Boxing Pioneers: Tommy West Career Recap. A great read...

[historical boxing society]

I'm going to do these Pioneer retrospect's as it's my favorite period of boxing and i know these fighters in early years inside & out. Just some brutal ring battles seldom seen in latter years. These will be of 1^st and 2^nd rate fighters. Fights they had with 2^nd rate or better caliper fighters are recapped.

Tommy West 5’ 5_1/2” (super middleweight) From Wales fought fights as Brooklyn tough.

Quotes are from newspapers: “ One of the hardest, gamest and best fighter’s in the business”
“The white man fought like a fiend”
“West started in like a battering ram shining in the sun”

This should be a fabulous read for anyone interested in boxing. West was not only one of the premier boxers of 1^st rate caliper. He participated in one of the top 20 fights of the 1890’s and one of the greatest rounds in boxing history annuals. He also was part of one of the strangest moment’s in boxing history as you’ll read in which the referee proceeded to throw a punch at his opponent! Yes, it happened. Tommy West and his days in the wild west is filled with tales.
Tommy West was utterly fearless had tremendous heart of biblical proportions as he spent no time at all padding his record. Three of his first 7 fight’s were of hall of fame caliper fighters as he jumped immediately into the deep end of talent and had his early struggles.

1892- Mysterious Billy Smith 1- 10 round draw (3^rd fight of career) a slow affair with no clear winner.

1893- Joe Choynski- 3 round loss-(4^th fight of his career) West was down repeatedly 4x as he wasn’t ready for this caliber of fight but he wasn’t knocked out (as this was a very difficult task to pull off), fight was called with sponge thrown in.

1893- Charley Johnson- Draw 31- (5^th fight of his career) Despite giving up huge experience edge, the fight end in a draw. Neither fighter damaged much.

1894- Joe Walcott 1- 3 round loss- (7^th fight of career) Shortened from 6 rounds because of attendance. Walcott better.
Tommy West works on improving for next few years without losing.

1896- Kid Mccoy-2^nd round TKO- This is still a huge jump up in class with West experience level as Mccoy was one of best boxers on the planet, but West was utterly fearless.
“West started in like a battering ram shining in the sun and surprised the clever middleweight with his rushes in round 1”
“In round 2 Mccoy showed what he was made of knocking West down 6 times until he was so worn out he could scarcely stand, his corner yelled that’s enough as they carried west to his corner”
Mccoy along with Choynski both fail to knockout West very early in his career proving he was a tremendous force.

1896 Joe Walcott 2- Draw 19- Timekeeper ended bout on the wrong round.
Headline> “Walcott meets his match”
“He went at Walcott in a way that doubtless astonished the barbadoes black”
Round 17 Walcott down
Round 18 Walcott again staggered
“in the 17^th and 18^th round Walcott was all but out, but West did not have the strength or the science to give the coup. It was a case of pluck and strength against skill.”
Round 19 “West had Walcott clinching and running to avoid more punishment as Walcott was nearly out”
In the pandemonium bell keeper ends fight early with another round due to be played out. Surely saving Walcott from a knockout.
“Both men were badly punished, Walcott right eye was closed and his nose and lip badly swollen”
“West had a cut on his nose and his neck was red from the many swings intended for the jaw”
Box rec has this as a draw- West clearly won.

1897 Charley Johnson 2- (west next fight)- “In the 7^th round west made a furious rush at Charley 3x knocking him down, until he was unable to stand”
1897 Walcott 3- win 20-(west next fight). West immediately goes for a Walcott rematch without hesitation.
“First round west staggered Walcott with a beautiful left smash that send Walcott through the ring ropes onto the press box”
“up to the 9^th round honors about even”
“in 15^th round west punched Walcott repeatedly until he was spitting blood”
“next 4 rounds Walcott on defensive”
18^th round- “Walcott was groggy in the 18^th and at rounds end it was clear he lost his steam”
19^th round- “west punished him fearfully sending punch after punch on Walcott’s sore nose”
Round 20-“had west winning as Walcott hugged when his blows did not land”
-no knockdowns (other than Walcott exiting the ring”
One of the Top fights of the decade. Walcott took a superhuman level of punishment.

1898- Bonner 1 win 6- Betting was on Bonner the fine middleweight who was the bigger man.
“even until round 5, when West took over in the last round”

1898- Walcott 4- no decision 6. Boxrec is incorrect.
“Walcott was somewhat the better man”
Repeatedly declared a draw not a loss in newspapers.

