Jimmy Wilde


William James Wilde was a Welsh professional boxer who competed from 1911 to 1923. He held the IBU world flyweight title in 1916, the EBU European flyweight title twice; firstly in 1914 and again from 1916 to 1917, the BBBofC British flyweight title in 1916 and the National Sporting Club’s British flyweight title from 1916 to 1918. Often regarded as the greatest British fighter of all time, he was the first official world flyweight champion and was rated by American boxing writer Nat Fleischer, as well as many other professionals and fans including former boxer, trainer, manager and promoter, Charley 'Broadway' Rose, as "the Greatest Flyweight Boxer Ever". Wilde earned various nicknames such as, "The Mighty Atom," "Ghost with the Hammer in His Hand" and "The Tylorstown Terror" due to his bludgeoning punching power. While reigning as the world's greatest flyweight, Wilde would take on bantamweights and even featherweights, and knock them out. As well as his professional career, Wilde participated in 151 bouts judged as 'newspaper decisions', of these the results were: Won 7 and lost 1, with 143 being declared as 'no decisions'. Wilde has the longest recorded unbeaten streak in boxing history, having gone 94-0-1.

Early years

Jimmy Wilde's birth certificate states that he was born in the Taff Bargoed Valley community of Pentwyn Deintyr), Quakers Yard, Treharris, Wales, in the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil. His parents later moved to the village of Tylorstown in the Rhondda Valley when Wilde was around 6 years old. Wilde was the son of a coal miner and worked in the coal pits himself. He was small enough to crawl through gullies impassable to most of his colleagues. He started boxing at the age of sixteen in fairground boxing booths, where crowds were amazed by his toughness and ability to knock down much larger opponents, most of which were local men weighing around 200 lbs. In 1910, Wilde married his wife Elizabeth and was a father the same year. He left Tylorstown Colliery in 1913.

Professional career

The record books often show that Wilde started boxing professionally in 1911, but it is widely assumed that he had been fighting professionally for at least four years before that. His claim that he had at least 800 fights is probably greatly exaggerated, but it was certainly more than the 152 shown in Boxrec and elsewhere. His officially listed debut was on 26 December 1910, when he fought Les Williams to a no-decision in three rounds. His first win came on 1 January 1911, when he knocked out Ted Roberts in the third round
Managed by Teddy Lewis, reserve captain of the local rugby club, Pontypridd RFC, Wilde went undefeated in 103 bouts, all of which were held in Britain, a remarkable achievement. In the middle of that streak, on 31 December 1912, he won the British 7 stone championship by beating Billy Padden by an eighteenth-round knockout in Glasgow. He finally lost his undefeated record when he challenged Tancy Lee for the vacant British and Europe Flyweight Championship on 15 January 1915 in London. Wilde was knocked out in the seventeenth round.
In 1915, Wilde was hospitalized, requiring an operation for "an internal complaint". After a sixteen-fight knockout streak, on 14 February 1916 he won the British flyweight title by beating Joe Symonds by a knockout in round twelve at the National Sporting Club in London. On 24 April 1916, Wilde beat Johnny Rosner by a knockout in the eleventh round at Liverpool Stadium to win the IBU World Flyweight title. On 13 May, he had two fights on the same day at Woolwich Dockyard, winning both by knockout, both fights combined lasting less than five rounds. On 26 June Wilde returned to the National Sporting Club to take his revenge on Tancy Lee with an eleventh-round knockout. On 18 December, Wilde became recognised as the first World Flyweight Champion when he defeated Young Zulu Kid of the United States, knocking him out in the eleventh round of their bout at the Holborn Stadium.
In late December 1916, after being rejected on two previous occasions due to an old leg problem from a colliery accident and for being underweight, Wilde was accepted into the British Army and while never seeing active service, became an instructor at Aldershot.
In 1917, he retained the world title by beating George Clarke by a knockout in four. With that win, he also won the European title and recovered the British title. But that would be his last title defence, as soon he decided to vacate the world title. He kept fighting and winning, and in 1919, he beat Joe Lynch, another boxer who was a world champion, by decision in 15.
Wilde travelled to the United States for a series of fights, and on 6 December 1919, lost to "Little" Jackie Sharkey in a ten-round newspaper decision of the Milwaukee Journal before a crowd close to 8,000 at the Auditorium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Sharkey was considered a decisive winner, taking eight of the ten rounds according to the newspapermen at ringside. Wilde had been away from the ring for months, and was outweighed by Sharkey by seven pounds. Sharkey's blows were said to land more frequently and with greater force. Sharkey's win was at least a minor upset as Wilde led in the early betting 2 to 1. The American newspaper's decisions were questioned by many British boxing journalists.
In 1920, Wilde went undefeated in 10 fights, but then, he lost by a knockout in 17 to former World Bantamweight Champion Pete Herman, who outweighed him by more than a stone, in 1921. The bout was originally scheduled as a title defence, but Herman had lost his championship to Lynch the month before. Herman easily regained the Bantamweight title from Lynch in July 1921, leading some to suspect that he had left the title behind with Lynch in America intentionally. That was the fight that marked his return to Britain after touring the United States all of 1920. After a win over Young Jennings, he announced his retirement.
Wilde returned to the ring out of a sense of obligation to defend his title against Pancho Villa on 18 June 1923 at the Polo Grounds in New York. After losing by a knockout in seven to the Philippines' first world champion, Wilde announced his retirement before returning to England, confirming his decision on 1 January 1924.
In 1927, at the age of 35, Wilde was reportedly considering making a comeback, but never returned to competitive boxing.

