Is Joe Walcott One of the Most Underrated Fighters?

[GhostofDempsey]

Excellent footwork, head movement, defense and good power. Robbed against Louis in their first fight. He would be a cruiser or light heavy today.

[JAB5239]

Excellent footwork, head movement, defense and good power. Robbed against Louis in their first fight. He would be a cruiser or light heavy today.

Very underrated. His footwork was beautiful. The counter uppercut he knocked out Charles with one of the best punches ever thrown in my opinion.

[QueensburyRules]

- -Glam highlights don't prove shinola.

What's his rating? Where do U think he's ranked?

Cr*p ref for sure.

[Marchegiano]

I struggle with ranking Walcott.

In the vacuum of pre-online fandom I thought for sure Walcott would be one of the more loved characters. His story is sad really. He's one of those greats who never really got a chance to shine and reign like I expect he would in other eras only because he got sandwiched not between two giants in HW history but giants in boxing during his lifetime period.

I mean Louis, ****, cultural icon, defeated the **** ya know? Charles? Charles is a p4p ATG ffs. Marciano's the meanest son of a ***** to fight since they put on gloves and a hell of a dog against any man anywhere near his own size.

Then you've the guys he didn't fight but still overshadow him in his era. Armstrong and Robinson...c'mon

Plus the guys who come right after Rocky, Patterson was popular as **** because he was a new yorker when NY controlled boxing. By the time Ali shows up, even as Clay, man ain't no one got time to talk about just how good Walcott actually was.


So, I thought to the learned boxing fans Walcott would matter because he wasn't bad at all, he's much better than most guys who barely held the title. He's one of those who in a different time could have easily reigned over the division for a significant period. He's a pioneer of pretty much everything that makes Ali, Ali.

Feet? Joe's got that, he was shuffling before Ali. Shoulder work? Man he's got such good shoulder work they gave the punch he hides best with them a name; Sucka Punch. Can he hit? Yes he can. Is he smooth? Yes he is.

The traditional way of judging working against Walcott. He doesn't have the finest resume, but, he was against cultural icon Louis, p4p great Charles, and the shear force that was Marciano.


Rather than Joe being seen as a sort of Sam Langford type he ends up being seen as a guy who struggled in an era that was weak. Which is the ****s. I don't even feel like arguing with folks over it, but, in my opinion Jersey Joe Walcott is a respectable top ten ATG. He's a pioneer in the sport...ffs.


I mean for Ali to lift so much from him and for him to get so little respect....it's ****.


I think it's sadder even than how Marciano gets looked at as an old man beater. No one cares about his peer group wins, but Marciano having that 0 makes people respect him to some degree. Charles having done well at LHW makes his HW run just frosting on a cake, Louis has his historical longevity, Walcott's just the old man who got lucky between Charles and Marciano....that's bull really, and uneducated too.


Where I rank him? i dunno, I think we're all here to get other's opinions to help us form our own and in Walcott's case he's a very under discussed figure so in a way my research is halted there. I can say i respect a high ranking for him, don't mind a mid ranking, anything below the top 50 might bug me though....depending on the names of the 50 actually.




I think despite not having near the time in the position Walcott was a much better boxer than Wlad ever became.

[aboutfkntime]

Excellent footwork, head movement, defense and good power. Robbed against Louis in their first fight. He would be a cruiser or light heavy today.

add superb balance and timing, always in position to counter, he was a natural

[The Old LefHook]

Cutest work of all time. We might find a place for him in the top 10 after Rock, Jack & Gene.

[GhostofDempsey]

- -Glam highlights don't prove shinola.

What's his rating? Where do U think he's ranked?

Cr*p ref for sure.

I find it difficult to rank Walcott. He got better with age, teetered between light heavyweights and HW as he typically fought below 200 pounds. Split the difference with Charles over four fights, gave Rock a valiant effort. Robbed in the first Louis bout. I would have no problem putting him in my top 20 for heavyweights.

I struggle with ranking Walcott.

In the vacuum of pre-online fandom I thought for sure Walcott would be one of the more loved characters. His story is sad really. He's one of those greats who never really got a chance to shine and reign like I expect he would in other eras only because he got sandwiched not between two giants in HW history but giants in boxing during his lifetime period.

I mean Louis, ****, cultural icon, defeated the **** ya know? Charles? Charles is a p4p ATG ffs. Marciano's the meanest son of a ***** to fight since they put on gloves and a hell of a dog against any man anywhere near his own size.

Then you've the guys he didn't fight but still overshadow him in his era. Armstrong and Robinson...c'mon

Plus the guys who come right after Rocky, Patterson was popular as **** because he was a new yorker when NY controlled boxing. By the time Ali shows up, even as Clay, man ain't no one got time to talk about just how good Walcott actually was.


So, I thought to the learned boxing fans Walcott would matter because he wasn't bad at all, he's much better than most guys who barely held the title. He's one of those who in a different time could have easily reigned over the division for a significant period. He's a pioneer of pretty much everything that makes Ali, Ali.

Feet? Joe's got that, he was shuffling before Ali. Shoulder work? Man he's got such good shoulder work they gave the punch he hides best with them a name; Sucka Punch. Can he hit? Yes he can. Is he smooth? Yes he is.

The traditional way of judging working against Walcott. He doesn't have the finest resume, but, he was against cultural icon Louis, p4p great Charles, and the shear force that was Marciano.


Rather than Joe being seen as a sort of Sam Langford type he ends up being seen as a guy who struggled in an era that was weak. Which is the ****s. I don't even feel like arguing with folks over it, but, in my opinion Jersey Joe Walcott is a respectable top ten ATG. He's a pioneer in the sport...ffs.


I mean for Ali to lift so much from him and for him to get so little respect....it's ****.


I think it's sadder even than how Marciano gets looked at as an old man beater. No one cares about his peer group wins, but Marciano having that 0 makes people respect him to some degree. Charles having done well at LHW makes his HW run just frosting on a cake, Louis has his historical longevity, Walcott's just the old man who got lucky between Charles and Marciano....that's bull really, and uneducated too.


Where I rank him? i dunno, I think we're all here to get other's opinions to help us form our own and in Walcott's case he's a very under discussed figure so in a way my research is halted there. I can say i respect a high ranking for him, don't mind a mid ranking, anything below the top 50 might bug me though....depending on the names of the 50 actually.




I think despite not having near the time in the position Walcott was a much better boxer than Wlad ever became.

Walcott was a far better all around boxer than Wlad, no argument there. I agree on Marciano too. He gets dismissed as beating washed fighters, but Charles wasn’t much older and was plenty game. Walcott had enough in the tank to give Rock a run for his money as did Moore. The naysayers conveniently forget Rock was only about 185 and almost always the smaller guy.

I have the same trouble figuring where to rank Walcott myself. I can make an argument for somewhere on the lower end of top twenty heavyweights.

[billeau2]

Arnold Creme was indeed a master in the ring, as was his namesake the original barbados Devil, Walcott. Joe made it look effortless and was always competative...even beat some great fighters.

[Rusty Tromboni]

Idunno how he is any more underated than guys like Schmeling and Sharkey.

His footwork is problematic, but no unsolvable. His power is scary, but not life-altering.


If WWII hadn't happened, I doubt we would even be talking about him.

[NChristo-]

Barbados Joe Walcott is criminally underrated.
Jersey Joe Walcott gets plenty of respect from anyone that's heard of him, wouldn't say he's underrated at all.