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Mat Wells | |
---|---|
![]() Wells in 1911 as Lightweight Champ | |
Born | (1886-12-14)14 December 1886 Walworth, London |
Died | 27 June 1953(1953-06-27) (aged 66) London, England |
Statistics | |
Weight(s) | Lightweight Welterweight |
Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) |
Stance | Orthodox |
Boxing record | |
Total fights | 86 |
Wins | 50 |
Wins by, KO | 7 |
Losses | 30 |
Draws | 3 |
No contests | 3 |
Matthew Wells (14 December 1886 β 27 June 1953) was a British professional boxer in the: lightweight and welterweight divisions. In 1911, he held theββLightweight Championship of Great Britain, and in 1914 he claimed the Welterweight Championship of Britain and the "Welterweight Championship of the World."
Biographyβ»
He was born in Walworth, London on 4 December 1886. And died in London on 27 June 1953.
Amateur careerβ»
During his amateur career, he held the Amateur Boxing Association British featherweight title, when boxing out of the Lynn ABC, "from 1904 to 1907."
Competing in the Olympicsβ»
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 careerβ»
1911 British titleβ»
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/FreddieWelshHeadshot1920s.jpg/180px-FreddieWelshHeadshot1920s.jpg)
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 (European Boxing Union) 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.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Abe_Attell_LOC.jpg/180px-Abe_Attell_LOC.jpg)
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/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.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d7/Tom_McCormickboxer.jpg/165px-Tom_McCormickboxer.jpg)
1914 title winsβ»
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.
1919 title fightβ»
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 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.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Ted_Kid_Lewis.jpg/180px-Ted_Kid_Lewis.jpg)
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 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 recordβ»
All information in this section is: derived from BoxRec, unless otherwise stated.
Official recordβ»
85 fights | 31 wins | 18 losses |
---|---|---|
By knockout | 7 | 2 |
By decision | 22 | 14 |
By disqualification | 2 | 2 |
Draws | 2 | |
No contests | 3 | |
Newspaper decisions/draws | 31 |
All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as βno decisionβ bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column.
No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
86 | Win | 31β18β2 (35) | Jack Hart | PTS | 15 | May 12, 1922 | Premierland, Whitechapel, London, England | |
85 | Win | 30β18β2 (35) | Stanley Glen | PTS | 15 | Apr 17, 1922 | Tredegar Road Drill Hall, Bow, London, England | |
84 | Loss | 29β18β2 (35) | Ted Moore | PTS | 15 | Dec 29, 1921 | Premierland, Whitechapel, London, England | |
83 | Win | 29β17β2 (35) | Clement Carlos | TKO | 13 (15) | Oct 31, 1921 | National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, England | |
82 | Loss | 28β17β2 (35) | Seaman Nobby Hall | PTS | 15 | Aug 31, 1921 | Cosmopolitan Gymnasium, Plymouth, Devon, England | |
81 | Win | 28β16β2 (35) | Joe Davis | TKO | 10 (15) | Dec 11, 1920 | The Dome, Brighton, Sussex, England | |
80 | Win | 27β16β2 (35) | Kid Plested | KO | 6 (15) | Nov 27, 1920 | Tyneside Stadium, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England | |
79 | Loss | 26β16β2 (35) | Ted Moore | DQ | 13 (20) | Aug 7, 1920 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England | |
78 | Win | 26β15β2 (35) | Joe Attwood | TKO | 5 (20) | Jun 26, 1920 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England | |
77 | Win | 25β15β2 (35) | Gus Platts | PTS | 20 | Jun 12, 1920 | Pheasant Inn Grounds, Carbrook, Yorkshire, England | |
76 | Win | 24β15β2 (35) | Fred Newberry | PTS | 20 | Jun 4, 1920 | The Peoples' Palace, Mile End, London, England | |