1898- Tommy Ryan 1- Middleweight championship. 8^th round one of greatest in boxing history.
“4 rounds were about even when Ryan sent the blood flowing” “they kept up the quick pace up to the 8^th round without material damage to either man”
8^th round- one of greatest in boxing history. Enjoy.
“After a clinch West jabbed the face of Ryan and sent the champion down on his back”
“When they came to the center of the ring again, West put Ryan down again with a beautiful right swing on the jaw. Ryan got up quickly and after a little sparring, swung his right on West’s head. Driving West through the ropes as West scrambled to recover. West was up and in the ring in seconds with help from his corner as he was seeking revenge just as the bell rang. The crowd was in complete hysteria as the gladiators stared each other down”
11^th round- “West came up wobbly and Ryan kept jabbing his sore nose”
“Ryan got in blow after blow from then on and West was speared with blood”
14^th Round- “West came out gamely in the 14^th but was unable to protect himself”
“West took his punishment in the gamest manner imaginable.”
“Ryan let up a little & looked at the Ref Charlie white, as much to say why don’t you stop it Charley. Ryan smashed West a couple times sending him to the ropes, as Ref stepped in the halt the action with West still on his feet”
-Again on of the best fight of the year. 1898. West fought in both of the best fights of the year in 1897 & 1898.
1898- Mysterious Billy Smith 2- Draw 20. Boxrec incorrect- “West was declared the winner”
2^nd round-“West drew first blood in the second round”
6^th Round- “Just missed putting smith out with a **** on the jaw”
15^th round- “west closed smith’s eye”
19^th round- “west landed on the jaw so effectively smith was forced to the ropes”
“west was declared the winner, but due to some stimulation was declared a draw”
1899- Bonner 2 (win 8) DQ- One of the most infamous matches ever---MUSTARD GATE.
7^th round- “when bonner came to his corner at the end of the 7^th round his left eye puffed up and cut, his nose and mouth bleeding and he looked very distressed”
“Bonner was at West’s mercy when the oil mustard was poured on”
Someone passes his manager a small jar in the corner between rounds. Once opened the crowd is immediately repelled as they rub the substance on his gloves.
“West fought beautifully and deserves success up to the time the trick mentioned above was introduced”
Upon first contact West cries out “I’m blind” and he reels into the corner at this time the referee Charley white gets a big dose of the substance in his face.
“Officers enter the ring in complete pandemonium. Ref Charley white leans over near the officers and punches Bonner right in his face as he appears shocked.”
“Officers raise their club above Bonner’s head as he begins to frantically beg for mercy to avoud getting his skull smashed.”
“Bonner is escorted to the locker room by a squad of police” It is announced that Bonner is banned from ever appearing at the club again.

1899 Dan Creedon- Draw 20. Creedon is one of the best boxers in the day- They finally meet.
3^rd round- Both fighters draw blood. West is cut on upper lip and Creedon is cut on the nose”
5^th Round- “west cut loose and forced the pace”
6^th round- “Creedon cut over left eye and bleed freely, two slips by West”
The fights goes back and forth with both men deserving fair honors.
-No knockdowns (legit)
Newspapers are split on the outcome- as this would be their only meeting.
Headline> “Creedon defeated West” Punished severely and out boxed him.
Headline> “The decision was just, as both men were on even terms, all things considered at the conclusion of the affair”
Referee Charley White said West was the winner creating a draw as some other source at ringside had Creedon winning, which made a draw.

1899 George Byers- Ko 7- George was at his peak. Only fight.
4^th round- “West bleeding from the nose and mouth at the close of round 4”
7^th round- “West landed short right hand jolt flush on the jaw and Byers went down in a heap”

1899 Charley Stevenson (next fight) Win KO 13-
“Stevenson held his own until the 8^th round from then on all west”

1899- Frank Craig Win tko 14.
Was a bit closer than Boxrec would indicate. 9^th round was sensational.
5^th round- “Craig bleeding from left eye at the end of round 5”
“ West smashed craig all over the pad. The white man fought like a fiend”
9^th round- “contained sensational action”
12^th round- Craig down 5 times.
14^th round- “fight was stopped as west battered his man until his face was unrecognizable”

1900 Jack Root Loss 6- Jack Root was basically the uncrowned Light heavyweight Champion (because the division didn’t exist at the time). The Chicago fighter was a Blacksmith and strong and skilled with great defense an excellent chin and Fitzsimmons like recovery ability. He was one of the very best fighters on the planet on the top of the food chain, as they meet both in their prime.
Fight would probably had been the fight of the year if it was scheduled for a longer amount.

