Jimmy Wilde - The Greatest Boxer of All Time.

[Mickey Rourke]

131 wins
99 Knockouts.

legend has it that he actually fought 800 fights.

You can all shove your Ali's and Robinson's

[JAB5239]

131 wins
99 Knockouts.

legend has it that he actually fought 800 fights.

You can all shove your Ali's and Robinson's

As much as I respect Wilde's accomplishments, legends aren't facts. Both Ali and Robinson beat better fighters.

[LondonRingRules]

As much as I respect Wilde's accomplishments, legends aren't facts. Both Ali and Robinson beat better fighters.

** Ranking greatness akin to estimating the number of angels who can dance on the head of a pin. The poster chose a rather unfortunate style to boost his fighter instead of providing elucidation.

Ali and most especially Robby storied amateurs before turning pro, but Wilde grew up much more impoverished with much less opportunities. Little guys like him, esp if they are British, more esp if they are Welsh, tend to get pushed aside, pushed even more so when they look like Casper the Friendly Ghost, but Wilde had a significant Kid Blackie styled career before turning pro.

Reminds me of Vic Darchinyan in style, danger, and willingness to fight the best he could. Ran up an undefeated ring record of 92-0-2 before being first derailed and precious few fighters with more KOs. Here's a nice link: http://www.johnnyowen.com/jimmy_wilde.html

[Southpaw16BF]

Wilde was a hell of a fighter and a true freak of nature.

Wilde was born 15th May, 1892 in Quakers Yard, Merthyr Tydfil. At the age of twelve his family moved to Tylorstown, Rhondda where Jimmy began his working life in the coal mines there. Working in the coal mines built up Wilde's amazing strength for he never weighed more than 108 pounds for any of his fights (his usual weight being around 100 pounds - he never made 8 stone in his boxing career). His physical appearance was extremely deceptive, although so small, pale and frail looking Jimmy Wilde possessed immense courage, blindingly fast hands, knowledge of his chosen art, a punch that many feather/lightweights would envy and perfect timing -using his opponents momentum against them. Pound for pound he is undisputedly one of the most devastating punchers ever to grace a boxing ring, the greatest flyweight of all time and quite possibly the greatest fighter of all time.

At the age of 16 Jimmy began fighting in boxing booths. It is estimated that he fought anywhere in the region of between 500 - 1000 fights when including the bouts he engaged in during these boxing booth days. The booth fights would hone Jimmy's skills and begin his legendary status. For he fought hundreds of opponents, mostly all of which were several stones (1 stone = 14lbs) heavier than himself, and indeed fought as many as 25 opponents in one day!! For a day in the boxing booths Jimmy could earn the equivalent to a weeks wages in the coal mines.

Jimmy's wife didnt want him to box, but times were hard and money was hard to get, so Wilde has little choice. After building a fantastic reputation for himself in the boxing booths of Wales, Jimmy had his first professional contest against Les Williams in a three round no decision. He then embarked on a series of wins that would later establish him as a legend of the fight game. Notable victories - and there were many - included an eighteenth round knockout of Billy Padden to take the British 98lb championship, a 6 round K.O. of Frenchman Eugene Husson and wins over world title claimants Sid Smith and Joe Symonds (Symonds had previously beaten Percy Jones - the first Welshman to claim a world title). Wilde remained unbeaten for four years and a total of 101 fights ! (including no decisions).They came, they saw and in the vast majority of cases they were knocked out.

Wilde's first ever defeat was to Scotland's Tancy Lee. Wilde tasted defeat for the first time after his corner threw in the towel in the 17th roun. Wilde had been ill just prior to the fight and was exhausted when his corner threw the towel in to signal the end of the contest. Afterward Jimmy instructed his corner to NEVER throw the towel in again - no matter what. Tancy Lee had stayed away from Wilde's power punches while landing his own and establishing his dominance. Jimmy did not fight for four months after this defeat, by his own standards this was an extraordinary length of time.

Once back in the ring he returned to his winning ways. 19 contests brought 19 wins before Wilde finally got Tancy Lee to face him again. There was to be no repeat win for the Scotsman as the Welsh 'Mighty Atom' scored repeatedly with devastating body punches to end the fight in eleven rounds, thereby avenging his earlier defeat and taking the British & European flyweight titles.

During the run of 19 wins Jimmy had met and beaten Joe Symonds, for the second time, by way of a 12th round K.O. At the time, 1916, Symonds was regarded in Britain as the World Flyweight Champion. Another claimant to the World flyweight title was Johnny Rosner, but he too succumbed to the power of the 'Mighty Atom' as he was defeated in eleven rounds. However, Jimmy was still not universally recognised as World Champion until later that same year

Jimmy Wilde's destiny was fulfilled when on 18th December 1916 he became the first officially recognised World Flyweight Champion by defeating Young Zulu Kid, of America. Zulu Kid was 3 inches shorter than Wilde and could not match his speed and power, resulting in a battering for the 11 rounds the contest lasted.

During the First World War, Jimmy Wilde served as a Sergeant Instructor fighting professionally only twice in 1917 and three times in 1918. One of these fights was against Joe Conn, who was the leading contender for the British featherweight title. Putting on a tremendous performance Jimmy ko'd his featherweight opponent in twelve rounds. His first contest after the Great War was against Joe Lynch who took a hammering for 15 rounds before Jimmy was declared the points winner. Joe Lynch later went on to beat Pete Herman to become World Bantamweight Champion.

Wilde went to America in 1919, and for almost a year, he toured the States beating an assortment of mainly much heavier opponents. The Americans grew to love Wilde and to this day he is revered by fight fans Stateside. Gene Tunney said of Jimmy Wilde, "He is the greatest fighter I ever saw". In 1959 Jimmy Wilde was inducted into the American Boxing Hall of Fame.

