After losing to Buddy Ryan, Mellody won eleven bouts by knockout prior to his first World Welterweight Championship title fight, facing boxers who could be described as competent fringe contenders.
He knocked out Fred Douglas, Jerry McCarthy twice, Martin Duffy in May 1905, George Peterson in October 1905, Jack O'Keefe in November 1905, and Terry Martin twice in February and March 1906.
 He knocked out Charley McKeever twice in Chelsea, Massachusetts in eleven and six rounds in March and April 1906.
McKeever was an older competitor a bit past his prime, but had been capable of once facing both a young Joe Walcott, and former welterweight world champion "Mysterious" Billy Smith three times.
Mellody's third round knockout of contender Willie Lewis in Chelsea, Massachusetts three months before facing Walcott foreshadowed his imminent conquest of the World Welterweight Title.

Mellody got his first shot for the vacant World Welterweight title against the legendary Black Joe Walcott on October 16, 1906, at the Lincoln Athletic Club in Chelsea, Massachusetts.
The Pittsburgh Press noted Mellody was barely 21 at the time of the fight and had been fighting professionally for only around three years.
The bout required the full fifteen rounds before Mellody was given the decision on points against his strong and seasoned opponent.

In a rematch on November 29, 1906, Mellody beat Walcott again in a 12th-round TKO in Chelsea, although Walcott claimed an injured arm which doctors at ringside confirmed.
 Walcott's return to the ring after accidentally shooting himself in the hand two years earlier showed great determination, and the skill he displayed in his first title match with Mellody indicated that without his injury he may have remained champion.
 The New London Day echoed the same sentiment when it wrote "Age, long service, and an accident to his good right hand, along with his jovial way of living abridged Walcott's career as a champion, for he could have been a factor for many years to come were it not for the "automatic shooter" that he displayed once too often."

Mellody then defeated Willie Lewis for the second time in a non-title fight by a fourth-round TKO in Rhode Island on February 11, 1907.
Lewis was soon to become a talented welterweight contender and frequent opponent of champion Harry Lewis.

Mellody lost the title, by referee decision, in a long twenty-round match in Los Angeles, California, against the older but possibly stronger Mike "Twin" Sullivan on April 23, 1907.
 Both boxers weighed in at 145, clearly in the welterweight range.
The Shreveport Caucasian wrote of the bout, "At all stages Sullivan showed unmistakable superiority and out generated Mellody in infighting.
 Mellody's tactics were confined to rushes generally ending in clinches where Sullivan used right upper cuts and short hand jabs to the face with telling effect".
 The Washington Evening Star noted that "during the early rounds Mellody had an even break with his clever opponent", but "Sullivan came back strong and from the twelfth had it all his own way."
After losing to Buddy Ryan, Mellody won eleven bouts by knockout prior to his first World Welterweight Championship title fight, facing boxers who could be described as competent fringe contenders. He knocked out Fred Douglas, Jerry McCarthy twice, Martin Duffy in May 1905, George Peterson in October 1905, Jack O'Keefe in November 1905, and Terry Martin twice in February and March 1906.  He knocked out Charley McKeever twice in Chelsea, Massachusetts in eleven and six rounds in March and April 1906. McKeever was an older competitor a bit past his prime, but had been capable of once facing both a young Joe Walcott, and former welterweight world champion "Mysterious" Billy Smith three times. Mellody's third round knockout of contender Willie Lewis in Chelsea, Massachusetts three months before facing Walcott foreshadowed his imminent conquest of the World Welterweight Title.
Mellody got his first shot for the vacant World Welterweight title against the legendary Black Joe Walcott on October 16, 1906, at the Lincoln Athletic Club in Chelsea, Massachusetts. The Pittsburgh Press noted Mellody was barely 21 at the time of the fight and had been fighting professionally for only around three years. The bout required the full fifteen rounds before Mellody was given the decision on points against his strong and seasoned opponent.
In a rematch on November 29, 1906, Mellody beat Walcott again in a 12th-round TKO in Chelsea, although Walcott claimed an injured arm which doctors at ringside confirmed.  Walcott's return to the ring after accidentally shooting himself in the hand two years earlier showed great determination, and the skill he displayed in his first title match with Mellody indicated that without his injury he may have remained champion.  The New London Day echoed the same sentiment when it wrote "Age, long service, and an accident to his good right hand, along with his jovial way of living abridged Walcott's career as a champion, for he could have been a factor for many years to come were it not for the "automatic shooter" that he displayed once too often." 
Mellody then defeated Willie Lewis for the second time in a non-title fight by a fourth-round TKO in Rhode Island on February 11, 1907. Lewis was soon to become a talented welterweight contender and frequent opponent of champion Harry Lewis.
Mellody lost the title, by referee decision, in a long twenty-round match in Los Angeles, California, against the older but possibly stronger Mike "Twin" Sullivan on April 23, 1907.  Both boxers weighed in at 145, clearly in the welterweight range. The Shreveport Caucasian wrote of the bout, "At all stages Sullivan showed unmistakable superiority and out generated Mellody in infighting.  Mellody's tactics were confined to rushes generally ending in clinches where Sullivan used right upper cuts and short hand jabs to the face with telling effect".  The Washington Evening Star noted that "during the early rounds Mellody had an even break with his clever opponent", but "Sullivan came back strong and from the twelfth had it all his own way."
William "Honey" Mellody