1^st Round- Honors about even.
2^nd Round-“Root was wrested to the floor. West found Root hard to reach. West had the better of the closing round twice forcing Root to the ropes”
3^rd round-“ Root opened the 3^rd with a left in the nose and was again wrested to the floor, though no blame attached to west”
4^th round- “round 4 was opened with an exchange by both fighters. Root again jabbed the face and West sent in a hard right to the ribs. He followed with a short right hook to the jaw, which shook Roots head and was one of the best blows of the contest. Cliches gain became plentiful.”
5^th round- “Roots work in the last two rounds won him the decision. Although he did not damage West to any great extent, he clearly outpointed him and at the finish was forcing the battle. Root twice lost his balance in the 5^th.
6^th round- “West tried to force the pace in the first part of the last round, but Root had now warmed to his work. Both men worked at a very fast pace. Root Twice forced his man to the ropes and whipped in good body blows. West tried hard to reach his man, but could not find the right spot.
-Neither man was damaged at the finish.

1900- Bonner 3 Win TKO 16.
Bout was fast throughout.
“West was faster than ever and showed a marked improvement in footwork. At no point did Bonner stand a chance”
13^th round- West sent a left and a right on the body followed by a left on the jaw Bonner dropped to the floor. Barely on his feet when a left to the jaw sent him down again”
14^th round- West failed to drop him
15^th round- “Bonner was a pitiful sight during the 15^th his left eye badly damaged and bleeding freely from a gash”
“Bonner was chocking on blood that came from his mouth”
16^th Round- “West play was all for the stomach and so fierce was the beating that Bonner took he was forced to quit” “as he became nauseous after fights end and began vomiting”

1900 Walcott 5 Win TKO 11-
4^th round- Walcott got to Wests body repeatly
5^th round- West bleeding from left eye as he goes to the corner
6^th round- Honors about even, west right eye damaged.
7^th round- Very even, West very lively
8^th round- West cut Walcotts mouth
10^th round- Walcott worked the pit of the stomach sent West to the corner weakened.
11^th round- Walcott refuses to come out claiming he had an injured left arm. Loses by TKO in a fight he was winning. Walcott was more than likely injured as he was ultra-competitive and winning.

1900 Jack O brien Loss 6-
1^st Round- West drops O brien who is quickly up.
“O brien hits West over the eye with terrific force and blood flows freely & Latter almost closes his right eye with a volley of jabs”
It was O briens bout in every round. But West is strong at fights end.4

1901- Tommy Ryan 2 Loss TKO 17. One of the biggest bloodbaths in ring history. For Middleweight Championship. The long-awaited rematch. “West proves the great will of heart and desire that any man could show”
Headline> “The center of the ring looked like a slaughterhouse”
Headline> “The fight was the bloodiest and most desperate fight ever seen in Louisville history”
1^st Round- Honors were about even, both landed often and hard. West getting in several jolts on Ryan’s nose.
2^nd round- “ In the second Ryan was knocked down twice and seemed all but out as the gong sounded. At the first knockdown Ryan took the full count.
3^rd Round and 4^th round- “were west’s as he set a blistering pace”
5^th round- was Ryan’s
6^th Round- “Ryans right cheek was opened and his breast was crimson. Then West landed on Ryan’s nose producing more blood. Ryan was the aggressor this round, but West blocked and landed at will and but for the gong may have finished his man (Ryan)”
7^th round- “this round opened with west splitting Ryan’s lip producing even more blood. West had his own issues as his nose become broken this round, his right eye was closed, his forehead laid open in two places and his cheek was split. One of the most brutal rounds the ring has ever seen.”
“The next rounds blood poured from West’s wounds as time after time Ryan landed on injured places. He continually played for the broken nose and for the next half dozen rounds made West a chopping block”
“The punishment West took was a feat of amazement as blood poured from nearly a dozen of his wounds.”
“The center of the ring looked like a slaughterhouse”
“So bloody was the battle indeed was the fight spectators near the ring became nauseated and had to leave the hall”
“Still round after round came out for more punishment, pounding on the nose, the cheek the eye”
At the start of the 17^th round “when it seemed west was fighting a hopeless fight Terry Mcgovern threw up the sponge and the ref gave the decision to Ryan”
“West had never gone down and despite the incredible amount of punishment he had endured”
One of the best ring battles in Middleweight history---