Retirement

Having had his first book, Hitting and Stopping: How I Won 100 Fights, published in 1914, Wilde wrote two additional books, the instructional The Art of Boxing. and the 1938 autobiography Fighting Was My Business.
Wilde's son David followed him into a career in professional boxing, although without great success.
In the 1930s he lived in a house in Hocroft Court, Cricklewood, from where almost all of his boxing trophies and medals were stolen in a 1936 burglary. He became a boxing referee, including in 1936 refereeing every bout of a boxing tournament at the Hastings Pier Pavilion. In December 1936 he was injured after being thrown from a car driven by a friend when it collided with a van near Hampstead.
Wilde lived the last few years of his life in the Cadoxton district of Barry, South Wales. With his final boxing winnings, Wilde entered into several business schemes, including a Welsh cinema chain and partnership in a cafe at 5 Western Shelter, Barry Island that was named 'The Mighty Atom' cafe. None were successful and he spent his final years in poverty. In 1965, Wilde suffered serious injuries during a mugging at a train station in Cardiff, from which he never recovered. His wife, Elizabeth, died in 1967, and two years later Wilde died in a hospital in Whitchurch. He was buried in Barry Cemetery.

Awards and recognition

With the longest unbeaten streak in boxing history, he went 103 fights before his first loss. Wilde had a record of 139 wins, 3 losses, 1 draw and 5 no-contests, with an impressive 99 wins by knockout. Ring Magazine, named him both the 3rd greatest puncher of all time, and the greatest flyweight of all time, and rated him as the 13th greatest fighter of the 20th century.
In 1990, he was elected to the inaugural class of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame and in 1992, the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame.
He was ranked as the top flyweight of all-time by the International Boxing Research Organization in 2006.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
135Loss131–3–1 Pancho VillaKO7 Jun 18, 1923 Polo Grounds, New York Lost lineal flyweight title
For inaugural The Ring flyweight title
134Loss131–2–1 Pete HermanTKO17 Jan 13, 1921 Royal Albert Hall, Kensington
133Win131–1–1 Patsy WallacePTS10May 24, 1920 TorontoRetained lineal flyweight title
132Win130–1–1 Battling Al MurrayKO2 May 13, 1920 National A.C., Philadelphia
131Win129–1–1 Bobby DysonKO1 May 01, 1920 Cuddy's Arena, Lawrence
130Win128–1–1 Battling Al MurrayTKO8 Apr 21, 1920 Sportsman's Club, CamdenRetained lineal flyweight title
129Win127–1–1 Mickey RussellTKO7 Feb 19, 1920 4th Regiment Armory, Jersey City
128Win126–1–1 Mike ErtieKO3 Jan 29, 1920 Auditorium, Milwaukee
127Win125–1–1 Memphis Pal MoorePTS20Jul 17, 1919 Olympia, Kensington
126Win124–1–1 Alf MansfieldTKO13 Apr 21, 1919 Holborn Stadium, Holborn
125Win123–1–1 Jimmy BuckKO3 Apr 21, 1919 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool
124Win122–1–1 Joe LynchPTS15Mar 31, 1919 National Sporting Club, Covent Garden
123Win121–1–1 Joe ConnTKO12 Aug 31, 1918 Chelsea FC, Stamford Bridge, Chelsea
122Win120–1–1 Dick HeasmanRTD2 Apr 29, 1918 National Sporting Club, Covent Garden Retained British and lineal flyweight titles