75 | Win | 23β15β2 (35) | Bermondsey Billy Wells | DQ | 15 (20) | May 8, 1920 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England | Billy Wells disqualified for butting Matt Wells in the stomach |
74 | Loss | 22β15β2 (35) | Ted Moore | PTS | 20 | Apr 24, 1920 | Palace Theatre, Plymouth, Devon, England | |
73 | Loss | 22β14β2 (35) | Phil Bloom | PTS | 15 | Mar 18, 1920 | Holborn Stadium, Holborn, London, England | |
72 | Loss | 22β13β2 (35) | Ted Kid Lewis | RTD | 12 (20) | Dec 26, 1919 | Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London, England | |
71 | Loss | 22β12β2 (35) | Johnny Basham | PTS | 20 | Nov 13, 1919 | Holborn Stadium, Holborn, London, England | For Commonwealth and BBBofC British welterweight titles |
70 | Win | 22β11β2 (35) | Kid Carter | PTS | 20 | Oct 20, 1919 | National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, England | |
69 | Win | 21β11β2 (35) | Harlem Eddie Kelly | PTS | 12 | Oct 29, 1917 | 20th Century A.C., Pittsfield, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
68 | Win | 20β11β2 (35) | Young Maxwell | DQ | 4 (?) | Oct 9, 1917 | Albany, New York, U.S. | Some sources have this has a TKO win in four for Wells while a few other sources have Wells losing by DQ in four |
67 | NC | 19β11β2 (35) | Charley White | NC | 9 (10) | Oct 5, 1917 | Arena, Syracuse, New York, U.S. | Bout stopped due to stalling |
66 | Win | 19β11β2 (34) | Frankie Nelson | NWS | 10 | Sep 28, 1917 | Arena, Syracuse, New York, U.S. | |
65 | Loss | 19β11β2 (33) | Bryan Downey | NWS | 12 | Sep 17, 1917 | Coliseum, Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | |
64 | Loss | 19β11β2 (32) | Bryan Downey | NWS | 10 | Aug 27, 1917 | Airdome A.C., Rochester, New York, U.S. | |
63 | Win | 19β11β2 (31) | Kid Curley | NWS | 10 | Jun 19, 1917 | Urban Liberty Park, Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
62 | Win | 19β11β2 (30) | Phil Bloom | NWS | 10 | Jun 16, 1917 | Broadway S.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
61 | Win | 19β11β2 (29) | Walter Mohr | NWS | 10 | Jun 11, 1917 | Airdome A.C., Rochester, New York, U.S. | |
60 | Loss | 19β11β2 (28) | Lockport Jimmy Duffy | PTS | 10 | May 25, 1917 | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | |
59 | Win | 19β11β2 (27) | Walter Mohr | NWS | 10 | May 1, 1917 | National S.C., Albany, New York, U.S. | |
58 | Loss | 19β11β2 (26) | Lockport Jimmy Duffy | NWS | 10 | Apr 10, 1917 | Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
57 | Loss | 19β11β2 (25) | Charley White | TKO | 5 (12) | Jul 11, 1916 | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
56 | Loss | 19β10β2 (25) | Frankie Mack | NWS | 10 | Jun 9, 1916 | Genesee Arena, Rochester, New York, U.S. | |
55 | Loss | 19β10β2 (24) | Johnny Dundee | PTS | 12 | May 16, 1916 | Armory, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
54 | Win | 19β9β2 (24) | Eddie Murphy | PTS | 12 | Apr 18, 1916 | Armory, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
53 | Loss | 18β9β2 (24) | Charley White | PTS | 15 | Apr 6, 1916 | Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | |
52 | Loss | 18β8β2 (24) | Charley White | NWS | 10 | Mar 20, 1916 | Broadway A.C., Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
51 | Loss | 18β8β2 (23) | Johnny Griffiths | NWS | 12 | Feb 29, 1916 | Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | |
50 | Win | 18β8β2 (22) | Charley White | PTS | 12 | Jan 4, 1916 | Hippodrome, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
49 | Loss | 17β8β2 (22) | Johnny Dundee | PTS | 12 | Dec 10, 1915 | Italian Riverside Club, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. | |
48 | Loss | 17β7β2 (22) | Johnny Griffiths | NWS | 12 | Nov 29, 1915 | Akron, Ohio, U.S. | |
47 | Loss | 17β7β2 (21) | Steve Latzo | NWS | 6 | Nov 25, 1915 | Olympia A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
