Via Ken Hissner: Too many times the heavyweight division gets the most attention. Back in 1911, the tiniest man from Tylorstown, Wales, UK, a 19-year-old named Jimmy “The Mighty Atom” Wilde, turned pro.
At 5’2 ½, Wilde went on to become the best flyweight in boxing history ending his career with a record of 137-4-1 with 98 saves.
After an unbelievable start, Wilde went 94-0-1 losing his first game to Tancy Lee, 17-1 by TKO 16 of 20 scheduled rounds at National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, UK, in October 2015.
In June 1916, Wilde defeated Lee in 11 rounds.
In Wilde’s previous game, he defended his England title, stopping Sid Smith, 66-10-4, for nine rounds at Liverpool Stadium, Merseyside, Liverpool, UK.
Wilde will win the next thirty-three games before suffering a second defeat to the NWS10 to “Little” Jackie Sharkey, 31-34-11, Italian-born, from New York, as determined by the Milwaukee Journal. . It was Wilde’s US debut. That’s how things were decided at the time.
Five fights later, in four wins, Wilde, 131-2-1, beat Frankie Mason, 109-15-39, to claim the World Flyweight title, at the Coliseum, in Toledo, Ohio, over 12 rounds.
Wilde will win his next ten matches before losing to Pete “Kid” Herman, 87-27-13, stopping in 17 rounds in London after being away from the UK for twelve years, at Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London, UK. In his next and final match, he lost the world championship, stopped by Pancho Villa, 66-6-3, at the Polo Grounds, in New York, in June 1923 .
Some of Wilde’s most notable wins were against Memphis Pal Moore, 87-17-8, over 20 rounds. Against Harry Brooks, 41-17-6, Wilde blocked him for 9 innings. At National AC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, KO2 overcame Battling Al Murray, 48-23-13, in 2 rounds, for the second time. In the previous two games, he stopped Murray for eight rounds at the Athletes’ Club in Camden, New Jersey.
Weighing over 20 pounds, Wilde stopped Joe Conn, 64-16-7, knocking him out a total of 13 times, including three times in the eleventh round and four times in the twelfth and final round. This is at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea, London, UK.
Another win for Wilde was overtaking Johnny Hughes, 113-63-22, stopping him for 10 rounds to win the European and British EBU titles. Another was a knockout in 3 rounds ahead of Sid Smith, 69-13-6.
Wilde stopped Joe Symonds, 59-9-6, for 12 rounds. He stopped Sam Kellar, 80-34-25, for 8 innings. He stopped Tommy Noble, 38-11-6, for 15 innings. He defeated Darkey Saunders, 28-9-1, and Billy Young Padden, 23-8-3, to win the British title.
Wilder was inducted into IBHOF.
