neck of his opponent were not landing with much force.[13] Walcott had previously fought Jackson twice in the winter of 1902 to a win and a draw.[5]
On April 29, 1904, Walcott defended his title against black contender Dixie Kid. He was winning the fight handily when the referee disqualified Walcott for no apparent reason in the final seconds of the 20th round. Dick "Duck" Sullivan," the referee, was a last-minute replacement, and Walcott protested the choice before the bout began. In the one-sided contest, Walcott appeared to have a clear advantage in all but the seventh round. Many in the crowd were shocked with the decision, and Walcott himself was immediately angered at referee Sullivan, who made the call.[14] The match was disregarded as a title bout when it was discovered, not surprisingly, that referee Sullivan had bet on Dixie Kid to win the match.[5]
Walcott fought the exceptional black boxer Sam Langford in a non-title fight before a modest crowd of 1,200 in Manchester, New Hampshire on September 5, 1904, with the fight ending in a fifteen-round draw.
Langford had the better of the bout for the first seven rounds and staged an excellent defense, but in the remaining eight rounds, Walcott fought furiously in a close battle where the crowd could not anticipate the outcome til the referee's decision.[15] In the third round, Langford brought Walcott to one knee with a blow to the jaw.[16]
Walcott met world lightweight champion Joe Gans in a non-title fight at Woodward's Pavilion in San Francisco on September 30, 1904, and scored a draw after 20 thrilling rounds. Many in the crowd believed Gans should have received the decision. The lightweight champion gained a lead from the second till the tenth, using his right almost exclusively on the body of Walcott. Walcott, however, put tremendous force behind his blows, weakening the lightweight Gans in several points in the bout.
After the tenth, Gans became the superior boxer, avoiding the blows of Walcott and connecting with solid rights and lefts to the face. In the nineteenth round, Gans landed a solid blow to Walcott's jaw that might have ended the fight. In the final round, Gans showed dominance in the in-fighting, though neither fighter took a clear lead. An examination after the fight showed that Walcott had broken his right elbow in the fourth round, though he fought on valiantly.[17]
After the Gans fight, on October 18, 1904, Walcott accidentally shot himself in the hand, losing several fingers. Walcott took a year off of boxing to recover from the injury, but it may have effectively limited his remaining years as a world class prizefighter. Walcott, however, continued to box until 1911.[5][4]
Before a crowd of 3,000, Walcott officially lost the world welterweight championship on October 16, 1906, against William "Honey" Mellody at the Lincoln Athletic Club in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Falling to a twelfth-round technical knockout, Walcott quit the bout, claiming his left arm had been injured in the ninth round.[5] In the first round Walcott scored a knockdown. Melody, fighting cautiously against the reigning champion, landed mostly body blows throughout the remainder of the fight, but scored enough to appear to dominate.[18] In the sixth round, Mellody landed a strong right to the jaw which backed Walcott against the ropes. In the eleventh, Mellody landed punches at will, and in the final round he landed a flurry of rights to the stomach before Walcott retreated to his corner before the bell ending the bout.[19]
Returning to the 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."[20]
On January 7, 1908, Walcott lost to a noteworthy opponent, Jimmy Gardner, in twelve rounds at the Armory in Boston. Gardner would become a world welterweight contender against Mike "Twin" Sullivan in April of that year. New York's Evening World stated that Walcott's performance "did not come up to expectations" and that Gardner's win "was one of the easiest victories he ever earned."[5][21] On November 2, 1911, Walcott fought his last reported bout against Tom Sawyer in Lowell, Massachusetts. He walked out of the ring before the bell at the end of the one-sided 12-round technical knockout, and said to the crowd, "I'm 40 years old and I guess I'm done with this game."[5]
Walcott squandered a fortune earned in the ring and eventually found employment as a custodian at the old Madison Square Garden. He died at 62 on October 4, 1935.[5] He was reported missing in December 1935, by his daughter. He had been last seen around Mansfield, Ohio, on a trip he was taking to find work in Hollywood. It was later reported he died in a car accident in Massillon, Ohio, fifty miles from Mansfield.[22][23]
It was believed that Joe was walking along Route 30 in the village of Dalton, Ohio (8 miles west of Massillon) and was struck and killed by a car. His body was not claimed and the Village of Dalton buried him at the edge of the cemetery. In 1955 a headstone that reads "Ex Worlds Champion Joe Walcott 1873-1935" was erected on the grave.[24][25]
All information in this section is derived from BoxRec,[12] unless otherwise stated.
| 157 fights | 87 wins | 24 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 57 | 9 |
| By decision | 28 | 13 |
| By disqualification | 2 | 2 |
| Draws | 24 | |
| No contests | 3 | |
| Newspaper decisions/draws | 19 | |
All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column.