121Win119–1–1 Corporal JacobsKO4 Mar 28, 1918 Headquarters Gymnasium, Aldershot
120Win118–1–1 Jimmy RussellTKO3 Mar 22, 1917 Holborn Stadium, Holborn
119Win117–1–1 George ClarkTKO4 Mar 12, 1917 National Sporting Club, Covent Garden Retained EBU, British, and lineal flyweight titles
118Win116–1–1 Young Zulu KidRTD11 Nov 09, 1916 Holborn Stadium, Holborn Won inaugural lineal flyweight title
117Win115–1–1 Tommy NobleTKO15 Nov 09, 1916 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool
116Win114–1–1 Johnny HughesKO10 Jul 31, 1916 Kensal Rise Athletic Ground, Kensal Rise Retained IBU, EBU, and British flyweight titles
115Win113–1–1 Tancy LeeKO11 Jun 26, 1916 National Sporting Club, Covent GardenRetained IBU and British flyweight titles
Won EBU flyweight title
114Win112–1–1 Tommy HarrisonRTD8 May 29, 1916 Oxford Music Hall
113Win111–1–1 Darkey SaundersTKO3 May 13, 1916 Woolwich Dockyard Labour Club, Woolwich
112Win110–1–1 Joe MagnusKO2 May 13, 1916 Empire Theatre, Cardiff
111Win109–1–1 Benny ThomasPTS15Apr 29, 1916 Empire Theatre, Cardiff
110Win108–1–1 Johnny RosnerRTD11 Apr 24, 1916 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool Retained IBU flyweight title
109Win107–1–1 Sid SmithKO3 Mar 27, 1916 Hoxton Baths, Hoxton
108Win106–1–1 Sam KellarRTD8 Mar 09, 1916 West London Stadium, Marylebone
107Win105–1–1 Joe SymondsRTD12 Feb 14, 1916 National Sporting Club, Covent Garden Won IBU and British flyweight titles
106Win104–1–1 Jimmy MortonKO2 Jan 27, 1916 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool
105Win103–1–1 Tommy NobleRTD11 Jan 24, 1916 New Cross Baths, New Cross
104Win102–1–1 Billy Young RowlandsTKO7 Jan 08, 1916 Empire, Swansea
103Win101–1–1 Sid SmithTKO8 Dec 20, 1915 National Sporting Club, Covent Garden
102Win100–1–1 Danny ElliottKO2 Dec 13, 1915 Central Baths, Bradford
101Win99–1–1 Johnny BestTKO14 Dec 09, 1915 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool
100Win98–1–1 Tommy HughesRTD8 Nov 27, 1915 Palace Theatre, Barrow In Furness
99Win97–1–1 Peter CullenRTD9 Oct 20, 1915 Drill Hall, Dublin
98Win96–1–1 Walter BuchanRTD5 Sep 23, 1915 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool
97Win95–1–1 George ClarkRTD8 Aug 14, 1915 Pheasant Inn Grounds, Carbrook
96Win94–1–1 Driver BethuenRTD5 Jul 24, 1915 Pheasant Inn Grounds, Carbrook
95Win93–1–1 Sid ShieldsKO2 Mar 25, 1915 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool
94Loss92–1–1 Tancy LeeTKO17 Jan 25, 1915 National Sporting Club, Covent Garden For vacant IBU, EBU, and British flyweight title
93Win92–0–1 Sid SmithTKO9 Dec 03, 1914 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool
92Win91–0–1 Joe SymondsPTS15Nov 16, 1914 National Sporting Club, Covent Garden Won British flyweight title eliinator
91Win90–0–1 Alf MansfieldRTD9 Sep 28, 1914 West London Stadium, Marylebone
90Win89–0–1 Young BakerPTS15Aug 20, 1914 Boulevard Rink, Leicester
89Win88–0–1 Young Ted WaltersDQ6 Aug 10, 1914 St James Hall, Newcastle
88Win87–0–1 Artie EdwardsPTS15Jul 23, 1914 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool
87Win86–0–1 Charley JordanRTD10 Jul 18, 1914 New Marquee, Tonypandy
86Win85–0–1 Charlie BanyardTKO9 Jun 22, 1914 Market Hall, Aberdare
