Jimmy Wilde
William James Wilde (15 May 1892 – 10 March 1969) 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.
Jimmy Wilde | |
|---|---|
| Born | William James Wilde 15 May 1892 Quakers Yard, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales |
| Died | 10 March 1969 (aged 76) Whitchurch, Cardiff, Wales |
| Nationality | Welsh |
| Other names |
|
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Flyweight |
| Height | 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) |
| Reach | 66 in (168 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 150 |
| Wins | 137 |
| Wins by KO | 99 |
| Losses | 4 |
| Draws | 1 |
| No contests | 8 |
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.
In addition to his professional career, Wilde participated in 151 bouts judged as newspaper decisions. Of these, the results were seven wins and a single loss, with 143 being declared as no decisions. Wilde has the third longest recorded unbeaten streak in boxing history, having gone 92–0–1. Behind Packey McFarland, who went 106–1–6 losing only his 9th fight and going another 104 unbeaten, and behind Young Griffo, who was 7–1–3 early on and bringing his record up to 79–1–38 going 107 fights unbeaten.