Matt Wells (boxer)


Matthew "Matt" Wells was a British born professional boxer in the lightweight and welterweight divisions. In 1911, he held the Lightweight Championship of Great Britain, and in 1914 he claimed the Welterweight Championship of Britain and the Welterweight Championship of the World.

Biography

He was born in Walworth, London on 4 December 1886 and died in London on 27 June 1953.

Amateur career

During his amateur career, he held the British Amateur Lightweight crown from 1905–7.

Competing in the Olympics

He competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. In the lightweight event he was eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing to Frederick Grace who later won the gold medal.

Professional career

Taking the lightweight championship of Great Britain

Wells turned pro in 1909. On 27 February 1911, at the National Sporting Club in London he defeated Freddie Welsh in a twenty-round bout to win the lightweight championship of Great Britain and take home the Lonsdale belt, becoming the first Jewish boxer to hold the honor. The win simultaneously bestowed the EBU's lightweight championship.
On 2 June 1911, he defeated the great Jewish New York boxer Leach Cross at the Harlem Casino in New York by newspaper decision. The Montreal Gazette noted that the "bout went the full ten rounds, Wells having all the better of it." The New York Times agreed with the decision of the Gazette. Wells delivered two hard blows in the ninth that proved his hitting power against a boxer who was noted for exceptional defensive skills.
Remarkably, only three weeks after defeating Leach Cross, Wells defeated highly rated boxer "Philadelphia" Pal Moore on 24 June 1911 in a twelve round points decision at the Armory in Boston. Moore fought a host of champions in his career.
Wells defeated "Knockout" Brown before an enthusiastic crowd as large as 14,000 on 30 August 1911 in a ten round newspaper decision at New York's famed Madison Square Garden. The bout was so popular, swarms of onlookers waiting to get in broke through the windows to gain entry. Wells employed a cool, well calculated defense which baffled Brown throughout the bout. Brown could not defend against Wells's left jab which played about his face at great speed, helping Wells to take as many as seven rounds. The match was one of the first legal boxing matches in New York that allowed the purchase of tickets rather than a membership in a club, and the Garden was packed with fans. A near riot occurred as those who were turned away rushed into the auditorium to try to purchase additional tickets to obtain seating. Ten thousand were inside the Garden, with an additional five thousand outside hoping to obtain seats. Wells used his right almost at will throughout the bout, and dodged the blows of Brown by shifting his body or back stepping with exceptional speed. Brown used an effective left and got in some strong blows to Wells's face, but they rarely fazed Wells, nor slowed his attack. He wisely crowded Brown in the tenth to avoid a long range haymaker that might cause a knockout.
On 26 April 1912 he lost to the exceptional American boxer Packey McFarland at Madison Square Garden, in Manhattan, New York City. The Boston Globe considered McFarland the better boxer in each of the ten rounds, scoring with frequent right uppercuts to the face and body. As he repeatedly but cautiously found openings to use his right, McFarland allowed Wells to remain the aggressor with head down through much of the fight. In major competition, McFarland was nearly undefeated, yet never managed to win a title.
Wells impressively defeated reigning World Featherweight Champion Abe Attell on 20 September 1911 in New York. Attell was nearing the end of his ten-year reign as champion and his bout with Wells was not made a title fight partly because he was outweighed by Wells. The Pittsburgh Press wrote the fight was "the greatest exhibition of scientific boxing that has been seen here in years. The Press went on to note that "although Attell was clearly outpointed, his defeat was not a disgrace or anything like it for Wells was heavier, stronger, taller, and had a longer reach."
Wells defeated British boxer and former claimant of the 1907 British sanctioned World Bantamweight championship Owen Moran on 27 September 1913 in Sydney Stadium in Australia. Moran was a former contender for the World Featherweight championship against Abe Attell on New Years Day 1908 in Colma, California, but failed to knockout Attell in 25 rounds.
Wells defeated American Ray Bronson, former holder of the World Welterweight Championship, in a seventh round technical knockout in Sydney, Australia on 28 February 1914. Wells "inflicted severe punishment on the American" and his seconds threw in the towel at the end of the seventh round. Bronson, who considered retiring after the loss, would not fight again for a decade, and then retire.

Taking the World Welterweight Championship and Welterweight Championship of Britain, 21 March 1914

On 21 March 1914 he won the Welterweight Championship of Britain and Welterweight Championship of the World by defeating Tom McCormick in a 20-round points decision at Sydney Stadium in New South Wales, Australia. On 1 June 1915, he lost the welterweight title to Mike Glover in a twelve-round decision at the arena in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe noted that Wells lacked the power he usually showed in his punch but was ready to mix with Glover, who had he been fighting less cautiously may have scored a knockout. Wells competed for the British title again unsuccessfully against Johnny Basham on 13 November 1919 in Holborn Stadium in London.
Wells lost decisively to future World Feather and Junior Lightweight champion Johnny Dundee in a twelve round points decision in Boston on 16 May 1916. In the one sided affair, Dundee jabbed and hooked Wells to the face and body throughout the bout. Dundee showed great blocking during the infighting where he also scored frequently and used fast footwork to elude punches. Wells had previously lost to Dundee in a twelve round points decision before 3,500 fans on 10 December 1915 in New Haven that featured skilled blocking and countering throughout, but in which Dundee, the aggressor, always seemed to have the advantage.
Wells succumbed to his only knockout on 11 July 1916, from the talented Chicago lightweight Charley White. In the fifth round, Wells' manager Danny Morgan stepped in to stop the fight. Wells was dazed by a left to the chest in the third round, though he fought on. At the end of the fourth, White caught Wells with a right hook as he rushed forward, putting him on the canvas for a count of five. He was down again for a count of eight from a left to the jaw. On the opening of the fifth, White went after Wells holding him with his right and battering him with his left. Wells's manager ended the bout a minute into the round.