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 157 | Loss | 87–24–24 (22) | Tom Sawyer | TKO | 8 (12) | Nov 2, 1910 | Higgins Hall, Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 156 | Win | 87–23–24 (22) | Bobby Lee | KO | 2 (6) | Oct 17, 1910 | Armory A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 155 | Loss | 86–23–24 (22) | Kyle Whitney | TKO | 9 (12) | May 13, 1910 | Young Men's S & AC, Brockton, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 154 | Loss | 86–22–24 (22) | Bill MacKinnon | DQ | 6 (12) | Apr 25, 1910 | Young Men's S & AC, Brockton, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 153 | Draw | 86–21–24 (22) | Jimmy Potts | PTS | 10 | Mar 7, 1910 | Cooke's Gym, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | |
| 152 | Draw | 86–21–23 (22) | Young Jack Johnson | PTS | 6 | Dec 3, 1909 | Pastime Club, Haverhill, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 151 | Draw | 86–21–22 (22) | Tom Sawyer | NWS | 6 | Sep 6, 1909 | Pastime A.C., Portland, Oregon, U.S. | |
| 150 | Loss | 86–21–22 (21) | Thunderbolt Ed Smith | PTS | 6 | May 10, 1909 | Gayety Theatre, Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 149 | Loss | 86–20–22 (21) | Jack Robinson | PTS | 10 | Nov 18, 1908 | Easton, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 148 | Loss | 86–19–22 (21) | Larry Temple | TKO | 10 (10) | Nov 11, 1908 | Armory A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 147 | Loss | 86–18–22 (21) | Bartley Connolly | PTS | 6 | Sep 7, 1908 | Pastime A.C., Portland, Oregon, U.S. | |
| 146 | Loss | 86–17–22 (21) | Jack Robinson | NWS | 6 | Jul 15, 1908 | Whirlwind A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 145 | Loss | 86–17–22 (20) | Bill Hurley | NWS | 7 | Jun 29, 1908 | Schenectady, New York, U.S. | |
| 144 | Win | 86–17–22 (19) | Russell Van Horn | PTS | 6 | Jun 18, 1908 | Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 143 | Win | 85–17–22 (19) | Mike Lansing | PTS | 6 | Jun 16, 1908 | Ontario A.C., Charlotte, New York, U.S. | |
| 142 | Win | 84–17–22 (19) | Charles Kemp | TKO | 5 (10) | Jun 11, 1908 | Springfield, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 141 | Loss | 83–17–22 (19) | Charley Hitte | NWS | 6 | Apr 3, 1908 | Schenectady, New York, U.S. | |
| 140 | Draw | 83–17–22 (18) | Professor Mike Donovan | PTS | 6 | Mar 3, 1908 | Canandaigua, New York, U.S. | |
| 139 | Loss | 83–17–21 (18) | Terry Martin | NWS | 6 | Jan 30, 1908 | Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 138 | Draw | 83–17–21 (17) | Professor Mike Donovan | PTS | 10 | Jan 15, 1908 | Maisonneuve Theatre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 137 | Win | 83–17–20 (17) | George Cole | NWS | 6 | Jan 14, 1908 | Troy, New York, U.S. | |
| 136 | Loss | 83–17–20 (16) | Jimmy Gardner | PTS | 20 | Jan 7, 1908 | Armory A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 135 | Win | 83–16–20 (16) | George Cole | NWS | 6 | Dec 26, 1907 | Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 134 | Draw | 83–16–20 (15) | Professor Mike Donovan | PTS | 15 | Oct 24, 1907 | Standard A.C., Lymansville, Rhode Island, U.S. | |
| 133 | Win | 83–16–19 (15) | Billy Payne | KO | 6 (?) | Oct 17, 1907 | Portland, Oregon, U.S. | |
| 132 | Draw | 82–16–19 (15) | Professor Mike Donovan | PTS | 10 | Jun 18, 1907 | Brazil, Indiana, U.S. | |
| 131 | Loss | 82–16–18 (15) | Professor Mike Donovan | PTS | 10 | Jan 15, 1907 | Providence, Rhode Islandf, U.S. | |
| 130 | Loss | 82–15–18 (15) | William "Honey" Mellody | TKO | 12 (15) | Nov 29, 1906 | Lincoln A.C., Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S. | For world welterweight title |
| 129 | Loss | 82–14–18 (15) | William "Honey" Mellody | PTS | 15 | Oct 16, 1906 | Lincoln A.C., Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S. | Lost world welterweight title |
| 128 | Draw | 82–13–18 (15) | Billy Rhodes | PTS | 20 | Sep 29, 1906 | Sand on island off the Missouri River, 12mi from KC, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | Retained world welterweight title |
| 127 | Win | 82–13–17 (15) | Jack Dougherty | KO | 8 (15) | Jul 10, 1906 | Lincoln A.C., Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S. | Retained world welterweight title |
| 126 | Win | 81–13–17 (15) | Dave Holly | DQ | 3 (3) | Jan 25, 1906 | Long Acre A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 125 | Draw | 80–13–17 (15) | Joe Gans | PTS | 20 | Sep 30, 1904 | Woodward's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S. | It was announced before the fight that no title was at stake. |
| 124 | Loss | 80–13–16 (15) | Dave Holly | NWS | 6 | Sep 10, 1904 | National A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 123 | Draw | 80–13–16 (14) | Sam Langford | PTS | 15 | Sep 5, 1904 | Lake Massabesic Coliseum, Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S. | Retained world welterweight title |
| 122 | Draw | 80–13–15 (14) | Larry Temple | PTS | 10 | Jul 1, 1904 | Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 121 | Win | 80–13–14 (14) | Professor Mike Donovan | TKO | 5 (10) | Jun 24, 1904 | Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 120 | Loss | 79–13–14 (14) | Young Peter Jackson | KO | 4 (10) | Jun 10, 1904 | Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | Walcott claimed a foul after getting knocked down from a punch to the stomach |
| 119 | Draw | 79–12–14 (14) | Sandy Ferguson | PTS | 10 | May 23, 1904 | Auditorium, Portland, Oregon, U.S. | Pre-arranged draw if lasting the distance |
| 118 | Loss | 79–12–13 (14) | Dixie Kid | DQ | 20 (20) | Apr 29, 1904 | Woodward's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S. | World welterweight title at stake; Disregarded as a title fight as the ref had bet on Dixie Kid; Walcott was DQ'd for a kidney punch, despite landing them throughout with no warning of foul |
| 117 | Loss | 79–11–13 (14) | Black Bill | NWS | 6 | Feb 26, 1904 | Lenox A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 116 | Win | 79–11–13 (13) | Charlie Haghey | KO | 3 (10) | Jan 18, 1904 | New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 115 | Win | 78–11–13 (13) | Larry Temple | PTS | 15 | Dec 29, 1903 | Criterion A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 114 | Loss | 77–11–13 (13) | Sandy Ferguson | PTS | 15 | Nov 10, 1903 | Criterion A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Walcott weighed 148lbs and Ferguson weighed 205lbs |