By 1921, Jimmy Wilde was 28 years old, had fought in hundreds of contests (possibly up to a thousand including booth fights) against bigger men and had held his world title for four years. Now he was to suffer only his third defeat (in 128 fights) when matched in a non-title fight against Pete Herman, who weighed in at 121 pounds to Jimmy's 108 pounds.

Herman, had lost his World Bantamweight title in his last contest. A rumour circulating was that Herman did not want to risk his title against the incomparable Welshman; but was confident of winning it back upon returning to America. Pete Herman was an accomplished, clever boxer who also packed quite a punch. The weight difference for once was a telling factor against Wilde. Although he had built up a substantial points lead by taking the fight to Herman it was obvious that Wilde was no longer the force of old, quite simply the bigger man was proving too much for Wilde in the latter rounds. Round seventeen saw Jimmy visit the canvas twice prompting the referee to step in to halt the fight.

Pete Herman, did indeed go on to regain the World Bantamweight title.

Young Jennings was beaten by Wilde for the third time the following month but now the accumulation of so many fights were taking their toll on the brilliant Welsh boxer resulting in his retirement for over 2 years.

Return to the ring
With the prospect of a big pay day (£13,000) Wilde returned to the ring in 1923 to defend his world title against Francisco Guilledo, of the Philippines - who boxed under the name of Pancho Villa. The fight took place at the Polo Grounds, New York. Jimmy Wilde was a 31 year old champion of over six years standing but was now in serious decline, about to face a 22 year old, hard punching, all action type of fighter in Villa.

The fight was over in 7 rounds with Wilde taking a fierce hammering from the youthful challenger. At the bell to end the second round Wilde dropped his arms and turned to go to his corner when Villa landed with a heavy blow to the champion's jaw. Though badly concussed Wilde came out for the third round - clearly in no fit state to continue. The Mighty Atom fought bravely on; but now the odds were insurmountable for the incomparable little Welshman. Round after round Villa punished Wilde; but Jimmy would not give up. Displaying immense courage Jimmy Wilde battled on until finally, unable to see out of either eye and with his face a bloody mess he was counted out in the seventh.

Jimmy Wilde had fought one of the greatest battles ever witnessed in a championship fight. Not surprisingly he announced his retirement from the ring after the Villa loss, only his fourth defeat in 149 contests.

(Also interesting to note that Wilde nearly had to have his leg cut off, after a accident in the mines)

[Southpaw16BF]

Quotes on Wilde

Bob Mee

Jimmy Wilde cut a pale, waif like figure, and conceded weight even to flyweights. He was fast and extremely difficult to hit and had a repertoire of precise, stinging punches that accounted for 99 of his official 145 opponents inside the distance

McCallum wrote in his Encyclopedia of World Boxing Champions

"Jimmy's appearance was bellying, for he punched harder, with incredible speed and accuracy than most lightweights. He was not at all intimidated by bigger men."

Historian Gilbert Odd

“He was a completely unorthodox fighter, with a persistent attacking style, carrying his gloves on a level with his hips. Weaving and bobbing as he came in, he would trap an opponent against the ropes or in a corner and then let loose a stream of shock punches.”

R.A. Haldane stated, Champions and Challengers

"His speed, timing, power of punch and technique, coupled with his tremendous fighting heart and courage were never doubted. His most unusual asset was what has been described as a sixth sense, the ability to anticipate his opponent's next move and beat him to it."

British sportswriter R.B Cozens said, Ring Jan. 1941,

“Wilde’s strength and hitting power considering his size was simply amazing. He was a highly skilled boxer and his power of punches was almost magical. Wilde always believed in avoiding tactics that would reduce his stamina, hence instead of blocking the blows of his opponents, he had a knack of sidestepping an inch or two when the delivery was made and invariably got out of their range. His sense of distance was uncanny. He could stand in range of a blow when it started but when an opponent let it loose a little jerk of his head and the punch landed in space
“Always on his toes, his body executing a wavelike motion, his gloves resting on his hips without a semblance of a guard, his knees slightly bent, he proved a bewildering subject for an opponent. He always kept his man guessing, feinted him into knots and then connected with his terrific right, said to be the heaviest punch ever delivered by a fellow of his weight. These are the qualities which Jimmy Wilde possessed and which enabled him to take his rank among the truly great-the Supermen."

Hype Igoe stated, NY World July 18, 1923,

“A mite of a man, winning his title when he weighed only 98 pounds, Jimmy Wilde has deserved all the praise heaped upon him in the way of idolatry. No English fighter has come close to matching his record from the days of Tom Figg until now. Few men of his size have ever stood up to his walloping.”

Gene Tunney

“Jimmy was the greatest fighter I ever saw''

Both Nat Fleischer and Charley Rose rate Jimmy Wilde as the # 1 all time Flyweight. Herbert Goldman also rated Wilde # 1 in 1987

[Southpaw16BF]

Film Of Wilde

[Southpaw16BF]

Pictures Of Wilde

[RightCross94]

Pictures Of Wilde

Even though he was so small, you can see how he possessed that strength and explosion, he looks strong and tough, and you can see how working in mines etc sculpted and developed his strength

[GJC]

The legend was that Herman came in at over the agreed weight for the bout and The Prince of Wales who had come to watch the fight convinced a reluctant Wilde to take the fight. Don't know whether it is true but have heard that story from a number of sources.

[sonnyboyx2]

131 wins
99 Knockouts.

legend has it that he actually fought 800 fights.

You can all shove your Ali's and Robinson's

a huge majority of Jimmy Wilde`s fights was Fairground Booth fights, where he fought guys with no experience..

yet there is no doubt that Jimmy Wilde was a phenomenal fighter