85Win84–0–1 Georges GloriaTKO5 May 11, 1914 National Sporting Club, Covent Garden
84Win83–0–1 Alf MansfieldPTS20Apr 27, 1914 Olympia Skating Rink, Leeds
83Win82–0–1 Albert BouzonnieTKO6 Apr 16, 1914 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool
82Win81–0–1 Jack MaddenKO4 Apr 13, 1914 Portland Skating Rink, Ashton under Lyne
81Win80–0–1 Eugene HussonKO6 Mar 30, 1914 National Sporting Club, Covent Garden
80Win79–0–1 Bill KyneTKO4 Mar 26, 1914 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool
79Win78–0–1 George JaggersRTD5 Feb 16, 1914 Artillery Drill Hall, Sheffield
78Win77–0–1 Paddy CarrollKO2 Feb 15, 1914 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool
77Win76–0–1 Tom ThomasTKO7 Feb 09, 1914 Free Trade Hall, Manchester
76Win75–0–1 Kid NutterPTS15Feb 02, 1914 Drill Hall, Birkenhead
75Win74–0–1 Billy Young PaddenTKO3 Jan 29, 1914 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool
74Win73–0–1 Young BeynonPTS15Jan 08, 1914 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool
73Win72–0–1 Kid NutterPTS15Jan 03, 1914 Pavilion Skating Rink, Tonypandy
72Win71–0–1 Kid LeveneKO8 Dec 24, 1913 Marquee, Tonypandy
71Win70–0–1 Harry BrooksRTD9 Dec 16, 1913 Free Trade Hall, Manchester
70Win69–0–1 Billy CharlesRTD6 Dec 13, 1913 Pavilion, Tonypandy
69Win68–0–1 Young George DandoDQ10 Dec 06, 1913 Drill Hall, Merthyr Tydfil
68Win67–0–1 Dido GainsPTS15Nov 22, 1913 Drill Hall, Swansea
67Win66–0–1 Jack Young DyerTKO2 Nov 21, 1913 Manchester
66Win65–0–1 Young BakerRTD10 Nov 13, 1913 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool
65Win64–0–1 Darkey SaundersTKO11 Nov 01, 1913 Pavilion Skating Rink, Tonypandy
64Win63–0–1 Young George DandoPTS20Sep 22, 1913 Westgate Rink, Cardiff
63Win62–0–1 Kid LeveneRTD7 Sep 18, 1913 Olympia Skating Rink, Hanley
62Win61–0–1 Harry CurleyRTD12 Sep 11, 1913 Olympia Skating Rink, Hanley
61Win60–0–1 Dido GainsPTS15Sep 08, 1913 Artillery Drill Hall, Sheffield
60Win59–0–1 Dick JenkinsPTS10Sep 06, 1913 Ferndale
59Win58–0–1 Jack Young DyerTKO3 Aug 28, 1913 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool
58Win57–0–1 Darkey SaundersPTS10Aug 04, 1913 American Skating Rink, Cardiff
57Win56–0–1 Tommy LewisPTS15Jul 12, 1913 Pavilion, Tonypandy
56Win55–0–1 Dick LewisRTD3 Jul 01, 1913 Pavilion Skating Rink, Tonypandy
55Win54–0–1 Gwilym ThomasTKO5 Jun 21, 1913 Pavilion Skating Rink, Tonypandy
54Win53–0–1 Billy Young PaddenPTS12Jun 16, 1913 Pavilion Skating Rink, Tonypandy
53Win52–0–1 Dai DaviesPTS12May 24, 1913 Pavilion Skating Rink, Tonypandy
52Win51–0–1 Billy YatesKO4 Apr 19, 1913 Pavilion Skating Rink, Tonypandy
51Win50–0–1 Will ReesKO2 Apr 12, 1913 Drill Hall, Swansea
50Win49–0–1 Harry TaylorRTD3 Mar 24, 1913 Drill Hall, Swansea
49Win48–0–1 Dai MatthewsRTD4 Mar 08, 1913 Marquee, Tonypandy
48Win47–0–1 James Kid FitzpatrickTKO3 Feb 15, 1913 Pavilion, Tonypandy
47Win46–0–1 Ben HardwickNWS8Feb 22, 1913 Hippodrome, Tonypandy
46Win45–0–1 Tommy HughesRTD7 Jan 18, 1913 Hippodrome, Tonypandy
45Win44–0–1 Billy Young PaddenTKO18 Jan 01, 1913 Victoria AC, Glasgow
44Win43–0–1 Billy YatesRTD4 Dec 21, 1912 Theatre Royal, Cardiff
43Win42–0–1 Stoker StainesKO1 Dec 14, 1912 Pavilion, Tonypandy
42Win41–0–1 Alf WilliamsPTS15Nov 30, 1912 Pentre
41Win40–0–1 Kid PearsonRTD2 Nov 23, 1912 Pavilion, Mountain Ash