| 113 | Win | 77–10–13 (13) | Kid Carter | PTS | 15 | Nov 3, 1903 | Criterion A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 112 | Win | 76–10–13 (13) | Kid Carter | PTS | 15 | Oct 13, 1903 | Criterion A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 111 | Win | 75–10–13 (13) | Tom Carey | KO | 5 (?) | Sep 21, 1903 | Central A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 110 | Win | 74–10–13 (13) | Joe Grim | NWS | 6 | Sep 12, 1903 | State A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 109 | Win | 74–10–13 (12) | Tom Carey | KO | 8 (15) | Aug 13, 1903 | Tammany A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 108 | Win | 73–10–13 (12) | Mose LaFontise | KO | 3 (20) | Jul 3, 1903 | Balanee Box, Portland, Oregon, U.S. | Retained world welterweight title |
| 107 | Draw | 72–10–13 (12) | Young Peter Jackson | PTS | 20 | Jun 18, 1903 | Balanee Box, Portland, Oregon, U.S. | Retained world welterweight title |
| 106 | Win | 72–10–12 (12) | Mysterious Billy Smith | TKO | 4 (20) | May 28, 1903 | Exposition Building, Portland, Oregon, U.S. | |
| 105 | Draw | 71–10–12 (12) | Philadelphia Jack O'Brien | PTS | 10 | Apr 20, 1903 | Health & Physical Culture A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Pre-arranged draw if lasting the distance. |
| 104 | Win | 71–10–11 (12) | Professor Mike Donovan | PTS | 10 | Apr 15, 1903 | Health & Physical Culture A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 103 | Draw | 70–10–11 (12) | Billy Woods | PTS | 20 | Apr 2, 1903 | Hazard's Pavilion, Los Angeles, California, U.S> | |
| 102 | Win | 70–10–10 (12) | George Cole | KO | 4 (10) | Mar 18, 1903 | Kenyon's Hall, Allegheny, New York, U.S. | |
| 101 | Win | 69–10–10 (12) | Charlie Haghey | KO | 5 (15) | Mar 11, 1903 | Criterion A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 100 | Win | 68–10–10 (12) | Professor Mike Donovan | PTS | 10 | Mar 9, 1903 | Masonic Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 99 | Loss | 67–10–10 (12) | Frank Childs | TKO | 3 (6) | Oct 9, 1902 | Apollo A.C., Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | For world colored heavyweight title claim |
| 98 | NC | 67–9–10 (12) | George Cole | NC | 4 (6) | Oct 6, 1902 | Golden Gate A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 97 | Win | 67–9–10 (11) | Tommy West | PTS | 15 | Jun 23, 1902 | National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, England | Retained world welterweight title |
| 96 | Loss | 66–9–10 (11) | George Gardiner | PTS | 20 | Apr 25, 1902 | Woodward's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| 95 | Loss | 66–8–10 (11) | Philadelphia Jack O'Brien | NWS | 6 | Apr 11, 1902 | Industrial A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 94 | Draw | 66–8–10 (10) | Fred Russell | PTS | 6 | Apr 4, 1902 | Brand's Hall, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 93 | Win | 66–8–9 (10) | Billy Stift | PTS | 6 | Mar 15, 1902 | Chicago A.C., Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 92 | Draw | 65–8–9 (10) | Young Peter Jackson | PTS | 10 | Mar 13, 1902 | Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 91 | Win | 65–8–8 (10) | Jimmy Handler | KO | 2 (6) | Feb 14, 1902 | Industrial Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 90 | Win | 64–8–8 (10) | Young Peter Jackson | NWS | 6 | Jan 13, 1902 | Penn Art Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 89 | Win | 64–8–8 (9) | Rube Ferns | TKO | 5 (20) | Dec 18, 1901 | International A.C., Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada | Won world welterweight title |
| 88 | Win | 63–8–8 (9) | Young Peter Jackson | PTS | 20 | Nov 28, 1901 | Music Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 87 | Loss | 62–8–8 (9) | Kid Carter | KO | 7 (?) | Oct 15, 1901 | National A.C., San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| 86 | Win | 62–7–8 (9) | George Gardiner | PTS | 20 | Sep 27, 1901 | Mechanic's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| 85 | Win | 61–7–8 (9) | Jack Bonner | PTS | 15 | Jul 26, 1901 | Park City Theater, Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 84 | Win | 60–7–8 (9) | Charlie McKeever | TKO | 6 (20) | Mar 21, 1901 | Auditorium, Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 83 | Loss | 59–7–8 (9) | Kid Carter | DQ | 19 (20) | Jan 17, 1901 | Empire A.C., Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. | Disqualified for hitting in the clinches |
| 82 | Win | 59–6–8 (9) | Wild Bill Hanrahan | KO | 12 (?) | Dec 13, 1900 | Coliseum, Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 81 | Win | 58–6–8 (9) | Mysterious Billy Smith | DQ | 10 (20) | Sep 24, 1900 | Coliseum, Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 80 | Loss | 57–6–8 (9) | Tommy West | TKO | 11 (?) | Aug 27, 1900 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Walcott refused to go on, claiming he had broken his left arm. |
| 79 | Win | 57–5–8 (9) | Jack Bonner | NWS | 6 | May 11, 1900 | Industrial Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 78 | Win | 57–5–8 (8) | Mysterious Billy Smith | PTS | 25 | May 4, 1900 | Broadway A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 77 | Win | 56–5–8 (8) | Dick Moore | KO | 4 (20) | Apr 10, 1900 | Eureka A.C., Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 76 | Win | 55–5–8 (8) | Andy Walsh | PTS | 20 | Mar 29, 1900 | Broadway A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 75 | Win | 54–5–8 (8) | Joe Choynski | TKO | 7 (20) | Feb 23, 1900 | Broadway A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 74 | Win | 53–5–8 (8) | Bobby Dobbs | KO | 6 (20) | Dec 5, 1899 | Broadway A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 73 | Win | 52–5–8 (8) | Dan Creedon | PTS | 20 | Nov 29, 1899 | Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 72 | Win | 51–5–8 (8) | Dan Creedon | PTS | 6 | Nov 25, 1899 | Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 71 | Win | 50–5–8 (8) | Dan Creedon | PTS | 20 | Jun 23, 1899 | Ford Opera House, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 70 | Win | 49–5–8 (8) | Harry Fisher | TKO | 12 (20) | Jun 12, 1899 | Ford Opera House, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 69 | Win | 48–5–8 (8) | Jimmy Watts | KO | 8 (20) | May 30, 1899 | Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | |
| 68 | Win | 47–5–8 (8) | Dick O'Brien | KO | 14 (20) | May 19, 1899 | Broadway A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 67 | Win | 46–5–8 (8) | Charley Johnson | TKO | 10 (15) | May 8, 1899 | Ariel A.C., Athens, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 66 | Win | 45–5–8 (8) | Dan Creedon | KO | 1 (20) | Apr 25, 1899 | Lenox A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 65 | Win | 44–5–8 (8) | Jim Judge | KO | 11 (20) | Apr 8, 1899 | Empire A.C., Toronto, Ontario, Canada | |
| 64 | Win | 43–5–8 (8) | Australian Billy Edwards | KO | 13 (20) | Mar 16, 1899 | New Broadway A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 63 | Win | 42–5–8 (8) | Australian Jim Ryan | KO | 14 (15) | Feb 4, 1899 | Stag A.C., Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 62 | Loss | 41–5–8 (8) | Mysterious Billy Smith | PTS | 20 | Dec 6, 1898 | Lenox A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | For world welterweight title |
| 61 | Win | 41–4–8 (8) | Bob Montgomery | NWS | 6 | Nov 14, 1898 | Auditorium, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 60 | Draw | 41–4–8 (7) | Kid McPartland | PTS | 8 | Apr 28, 1898 | Auditorium, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 59 | Win | 41–4–7 (7) | Tommy West | NWS | 6 | Apr 22, 1898 | Arena A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 58 | Draw | 41–4–7 (6) | Mysterious Billy Smith | PTS | 25 | Apr 14, 1898 | Park City Theater, Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 57 | Draw | 41–4–6 (6) | Tom Tracey | PTS | 6 | Dec 27, 1897 | Winter Circus Building, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 56 | Loss | 41–4–5 (6) | George "Kid" Lavigne | TKO | 12 (20) | Oct 29, 1897 | Mechanic's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S. | For world lightweight title |
| 55 | Win | 41–3–5 (6) | George "Young Corbett" Green | KO | 18 (?) | Aug 26, 1897 | Woodward's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| 54 | Win | 40–3–5 (6) | Tom Tracey | NWS | 6 | Jun 14, 1897 | Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 53 | Draw | 40–3–5 (5) | Jimmy Watts | PTS | 4 | Apr 20, 1897 | Broadway A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 52 | Loss | 40–3–4 (5) | Tommy West | PTS | 20 | Mar 3, 1897 | Broadway A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 51 | Win | 40–2–4 (5) | Bobby Dobbs | NWS | 6 | Jan 16, 1897 | Southwark A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 50 | Draw | 40–2–4 (4) | Tommy West | PTS | 19 (20) | Dec 9, 1896 | Marlborough A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | The bout was scheduled for twenty rounds, but cut short without reason by the timekeeper |
| 49 | Win | 40–2–3 (4) | Scaldy Bill Quinn | KO | 17 (20) | Oct 12, 1896 | Empire A.C., Maspeth, Queens, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 48 | Win | 39–2–3 (4) | Dick O'Brien | PTS | 6 | Aug 24, 1896 | City Hall, Lewiston, Maine, U.S. | |
| 47 | Win | 38–2–3 (4) | Scaldy Bill Quinn | PTS | 20 | May 29, 1896 | Woburn Rink, Woburn, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 46 | Win | 37–2–3 (4) | Scott Bright Eyes Collins | KO | 7 (20) | Mar 16, 1896 | Puritan A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 45 | Win | 36–2–3 (4) | Jim Jackson | PTS | 4 | Jan 30, 1896 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 44 | Win | 35–2–3 (4) | Teddy McMahon | KO | 1 (?) | Jan 7, 1896 | Alhambra, Syracuse, New York, U.S. | |
| 43 | Loss | 34–2–3 (4) | George "Kid" Lavigne | PTS | 15 | Dec 21, 1895 | Empire A.C., Maspeth, Queens, New York City, New York, U.S. | For American lightweight title Agreement called for Lavigne to be the winner if he was not knocked out |
| 42 | Win | 34–1–3 (4) | Dick O'Brien | TKO | 1 (25) | Aug 28, 1895 | West Newton Street Armory, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 41 | Win | 33–1–3 (4) | Mick Dunn | TKO | 8 (20) | Apr 3, 1895 | Sea Side A.C., Coney Island, New York, U.S. | police stopped the fight. Dunn was totally out-classed. |
| 40 | Win | 32–1–3 (4) | Charley Chapman | PTS | 4 | Mar 6, 1895 | New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 39 | Draw | 31–1–3 (4) | Mysterious Billy Smith | PTS | 15 | Mar 1, 1895 | Music Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Reported for the 140lbs Championship of America |
| 38 | Win | 31–1–2 (4) | Billy Green | KO | 2 (?) | Nov 15, 1894 | Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | |
| 37 | Win | 30–1–2 (4) | George Thomas | KO | 1 (?) | Nov 14, 1894 | Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | |
| 36 | Win | 29–1–2 (4) | Shorty Ahearn | KO | 3 (?) | Nov 3, 1894 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 35 | Win | 28–1–2 (4) | Frank Neil | TKO | 3 (3) | Nov 2, 1894 | Clark Street Theater, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 34 | Win | 27–1–2 (4) | Frank Carpenter | PTS | 3 | Nov 1, 1894 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 33 | Win | 26–1–2 (4) | Austin Gibbons | KO | 4 (10) | Oct 15, 1894 | Atlantic A.C., Coney Island, New York, U.S. | |
| 32 | Win | 25–1–2 (4) | Jim Bagley | KO | 2 (?) | Sep 20, 1894 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 31 | Win | 24–1–2 (4) | Dick O'Brien | PTS | 12 | Jul 6, 1894 | Casino, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 30 | Win | 23–1–2 (4) | Mike Harris | KO | 6 (?) | Jun 22, 1894 | Casino A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 29 | ND | 22–1–2 (4) | Charley Holcombe | ND | 4 | May 10, 1894 | Kernan's Theatre, Washington Kernan's Theatre, Washington, D.C., U.S. | |
| 28 | Win | 22–1–2 (3) | Tom Tracey | TKO | 16 (?) | Apr 19, 1894 | Music Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Billed for world 140lbs title |
