Billy McColl

Name: Billy McCall
Alias: McColl
Hometown: Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
Birthplace: Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
Died: 1945-02-08 (Age:74)
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 175cm
Reach: 178cm
Referee: Record
Pro Boxer: Record

• Trainer: Alf. Stoneham, Giro Gallagher
• Billy McColl was the Australian heavyweight champion from 1902 to 1903, and for three months in 1905.

After he defended the title against Jim Scanlan in 1903, The Referee said of McColl:

Little more than two and a half years ago we in Sydney first heard of Billy McColl as a boxer, though previous to that he had boxed some at his native town, Armidale, with any and every travelling pugilist who happened that way, and last night we saw him engage for the third time in a battle which involved the heavyweight championship of Australia. Was ever a boxer's career so meteoric? Inside a couple of years we saw this man, a rural lover of the game, absolutely untaught, and in his own crude way, ever ready to take on all comers who struck Armidale in their wanderings (reputations made no difference to McColl: he would as lief have 'em on with the top-notcher of all as the ordinary every day booth man), and then heavy-weight champion of Australia by reason of his victory over Bill Doherty on the opening night of the National Sporting Club.

In May of 1903, it was reported that McColl, while champion, had suffered a dislocated shoulder in the twelfth round of his title fight with Jim Scanlan - a fight McColl went on to win five rounds later - that could keep him out of the ring "for at least two or three months." Three months later with no improvement, McColl was diagnosed as having ruptured ligaments around his shoulder that caused intense pain when he raised his arm. The doctor's report read, "The movements of the right shoulder are restrained and painful, and the punching power of the right arm is very much diminished... I am of opinion that the condition is due to a rupture of the ligaments around the shoulder joint, and that it will be a considerable time before the limb regains - if it ever does - its normal strength." McColl attempted to return to the ring in August of 1904, but had to call off the scheduled match with Bill Doherty after his shoulder proved too bad to go on with it. After recovering from re-injuring the shoulder while sparring in October of 1904, McColl finally returned in June of 1905 and knocked out Dan Creedon in the first round. It was noted, that McColl had changed the way he threw his right hand due to the shoulder limitations. "Billy through fear that lifting the limb up might cause him further worry, has perfected a sort of short arm drive, which he puts into the body with the force of a mule kick, and woe betide the man who gets it fair. Dan Creedon is its first victim."

On September 5th, 1906, multiple newspapers reported that McColl had died on August 30th in Armidale saying he, "never quite recovered from his recent fight." Another blurb ran a few weeks later indicating that McColl was, in fact, not dead, but was "preparing for another bruising battle."

The former champion met South African Mike Williams in November of 1906 and was forced to quit in the third round and hooted by those in attendance. It was his third consecutive knockout loss. In December of 1906, McColl temporarily retired from the ring to "devote his attention to farming pursuits at Windsor where the popular athlete purchased a nice little property." While away from the ring, McColl had surgery to remove a piece of bone from his nose that was causing one nostril to close. An infection or "cold" from the operation kept him in the hospital for twelve days.

McColl stayed out of the ring for over eight months before returning to face amateur standout Jim Griffin in August of 1907. Again, McColl was knocked out and again he retired from the ring; this time for ten months.

In June of 1908, McColl suffered his fifth consecutive knockout loss; this time at the hands of Sid Russell. The post-fight report indicated McColl was suffering from lumbago (lower back pain) and that led his corner to throw in the towel at the end of the sixth round. After the defeat, McColl strung together a series of wins against lesser opposition and earned a shot at the Queensland state heavyweight title in 1909 against Dave Smith. Despite flooring Smith, McColl was reportedly out-gunned and was knocked out in the thirteenth round.

Outside of the ring, McColl was the father of five children. In 1902, he purchased and ran a pub in Adamstown, New Castle until selling it in 1903, and later owned a hotel. During the 1930s he worked for a time as a boxing referee and was well respected. In 1944, Army News ran a story indicating McColl was working as a night watchman in Concord, New South Wales.

McColl was struck down by a truck December 5, 1944 and seriously injured. He spent his last days in Western Suburbs Hospital, Sydney.

Sources

• "McColl Wins Heavyweight Championship of Continent" (1903, May. 6) p. 1. Article
• "Echoes of Sport" The Maitland Daily Mercury (1903, May 8) p. 3. Article
• "Billy McColl" The Referee (1903, Aug. 5) p. 7. Article
• "Champion Billy McColl's Shoulder" The (Sydney) Referee (1903, Nov. 25) p. 7. Article
• "Doherty-McColl Match Off" The (Sydney) Referee (1904, June 15) p. 7. Article
• "Boxing In the East" The (Perth) Sunday Times (1905, June 18) p. 2. Article
• "Sporting Items" The Southern Star (1906, Sept. 5) p. 2. Article
• "Sporting Mems." The Peak Hill Express (1906, Dec. 21) p. 31. Article
• Gleeson, Pat. "Bill McColl was Full of Courage" Army News (1944, Dec. 6) p. 4. Article
• "Newcastle Notes" The Referee (1907, Mar. 13) p. 7. Article