40Win39–0–1 Jim RansfordRTD2 Nov 16, 1912 Scarrott's Pavilion, Tonypandy
39Win38–0–1 Llewellyn BoswellPTS6Nov 13, 1912 Swansea
38Win37–0–1 Phil DaviesRTD2 Nov 09, 1912 Olympia Rink, Merthyr
37Win36–0–1 Walter HallTKO3 Sep 19, 1912 Attercliffe Boxing Hall, Sheffield
36Win35–0–1 Jim StuckeyTKO8 Aug 17, 1912 Pavilion, Tonypandy
35Win34–0–1 Joe GansTKO7 Aug 03, 1912 Pavilion, Tonypandy
34Win33–0–1 Kid MorrisRTD5 Jul 20, 1912 Welsh National A.C., Cardiff
33Win32–0–1 Roland HallKO4 Apr 04, 1912
32Win31–0–1 Sam JenningsPTS6Mar 09, 1912 Badminton Club, Cardiff
31Win30–0–1 Sam JenningsPTS6Feb 15, 1912 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
30Win29–0–1 Young BakerPTS6Feb 01, 1912 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool
29Win28–0–1 Matt Wells' NipperTKO1 Jan 20, 1912 The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark
28Win27–0–1 Ted RobertsKO4 Dec 20, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
27Win26–0–1 Young TowellKO3 Dec 12, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
26Win25–0–1 Jim Young RiceKO4 Nov 20, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
25Win24–0–1 Young TowellKO4 Nov 11, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
24Win23–0–1 Young Sam LangfordKO2 Oct 30, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
23Win22–0–1 Young PowellKO3 Oct 20, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
22Win21–0–1 Joe RogersKO5 Oct 10, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
21Win20–0–1 Ted PowellKO3 Sep 20, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
20Win19–0–1 Frank AventKO4 Sep 09, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
19Win18–0–1 Sam JenningsTKO11 Aug 26, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
18Win17–0–1 Fred ChappellPTS6Aug 08, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
17Win16–0–1 Steve ThomasKO3 Jul 07, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
16Win15–0–1 Kid MorrisPTS6Jun 20, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
15Win14–0–1 Billy BrownKO4 Jun 03, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
14Win13–0–1 Ted RobertsKO2 May 25, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
13Win12–0–1 Archie GrantKO3 May 15, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
12Win11–0–1 James EastonPTS10May 08, 1911 Olympia, Edinburgh
11Win10–0–1 Dai RobertsKO3 May 05, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
10Win9–0–1 Billy PapkeKO2 Apr 20, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
9Win8–0–1 Eddie ThomasKO2 Apr 10, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
8Win7–0–1 Archie GrantKO3 Apr 04, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
7Win6–0–1 Dai ThomasTKO3 Mar 20, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
6Win5–0–1 Lewis WilliamsRTD4 Mar 13, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
5Win4–0–1 Dick JenkinsPTS6Mar 09, 1911 Cardiff
4Win3–0–1 Young WilliamsPTS6Feb 23, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd -
3Draw2–0–1 Dai JonesPTS6Jan 20, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
2Win2–0 Dick JenkinsPTS6Jan 10, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd
1Win1–0 Ted RobertsKO3 Jan 01, 1911 Millfield A.C., Pontypridd