| 27 | Win | 21–1–2 (3) | Mike Welsh | KO | 2 (10) | Feb 26, 1894 | Lafayette A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 26 | Win | 20–1–2 (3) | Tommy West | PTS | 3 | Jan 11, 1894 | Clan-na-Gael Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 25 | Win | 19–1–2 (3) | Ed Russell | KO | 2 (?) | Dec 28, 1893 | Lafayette A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 24 | NC | 18–1–2 (3) | Harry Tracy | NC | 1 (?) | Dec 1, 1893 | Camden Street A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 23 | Win | 18–1–2 (2) | Jack Hall | KO | 1 (4) | Aug 22, 1893 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 22 | Loss | 17–1–2 (2) | Mike Harris | PTS | 4 | Jun 17, 1893 | Academy of Music, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 21 | Win | 17–0–2 (2) | Paddy McGuigan | PTS | 10 | Jun 5, 1893 | Caledonian Park, Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 20 | Win | 16–0–2 (2) | Patrick Conlon | TKO | 2 (4) | Feb 17, 1893 | Howard Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 19 | Win | 15–0–2 (2) | Lewllyn Wetzell Brown | TKO | 3 (4) | Feb 17, 1893 | Howard Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 18 | Win | 14–0–2 (2) | Thomas Chase | TKO | 1 (4) | Feb 16, 1893 | Howard Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 17 | Win | 13–0–2 (2) | Al Hagen | TKO | 3 (4) | Feb 15, 1893 | Howard Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 16 | Win | 12–0–2 (2) | William Quinn | KO | 2 (4) | Feb 14, 1893 | Howard Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 15 | Win | 11–0–2 (2) | Jack Friesse | TKO | ? (4) | Feb 10, 1893 | Miner's Bowery Theatre, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 14 | Win | 10–0–2 (2) | Jim Carroll | TKO | 1 (?) | Feb 9, 1893 | Miner's Bowery Theatre, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 13 | Win | 9–0–2 (2) | Harrity | KO | 3 (?) | Feb 2, 1893 | New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 8–0–2 (2) | Tom McCarthy | TKO | 1 (4) | Jan 31, 1893 | Miner's Bowery Theatre, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 11 | Win | 7–0–2 (2) | Billy Harris | KO | 2 (?) | Dec 8, 1892 | New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 10 | Draw | 6–0–2 (2) | Sam Bolen | PTS | 4 | Dec 5, 1892 | New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 9 | Win | 6–0–1 (2) | Jack Connors | KO | 1 (?) | Dec 5, 1892 | New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 5–0–1 (2) | Johnny Lyman | KO | 1 (?) | Nov 12, 1892 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 4–0–1 (2) | Charley Jones | PTS | 3 | Nov 11, 1892 | Lyceum Theater, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 3–0–1 (2) | Stonewall Allen | TKO | 3 (4) | Nov 5, 1892 | Howard Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 5 | Draw | 2–0–1 (2) | Harry Tracy | PTS | 5 | Nov 4, 1892 | Howard Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 4 | Draw | 2–0 (2) | Andy Watson | NWS | 4 | Oct 29, 1892 | Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 2–0 (1) | Joe Jarg | PTS | 3 | Oct 22, 1892 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 2 | Draw | 1–0 (1) | Fred Morris | NWS | 4 | Oct 22, 1892 | Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Black Pearl | PTS | 4 | Oct 15, 1892 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| 157 fights | 96 wins | 31 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 57 | 9 |
| By decision | 37 | 20 |
| By disqualification | 2 | 2 |
| Draws | 27 | |
| No contests | 3 | |
Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw column.
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 157 | Loss | 96–31–27 (3) | Tom Sawyer | TKO | 8 (12) | Nov 2, 1910 | Higgins Hall, Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 156 | Win | 96–30–27 (3) | Bobby Lee | KO | 2 (6) | Oct 17, 1910 | Armory A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 155 | Loss | 95–30–27 (3) | Kyle Whitney | TKO | 9 (12) | May 13, 1910 | Young Men's S & AC, Brockton, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 154 | Loss | 95–29–27 (3) | Bill MacKinnon | DQ | 6 (12) | Apr 25, 1910 | Young Men's S & AC, Brockton, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 153 | Draw | 95–28–27 (3) | Jimmy Potts | PTS | 10 | Mar 7, 1910 | Cooke's Gym, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | |
| 152 | Draw | 95–28–26 (3) | Young Jack Johnson | PTS | 6 | Dec 3, 1909 | Pastime Club, Haverhill, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 151 | Draw | 95–28–25 (3) | Tom Sawyer | NWS | 6 | Sep 6, 1909 | Pastime A.C., Portland, Oregon, U.S. | |
| 150 | Loss | 95–28–24 (3) | Thunderbolt Ed Smith | PTS | 6 | May 10, 1909 | Gayety Theatre, Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 149 | Loss | 95–27–24 (3) | Jack Robinson | PTS | 10 | Nov 18, 1908 | Easton, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 148 | Loss | 95–26–24 (3) | Larry Temple | TKO | 10 (10) | Nov 11, 1908 | Armory A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 147 | Loss | 95–25–24 (3) | Bartley Connolly | PTS | 6 | Sep 7, 1908 | Pastime A.C., Portland, Oregon, U.S. | |
| 146 | Loss | 95–24–24 (3) | Jack Robinson | NWS | 6 | Jul 15, 1908 | Whirlwind A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 145 | Loss | 95–23–24 (3) | Bill Hurley | NWS | 7 | Jun 29, 1908 | Schenectady, New York, U.S. | |
| 144 | Win | 95–22–24 (3) | Russell Van Horn | PTS | 6 | Jun 18, 1908 | Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 143 | Win | 94–22–24 (3) | Mike Lansing | PTS | 6 | Jun 16, 1908 | Ontario A.C., Charlotte, New York, U.S. | |
| 142 | Win | 93–22–24 (3) | Charles Kemp | TKO | 5 (10) | Jun 11, 1908 | Springfield, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 141 | Loss | 92–22–24 (3) | Charley Hitte | NWS | 6 | Apr 3, 1908 | Schenectady, New York, U.S. | |
| 140 | Draw | 92–21–24 (3) | Professor Mike Donovan | PTS | 6 | Mar 3, 1908 | Canandaigua, New York, U.S. | |
| 139 | Loss | 92–21–23 (3) | Terry Martin | NWS | 6 | Jan 30, 1908 | Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 138 | Draw | 92–20–23 (3) | Professor Mike Donovan | PTS | 10 | Jan 15, 1908 | Maisonneuve Theatre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 137 | Win | 92–20–22 (3) | George Cole | NWS | 6 | Jan 14, 1908 | Troy, New York, U.S. | |
| 136 | Loss | 91–20–22 (3) | Jimmy Gardner | PTS | 20 | Jan 7, 1908 | Armory A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 135 | Win | 91–19–22 (3) | George Cole | NWS | 6 | Dec 26, 1907 | Broadway A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 134 | Draw | 90–19–22 (3) | Professor Mike Donovan | PTS | 15 | Oct 24, 1907 | Standard A.C., Lymansville, Rhode Island, U.S. | |