1901- Marvin Hart (next fight) Loss TKO 16- One of my Old school meets the new school series. I’ll read the entire fight report in a future Youtube post. It’s super amazing as you’ll see…
This was Marvin Harts first big win.
Tommy West was such a fearless fighter he made a grave error in this fight taking this fight just a mere 25 days after the bloodbath and his wounds were not fully healed and proved extremely detrimental for him. He was such a buzzsaw that he made a tactical error that proved so costly.
Headline> “West proved one of the hardest, gamest and best fighters in the business.”
Fight recap: The writers were awesome in the fight game, this is great example of a full fight recap you might get the pleasure of reading. (this is only a small part of a big story.)
Fight recap: “Marvin Hart pulled a feat that Tommy Ryan failed too”
“ Hart gave West a much harder than Tommy Ryan did just a matter of weeks ago, West was hardly even healed when his cuts reopened from a surprise challenger a Kentucky boy.
Rylan landed perhaps a few more blows than the Louisville boy did, but as fast and thckthat could not make the sturdy Brooklyn lad take a count, not a single clean knockdown did the champion Ryan score against West, but Hart knocked him down as clean as the feat could be performed.
More than one of the local boy’s uppercuts lifted West off the floor, and from the 4^th round to the end of the fight West clung to his opponent with a vise like grip at every opportunity to avoid the awful swings and jabs that Hart directed at different parts of the anatomy.
Ryan failed to put West down on any occasion but Hart hammered and battered in the 15^th round and had the Brooklyn scrapper on his knee’s for almost 20 seconds.
West was down twice when the towel was thrown in, for this proclaimed Hart the conqueror of one of the hardest, gamest. And best fighters in the business”

1902 Young Peter Jackson Loss TKO 2-
West appeared fat and out of shape, this was a full year after the Hart bout.
West took a knee and waived his arm he wanted no more, when Young Peter Jackson dropped him.

1902 Joe Walcott 6 L15- Tommy West last fight. Completely unnecessary as they already fought 5 times.
Walcott get’s revenge finally for his broken arm loss. Walcott 3 years younger was far better aged.
Walcott had avantage in every round. As west appeared shot.
“He tried his utmost to hold his own but Walcott was superior in every round.
West ends on his feet bleeding as Walcott waives goodbye to his old foe as he leaves the ring”

Tommy West retires.


Career analysis: West was a 1^st rate Middleweight. He had more power than most middlewights. He fought at very fast pace. He was probably at the top of a 15 year span for the most heart and sheer will of a fighter, as he had no quit in him and he couldn’t be dropped. He could endure huge amounts of punishment and still hold a very fast pace.
Facing a legendary group of boxers with hitting prowess:
Joe Walcott
Kid Mccoy
Joe Choynski
Tommy Ryan
Dan Creedon
George Byers
Jack Root\
Jack O brien
In an utterly amazing feat, he wasn’t dropped to the canvas once by any of these guys in his prime. Nobody dropped him ever up until Marvin Hart.
Now Tommy Ryan did knock him through the ropes once in one of the greatest rounds ever, but the press doesn’t count these as knockdowns (for whatever reason).
The press is in utter shock when Marvin Hart pulled the trick and just actually dropped Tommy West. It made headlines.
His chin was near the best of any of his era.


How would history rank him?
Well he was as close as it gets to a champion.
He floored Ryan 4x with his power and sent him through the ropes onto the pressbox and in both of his fights with a top tier Tommy Ryan he had him reeling and within 30 secs of ending the fights when the gong sounded.
Tommy West was like a middleweight version of Heavyweight Jack Dempsey with his raw power.
Tommy West I think is certainly capable of beating top shelfs light heavy weights.
Tommy can hang with Jack Root or Marvin Hart or Tom Sharkey. He would have a good chance in his prime.
Dream-Matchups-
#1 Dream match-Jack root- would be an immediate rematch with Jack Root after their fight. In a 20 round bout.
As I said Tommy West could beat a top lightheavy. Most middleweights could not hang with the upper division.


#2 Dream match- Bob Fitzsimmons In 1897-98.
Bob Fitsimmons beat corbett in march of 1897. He should of fought the activity level of a normal fighter. The Heavyweight Title completely stunted his development.
Fitz should of fought Tommy West in the Winter of 1897. West was about to get his first Middleweight title shot and certainly was at the top or near the top of the food chain.

In Fitz vs West at super middleweight.
As I always say. You the reader are in heaven, your betting your soul on the match, you loss your going to brimstone. That’s the stakes.