Failed attempt at the BBofC Welterweight Championship against Johnny Basham, 13 November 1919

Wells lost to Johnny Basham for the BBofC Welterweight Championship and the Commonwealth Welterweight Championship in a twenty round points decision in Holborn, England on 13 November 1919. The bloody affair involved too much clinching by Basham, and a too frequent use of head butts by Wells. By the eleventh, Wells, the older boxer by four years, was beginning to show signs of fatigue, but he never failed to mix when required. With a clear advantage, Basham excelled in long range fighting, having a reach advantage of several inches, but he seemed to have the better of the infighting as well. The eighteenth through twentieth rounds were all Basham's, who added to an already significant advantage in points, and though Wells took a beating and his face was bloody by the later rounds, he remained on his feet throughout the match. Wells had formerly lost to Basham in a fifteen round points decision at the London Opera House on 22 March 1915. Welsh had gained a bit of weight prior to the match which may have affected his speed, and Basham had continued to improve his skills in the previous year.
On 26 December 1919, Wells lost to the accomplished English boxer Ted "Kid" Lewis in twelve of twenty rounds at Royal Albert Hall in Kensington. Lewis and Charley White became the only two boxers in Welles's career to stop him before the end of a fight. Taking a serious beating, Wells's face was cut badly and his nose was broken, before he gave up the unequal struggle in the twelfth.
He was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

Professional boxing record (incomplete)

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
34Loss20–12–2 Lockport Jimmy DuffyPTS10May 25, 1917 Hamilton
33Loss20–11–2 Charley WhiteTKO5 Jul 11, 1916 Boston
32Loss20–10–2 Johnny DundeePTS15May 16, 1916 Arena, Boston
31Win20–9–2 Eddie MurphyPTS15Apr 18, 1916 Armory, Boston
30Loss19–9–2 Charley WhitePTS15Apr 06, 1916 Kansas City
29Win19–8–2 Charley WhitePTS12Jan 04, 1916 Hippodrome, Boston
28Loss18–8–2 Johnny DundeePTS12Dec 10, 1915 Italian Riverside Club, New Haven
27Loss18–7–2 Mike GloverPTS12Jun 01, 1915 Arena, BostonLost lineal welterweight title
26Loss18–6–2 Johnny BashamPTS15Mar 22, 1915 London Opera House, Kingsway
25Win18–5–2 Gus PlattsPTS15Jan 21, 1915 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool
24Win17–5–2 Young NipperPTS15Oct 12, 1914 The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark
23Win16–5–2 Tom McCormickPTS20Mar 21, 1914 Sydney Stadium, SydneyWon lineal welterweight title
22Win15–5–2 Ray BronsonTKO7 Feb 28, 1914 Sydney Stadium, Sydney
21Loss14–5–2 Herb McCoyPTS20Jan 17, 1914 Sydney Stadium, Sydney
20Loss14–4–2 Harry StonePTS20Nov 29, 1913 Sydney Stadium, Sydney
19Loss14–3–2 Hughie MeheganPTS20Nov 03, 1913 West Melbourne Stadium, Melbourne
18Win14–2–2 Owen MoranPTS20Sep 27, 1913 Sydney Stadium, Sydney
17Win13–2–2 Hughie MeheganPTS20Aug 09, 1913 Sydney Stadium, Sydney
16Win12–2–2 Hughie MeheganPTS20Feb 24, 1913 National Sporting Club, Covent Garden
15Win11–2–2 Johnny BashamKO7 Dec 26, 1912 Theatre, Swansea
14Loss10–2–2 Freddie WelshPTS20Nov 11, 1912 National Sporting Club, Covent GardenLost EBU lightweight title
13Loss10–1–2 Hughie MeheganDQ14 Sep 16, 1912 National Sporting Club, Covent Garden
12Win10–0–2 Billy DonovanKO5 Oct 05, 1911 Olympic B.C., Toronto
11Win9–0–2 Philadelphia Pal MoorePTS12Jun 24, 1911 Armory A.A., Boston
10Win8–0–2 Philadelphia Pal MoorePTS12Jun 24, 1911 Armory A.A., Boston
9Win7–0–2 Freddie WelshPTS20Feb 27, 1911 National Sporting Club, Covent GardenWon EBU lightweight title
8Win6–0–2 Jimmy HowardDQ9 Sep 13, 1910 Fairmont A.C., Bronx
7Draw5–0–2 Young NipperPTS6Apr 14, 1910 King's Hall, London Road, Southwark
6Win5–0–1 Jack TurnerPTS20Mar 14, 1910 Wonderland, Whitechapel Road, Mile End
5Win4–0–1 Sid StaggPTS10Feb 19, 1910 Wonderland, Whitechapel Road, Mile End
4Draw3–0–1 Dick LeePTS6Jan 10, 1910 The Empire, Holborn
3Win3–0 Gunner HartPTS6Jan 01, 1910 Surrey Music Hall, Southwark
2Win2–0 Bob RussellPTS10Dec 20, 1909 The King's Hall, London Road, Walworth
1Win1–0 Battling LacroixPTS10Nov 01, 1909 King's Hall, London Road

Major titles