| 133 | Win | 90–19–21 (3) | Billy Payne | KO | 6 (?) | Oct 17, 1907 | Portland, Oregon, U.S. | |
| 132 | Draw | 89–19–21 (3) | Professor Mike Donovan | PTS | 10 | Jun 18, 1907 | Brazil, Indiana, U.S. | |
| 131 | Loss | 89–19–20 (3) | Professor Mike Donovan | PTS | 10 | Jan 15, 1907 | Providence, Rhode Islandf, U.S. | |
| 130 | Loss | 89–18–20 (3) | William "Honey" Mellody | TKO | 12 (15) | Nov 29, 1906 | Lincoln A.C., Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S. | For world welterweight title |
| 129 | Loss | 89–17–20 (3) | William "Honey" Mellody | PTS | 15 | Oct 16, 1906 | Lincoln A.C., Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S. | Lost world welterweight title |
| 128 | Draw | 89–16–20 (3) | Billy Rhodes | PTS | 20 | Sep 29, 1906 | Sand on island off the Missouri River, 12mi from KC, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | Retained world welterweight title |
| 127 | Win | 89–16–19 (3) | Jack Dougherty | KO | 8 (15) | Jul 10, 1906 | Lincoln A.C., Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S. | Retained world welterweight title |
| 126 | Win | 88–16–19 (3) | Dave Holly | DQ | 3 (3) | Jan 25, 1906 | Long Acre A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 125 | Draw | 87–16–19 (3) | Joe Gans | PTS | 20 | Sep 30, 1904 | Woodward's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S. | It was announced before the fight that no title was at stake. |
| 124 | Loss | 87–16–18 (3) | Dave Holly | NWS | 6 | Sep 10, 1904 | National A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 123 | Draw | 87–15–18 (3) | Sam Langford | PTS | 15 | Sep 5, 1904 | Lake Massabesic Coliseum, Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S. | Retained world welterweight title |
| 122 | Draw | 87–15–17 (3) | Larry Temple | PTS | 10 | Jul 1, 1904 | Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 121 | Win | 87–15–16 (3) | Professor Mike Donovan | TKO | 5 (10) | Jun 24, 1904 | Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 120 | Loss | 86–15–16 (3) | Young Peter Jackson | KO | 4 (10) | Jun 10, 1904 | Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | Walcott claimed a foul after getting knocked down from a punch to the stomach |
| 119 | Draw | 86–14–16 (3) | Sandy Ferguson | PTS | 10 | May 23, 1904 | Auditorium, Portland, Oregon, U.S. | Pre-arranged draw if lasting the distance |
| 118 | Loss | 86–14–15 (3) | Dixie Kid | DQ | 20 (20) | Apr 29, 1904 | Woodward's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S. | World welterweight title at stake; Disregarded as a title fight as the ref had bet on Dixie Kid; Walcott was DQ'd for a kidney punch, despite landing them throughout with no warning of foul. |
| 117 | Loss | 86–13–15 (3) | Black Bill | NWS | 6 | Feb 26, 1904 | Lenox A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 116 | Win | 86–12–15 (3) | Charlie Haghey | KO | 3 (10) | Jan 18, 1904 | New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 115 | Win | 85–12–15 (3) | Larry Temple | PTS | 15 | Dec 29, 1903 | Criterion A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 114 | Loss | 84–12–15 (3) | Sandy Ferguson | PTS | 15 | Nov 10, 1903 | Criterion A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Walcott weighed 148lbs and Ferguson weighed 205lbs |
| 113 | Win | 84–11–15 (3) | Kid Carter | PTS | 15 | Nov 3, 1903 | Criterion A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 112 | Win | 83–11–15 (3) | Kid Carter | PTS | 15 | Oct 13, 1903 | Criterion A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 111 | Win | 82–11–15 (3) | Tom Carey | KO | 5 (?) | Sep 21, 1903 | Central A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 110 | Win | 81–11–15 (3) | Joe Grim | NWS | 6 | Sep 12, 1903 | State A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 109 | Win | 80–11–15 (3) | Tom Carey | KO | 8 (15) | Aug 13, 1903 | Tammany A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 108 | Win | 79–11–15 (3) | Mose LaFontise | KO | 3 (20) | Jul 3, 1903 | Balanee Box, Portland, Oregon, U.S. | Retained world welterweight title |
| 107 | Draw | 78–11–15 (3) | Young Peter Jackson | PTS | 20 | Jun 18, 1903 | Balanee Box, Portland, Oregon, U.S. | Retained world welterweight title |
| 106 | Win | 78–11–14 (3) | Mysterious Billy Smith | TKO | 4 (20) | May 28, 1903 | Exposition Building, Portland, Oregon, U.S. | |
| 105 | Draw | 77–11–14 (3) | Philadelphia Jack O'Brien | PTS | 10 | Apr 20, 1903 | Health & Physical Culture A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Pre-arranged draw if lasting the distance. |
| 104 | Win | 77–11–13 (3) | Professor Mike Donovan | PTS | 10 | Apr 15, 1903 | Health & Physical Culture A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 103 | Draw | 76–11–13 (3) | Billy Woods | PTS | 20 | Apr 2, 1903 | Hazard's Pavilion, Los Angeles, California, U.S> | |
| 102 | Win | 76–11–12 (3) | George Cole | KO | 4 (10) | Mar 18, 1903 | Kenyon's Hall, Allegheny, New York, U.S. | |
| 101 | Win | 75–11–12 (3) | Charlie Haghey | KO | 5 (15) | Mar 11, 1903 | Criterion A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 100 | Win | 74–11–12 (3) | Professor Mike Donovan | PTS | 10 | Mar 9, 1903 | Masonic Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 99 | Loss | 73–11–12 (3) | Frank Childs | TKO | 3 (6) | Oct 9, 1902 | Apollo A.C., Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | For world colored heavyweight title claim |
| 98 | NC | 73–10–12 (3) | George Cole | NC | 4 (6) | Oct 6, 1902 | Golden Gate A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 97 | Win | 73–10–12 (2) | Tommy West | PTS | 15 | Jun 23, 1902 | National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, England | Retained world welterweight title |