In a Bob Fitzsimmons vs Tommy West match in dec 1897 for the heavyweight crown.
I’m taking Tommy West to win.
I don’t think Bob Fitzsimmons would be able to drop him, much like he struggled dropping Corbett. Tommy West would be Fitzsimmon’s nightmare because he would set a very fast pace and he may not have been able to knock him down. West has twice the punch of Corbett. And West would have a huge advantage in stamina. He would eventually wear Bob Fitzsimmons out. I don’t think Fitzsimmons would walk right through him like he did to many middleweights. West was in his prime and had tremendous heart. Fitz could just slowly tear him apart, but I don’t think he would have the stamina that only youth would bring, he might seriously punch himself out quickly.
I am betting on Tommy West.


Tommy West ended every fight on his feet except for the Young Peter Jackson fight where he does Roberto Duran No mas move on his knees.

[kara]

That was a great read.

[Willow The Wisp]

These are great. People are encouraged to read these start to finish. The effort undertaken to present these pioneering greats to the true aficionados of Prizefighter history is appreciated.

[historical boxing society]

That was a great read.

Thank You Sir. This is about at minimum a 6 hour process. I'm trying to get better at writing. I'm in the very process of developing this "trick" in writing. I'm moving large newspaper comments over into my own story. Right now I'm doing it manually writing it down & then typing my notes. That way i can get grammar correct as to how it was presented. In doing this I'm starting to kind of be able to mimic how they talk because I'm repeating it . At least I'm trying too...it's alot of work. I'm trying to distinguish replicated newspaper comments in "quote" but some is a mix of different newspapers. As i cross reference everything in great detail. As a researcher, you do it 15+ hours a week, you know how to find the real story, not a recap. As some writers back in the 1890's were just breathtaking masters of the craft of writing. You just got to find it.

I'm trying write stuff as me #1 Boxing fan I would be in complete ecstasy to stumble across articles like this that has footnotes all researched & presented without any of the work. I'd be a happy camper. Hopeful as I write more it will get better.

One thing I can tell you as a Researcher. Looking at a Boxrec caeeer, will give you absolute no idea how good a guy was. There is no story behind it.
Thing's are greatly distorted reading a boxscore

[Dr. Z]

Bob Fitzsimmons would flatten Tommy West. McCoy and Choynski had him our in early. West was down quite a bit and stopped 10 times. Nice wrote up though.

[Willie Pep 229]

I don't believe the OP ever meant to say West was an ATG - just a second tier fighter. For his day a 'contender.' And for his day not a shabby moniker to hold. Today, would probably have won a strap at one point or another.

He never got past a top rank fighter other than Walcott; he fought a few.

Even with Wallcott I think he ended up 2-3-1. With one of the wins qualified by injury to Walcott.

But he at least had one great night when he took Walcott by points over 20 (19) rounds.

A contender! I'm glad I now know of him.

[kara]

I don't believe the OP ever meant to say West was an ATG - just a second tier fighter. For his day a 'contender.' And for his day not a shabby moniker to hold. Today, would probably have won a strap at one point or another.

He never got past a top rank fighter other than Walcott; he fought a few.

Even with Wallcott I think he ended up 2-3-1. With one of the wins qualified by injury to Walcott.

But he at least had one great night when he took Walcott by points over 20 (19) rounds.

A contender! I'm glad I now know of him.

Solid points from Pep as usual.

[historical boxing society]

Bob Fitzsimmons would flatten Tommy West. McCoy and Choynski had him our in early. West was down quite a bit and stopped 10 times. Nice wrote up though.

I want to spend zero time debating Fantasy fight's. It's my least favorite part of message boards.
I'm just including them to gauge where i feel a boxe'sr true potential may lay. My option is no more valid than the next guy's. They are all guesses. That's all they are is an option, not any kind of fact. I'm interesting in entertainment value in writing and a more factual based approach to matters with a much less option oriented approach. I'm a researcher, not a debater.

Almost every fight between close fighters would get splits in a 4 round series. Just as it was displayed between Walcott & West, so saying one guy would win over another I find of no value. It's very basis is designed as a trick question. One guy could win the 1st of a four fight series giving a very distorted view of superiority. I seen it over & over it's one of the worse approaches at determining superiority to me.

I Judge fighters by the number of championship level rounds they fought against 1st rate opponent's (title means nothing in that statement) and then how they fared against them. Wasting time worrying about who would win between James Corbett & Harry Greb is rather meaning less. The amount of Championship rounds complete dwarf's each other that should be the most clear indication of what will happen. Not trying to waste time figuring out who will win fight one of a back & forth affair.

West fought alot of championship caliper rounds as can be seen. That's his legacy.
Debating a person's option's it reminds me too much of Jim Corbett sitting on his throne saying he can whip and any man. It means nothing to me..

But thanks for reading. I hope you'll enjoy Future installment's. This all about the love of boxing and it's rich history.