| 96 | Loss | 72–10–12 (2) | George Gardiner | PTS | 20 | Apr 25, 1902 | Woodward's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| 95 | Loss | 72–9–12 (2) | Philadelphia Jack O'Brien | NWS | 6 | Apr 11, 1902 | Industrial A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 94 | Draw | 72–8–12 (2) | Fred Russell | PTS | 6 | Apr 4, 1902 | Brand's Hall, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 93 | Win | 72–8–11 (2) | Billy Stift | PTS | 6 | Mar 15, 1902 | Chicago A.C., Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 92 | Draw | 71–8–11 (2) | Young Peter Jackson | PTS | 10 | Mar 13, 1902 | Germania Maennerchor Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 91 | Win | 71–8–10 (2) | Jimmy Handler | KO | 2 (6) | Feb 14, 1902 | Industrial Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 90 | Win | 70–8–10 (2) | Young Peter Jackson | NWS | 6 | Jan 13, 1902 | Penn Art Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 89 | Win | 69–8–10 (2) | Rube Ferns | TKO | 5 (20) | Dec 18, 1901 | International A.C., Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada | Won world welterweight title |
| 88 | Win | 68–8–10 (2) | Young Peter Jackson | PTS | 20 | Nov 28, 1901 | Music Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 87 | Loss | 67–8–10 (2) | Kid Carter | KO | 7 (?) | Oct 15, 1901 | National A.C., San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| 86 | Win | 67–7–10 (2) | George Gardiner | PTS | 20 | Sep 27, 1901 | Mechanic's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| 85 | Win | 66–7–10 (2) | Jack Bonner | PTS | 15 | Jul 26, 1901 | Park City Theater, Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 84 | Win | 65–7–10 (2) | Charlie McKeever | TKO | 6 (20) | Mar 21, 1901 | Auditorium, Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 83 | Loss | 64–7–10 (2) | Kid Carter | DQ | 19 (20) | Jan 17, 1901 | Empire A.C., Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. | Disqualified for hitting in the clinches |
| 82 | Win | 64–6–10 (2) | Wild Bill Hanrahan | KO | 12 (?) | Dec 13, 1900 | Coliseum, Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 81 | Win | 63–6–10 (2) | Mysterious Billy Smith | DQ | 10 (20) | Sep 24, 1900 | Coliseum, Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 80 | Loss | 62–6–10 (2) | Tommy West | TKO | 11 (?) | Aug 27, 1900 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Walcott refused to go on, claiming he had broken his left arm. |
| 79 | Win | 62–5–10 (2) | Jack Bonner | NWS | 6 | May 11, 1900 | Industrial Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 78 | Win | 61–5–10 (2) | Mysterious Billy Smith | PTS | 25 | May 4, 1900 | Broadway A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 77 | Win | 60–5–10 (2) | Dick Moore | KO | 4 (20) | Apr 10, 1900 | Eureka A.C., Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 76 | Win | 59–5–10 (2) | Andy Walsh | PTS | 20 | Mar 29, 1900 | Broadway A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 75 | Win | 58–5–10 (2) | Joe Choynski | TKO | 7 (20) | Feb 23, 1900 | Broadway A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 74 | Win | 57–5–10 (2) | Bobby Dobbs | KO | 6 (20) | Dec 5, 1899 | Broadway A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 73 | Win | 56–5–10 (2) | Dan Creedon | PTS | 20 | Nov 29, 1899 | Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 72 | Win | 55–5–10 (2) | Dan Creedon | PTS | 6 | Nov 25, 1899 | Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 71 | Win | 54–5–10 (2) | Dan Creedon | PTS | 20 | Jun 23, 1899 | Ford Opera House, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 70 | Win | 53–5–10 (2) | Harry Fisher | TKO | 12 (20) | Jun 12, 1899 | Ford Opera House, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 69 | Win | 52–5–10 (2) | Jimmy Watts | KO | 8 (20) | May 30, 1899 | Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | |
| 68 | Win | 51–5–10 (2) | Dick O'Brien | KO | 14 (20) | May 19, 1899 | Broadway A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 67 | Win | 50–5–10 (2) | Charley Johnson | TKO | 10 (15) | May 8, 1899 | Ariel A.C., Athens, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 66 | Win | 49–5–10 (2) | Dan Creedon | KO | 1 (20) | Apr 25, 1899 | Lenox A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 65 | Win | 48–5–10 (2) | Jim Judge | KO | 11 (20) | Apr 8, 1899 | Empire A.C., Toronto, Ontario, Canada | |
| 64 | Win | 47–5–10 (2) | Australian Billy Edwards | KO | 13 (20) | Mar 16, 1899 | New Broadway A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 63 | Win | 46–5–10 (2) | Australian Jim Ryan | KO | 14 (15) | Feb 4, 1899 | Stag A.C., Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 62 | Loss | 45–5–10 (2) | Mysterious Billy Smith | PTS | 20 | Dec 6, 1898 | Lenox A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | For world welterweight title |
| 61 | Win | 45–4–10 (2) | Bob Montgomery | NWS | 6 | Nov 14, 1898 | Auditorium, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 60 | Draw | 44–4–10 (2) | Kid McPartland | PTS | 8 | Apr 28, 1898 | Auditorium, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 59 | Win | 44–4–9 (2) | Tommy West | NWS | 6 | Apr 22, 1898 | Arena A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 58 | Draw | 43–4–9 (2) | Mysterious Billy Smith | PTS | 25 | Apr 14, 1898 | Park City Theater, Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 57 | Draw | 43–4–8 (2) | Tom Tracey | PTS | 6 | Dec 27, 1897 | Winter Circus Building, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 56 | Loss | 43–4–7 (2) | George "Kid" Lavigne | TKO | 12 (20) | Oct 29, 1897 | Mechanic's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S. | For world lightweight title |
| 55 | Win | 43–3–7 (2) | George "Young Corbett" Green | KO | 18 (?) | Aug 26, 1897 | Woodward's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| 54 | Win | 42–3–7 (2) | Tom Tracey | NWS | 6 | Jun 14, 1897 | Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 53 | Draw | 41–3–7 (2) | Jimmy Watts | PTS | 4 | Apr 20, 1897 | Broadway A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 52 | Loss | 41–3–6 (2) | Tommy West | PTS | 20 | Mar 3, 1897 | Broadway A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 51 | Win | 41–2–6 (2) | Bobby Dobbs | NWS | 6 | Jan 16, 1897 | Southwark A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 50 | Draw | 40–2–6 (2) | Tommy West | PTS | 19 (20) | Dec 9, 1896 | Marlborough A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | The bout was scheduled for twenty rounds, but cut short without reason by the timekeeper |
| 49 | Win | 40–2–5 (2) | Scaldy Bill Quinn | KO | 17 (20) | Oct 12, 1896 | Empire A.C., Maspeth, Queens, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 48 | Win | 39–2–5 (2) | Dick O'Brien | PTS | 6 | Aug 24, 1896 | City Hall, Lewiston, Maine, U.S. | |
| 47 | Win | 38–2–5 (2) | Scaldy Bill Quinn | PTS | 20 | May 29, 1896 | Woburn Rink, Woburn, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 46 | Win | 37–2–5 (2) | Scott Bright Eyes Collins | KO | 7 (20) | Mar 16, 1896 | Puritan A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 45 | Win | 36–2–5 (2) | Jim Jackson | PTS | 4 | Jan 30, 1896 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 44 | Win | 35–2–5 (2) | Teddy McMahon | KO | 1 (?) | Jan 7, 1896 | Alhambra, Syracuse, New York, U.S. | |
| 43 | Loss | 34–2–5 (2) | George "Kid" Lavigne | PTS | 15 | Dec 21, 1895 | Empire A.C., Maspeth, Queens, New York City, New York, U.S. | For American lightweight title Agreement called for Lavigne to be the winner if he was not knocked out |
| 42 | Win | 34–1–5 (2) | Dick O'Brien | TKO | 1 (25) | Aug 28, 1895 | West Newton Street Armory, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 41 | Win | 33–1–5 (2) | Mick Dunn | TKO | 8 (20) | Apr 3, 1895 | Sea Side A.C., Coney Island, New York, U.S. | police stopped the fight. Dunn was totally out-classed. |
| 40 | Win | 32–1–5 (2) | Charley Chapman | PTS | 4 | Mar 6, 1895 | New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 39 | Draw | 31–1–5 (2) | Mysterious Billy Smith | PTS | 15 | Mar 1, 1895 | Music Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Reported for the 140lbs Championship of America |
| 38 | Win | 31–1–4 (2) | Billy Green | KO | 2 (?) | Nov 15, 1894 | Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | |
| 37 | Win | 30–1–4 (2) | George Thomas | KO | 1 (?) | Nov 14, 1894 | Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | |
| 36 | Win | 29–1–4 (2) | Shorty Ahearn | KO | 3 (?) | Nov 3, 1894 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 35 | Win | 28–1–4 (2) | Frank Neil | TKO | 3 (3) | Nov 2, 1894 | Clark Street Theater, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 34 | Win | 27–1–4 (2) | Frank Carpenter | PTS | 3 | Nov 1, 1894 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 33 | Win | 26–1–4 (2) | Austin Gibbons | KO | 4 (10) | Oct 15, 1894 | Atlantic A.C., Coney Island, New York, U.S. | |
| 32 | Win | 25–1–4 (2) | Jim Bagley | KO | 2 (?) | Sep 20, 1894 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 31 | Win | 24–1–4 (2) | Dick O'Brien | PTS | 12 | Jul 6, 1894 | Casino, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 30 | Win | 23–1–4 (2) | Mike Harris | KO | 6 (?) | Jun 22, 1894 | Casino A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 29 | ND | 22–1–4 (2) | Charley Holcombe | ND | 4 | May 10, 1894 | Kernan's Theatre, Washington Kernan's Theatre, Washington, D.C., U.S. | |
| 28 | Win | 22–1–4 (1) | Tom Tracey | TKO | 16 (?) | Apr 19, 1894 | Music Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Billed for world 140lbs title |
| 27 | Win | 21–1–4 (1) | Mike Welsh | KO | 2 (10) | Feb 26, 1894 | Lafayette A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 26 | Win | 20–1–4 (1) | Tommy West | PTS | 3 | Jan 11, 1894 | Clan-na-Gael Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 25 | Win | 19–1–4 (1) | Ed Russell | KO | 2 (?) | Dec 28, 1893 | Lafayette A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 24 | NC | 18–1–4 (1) | Harry Tracy | NC | 1 (?) | Dec 1, 1893 | Camden Street A.C., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 23 | Win | 18–1–4 | Jack Hall | KO | 1 (4) | Aug 22, 1893 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 22 | Loss | 17–1–4 | Mike Harris | PTS | 4 | Jun 17, 1893 | Academy of Music, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 21 | Win | 17–0–4 | Paddy McGuigan | PTS | 10 | Jun 5, 1893 | Caledonian Park, Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 20 | Win | 16–0–4 | Patrick Conlon | TKO | 2 (4) | Feb 17, 1893 | Howard Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 19 | Win | 15–0–4 | Lewllyn Wetzell Brown | TKO | 3 (4) | Feb 17, 1893 | Howard Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 18 | Win | 14–0–4 | Thomas Chase | TKO | 1 (4) | Feb 16, 1893 | Howard Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 17 | Win | 13–0–4 | Al Hagen | TKO | 3 (4) | Feb 15, 1893 | Howard Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 16 | Win | 12–0–4 | William Quinn | KO | 2 (4) | Feb 14, 1893 | Howard Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 15 | Win | 11–0–4 | Jack Friesse | TKO | ? (4) | Feb 10, 1893 | Miner's Bowery Theatre, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 14 | Win | 10–0–4 | Jim Carroll | TKO | 1 (?) | Feb 9, 1893 | Miner's Bowery Theatre, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 13 | Win | 9–0–4 | Harrity | KO | 3 (?) | Feb 2, 1893 | New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 8–0–4 | Tom McCarthy | TKO | 1 (4) | Jan 31, 1893 | Miner's Bowery Theatre, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 11 | Win | 7–0–4 | Billy Harris | KO | 2 (?) | Dec 8, 1892 | New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 10 | Draw | 6–0–4 | Sam Bolen | PTS | 4 | Dec 5, 1892 | New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 9 | Win | 6–0–3 | Jack Connors | KO | 1 (?) | Dec 5, 1892 | New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 5–0–3 | Johnny Lyman | KO | 1 (?) | Nov 12, 1892 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 4–0–3 | Charley Jones | PTS | 3 | Nov 11, 1892 | Lyceum Theater, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 3–0–3 | Stonewall Allen | TKO | 3 (4) | Nov 5, 1892 | Howard Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 5 | Draw | 2–0–3 | Harry Tracy | PTS | 5 | Nov 4, 1892 | Howard Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 4 | Draw | 2–0–2 | Andy Watson | NWS | 4 | Oct 29, 1892 | Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 2–0–1 | Joe Jarg | PTS | 3 | Oct 22, 1892 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 2 | Draw | 1–0–1 | Fred Morris | NWS | 4 | Oct 22, 1892 | Ariel A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Black Pearl | PTS | 4 | Oct 15, 1892 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