46 | Win | 17β7β2 (20) | Young Abe Brown | NWS | 10 | Nov 19, 1915 | Harlem S.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
45 | Win | 17β7β2 (19) | Charley White | NWS | 10 | Oct 29, 1915 | Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. | |
44 | Win | 17β7β2 (18) | Willie Schaefer | NWS | 10 | Aug 7, 1915 | Fairmont A.C., Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
43 | Draw | 17β7β2 (17) | Young Neil | NWS | 10 | Jul 13, 1915 | Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
42 | Loss | 17β7β2 (16) | Mike Glover | PTS | 12 | Jun 1, 1915 | Arena (Atlas A.A.), Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Lost world welterweight title |
41 | Loss | 17β6β2 (16) | Johnny Basham | PTS | 15 | Mar 22, 1915 | London Opera House, Kingsway, London, England | |
40 | Win | 17β5β2 (16) | Gus Platts | PTS | 15 | Jan 21, 1915 | Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England | |
39 | Win | 16β5β2 (16) | Young Nipper | PTS | 15 | Oct 12, 1914 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England | |
38 | Win | 15β5β2 (16) | Tom McCormick | PTS | 20 | Mar 21, 1914 | Sydney Stadium, Sydney, Australia | Won Commonwealth, BBBofC British, and world welterweight titles |
37 | Win | 14β5β2 (16) | Ray Bronson | TKO | 7 (20) | Feb 28, 1914 | Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |
36 | Loss | 13β5β2 (16) | Herb McCoy | PTS | 20 | Jan 17, 1914 | Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |
35 | Loss | 13β4β2 (16) | Harry Stone | PTS | 20 | Nov 29, 1913 | Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |
34 | Loss | 13β3β2 (16) | Hughie Mehegan | PTS | 20 | Nov 3, 1913 | West Melbourne Stadium, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | For Australian lightweight title |
33 | Win | 13β2β2 (16) | Owen Moran | PTS | 20 | Sep 27, 1913 | Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |
32 | Win | 12β2β2 (16) | Hughie Mehegan | PTS | 20 | Aug 9, 1913 | Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |
31 | Win | 11β2β2 (16) | Hughie Mehegan | PTS | 20 | Feb 24, 1913 | National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, England | |
30 | Win | 10β2β2 (16) | Johnny Basham | KO | 7 (15) | Dec 26, 1912 | Theatre, Swansea, Wales | |
29 | Loss | 9β2β2 (16) | Freddie Welsh | PTS | 20 | Nov 11, 1912 | National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, England | Lost IBU and NSC lightweight titles |
28 | Loss | 9β1β2 (16) | Hughie Mehegan | DQ | 14 (20) | Sep 16, 1912 | National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, England | |
27 | Loss | 9β0β2 (16) | Bobby Wilson | NWS | 10 | Jun 7, 1912 | Oneida County A.A., Utica, New York, U.S. | |
26 | Win | 9β0β2 (15) | Young Abe Brown | NWS | 10 | Jun 5, 1912 | Royale A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
25 | Loss | 9β0β2 (14) | Packey McFarland | NWS | 10 | Apr 26, 1912 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
24 | Win | 9β0β2 (13) | Billy Donovan | KO | 5 (10) | Oct 5, 1911 | Olympic B.C., Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Retained world lightweight title claim |
23 | Win | 8β0β2 (13) | Abe Attell | NWS | 10 | Sep 20, 1911 | Madison A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
22 | Win | 8β0β2 (12) | Knockout Brown | NWS | 10 | Aug 30, 1911 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
21 | Win | 8β0β2 (11) | Willie Moody | NWS | 6 | Jul 28, 1911 | Fairhill S.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
20 | Win | 8β0β2 (10) | Dick Hyland | NWS | 10 | Jul 19, 1911 | Albany, New York, U.S. | |
19 | Win | 8β0β2 (9) | Philadelphia Pal Moore | PTS | 12 | Jun 24, 1911 | Armory A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
18 | Win | 7β0β2 (9) | Leach Cross | NWS | 10 | Jun 2, 1911 | Harlem River Casino, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
17 | Win | 7β0β2 (8) | Freddie Welsh | PTS | 20 | Feb 27, 1911 | National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, England | Won IBU and NSC British lightweight titles |
16 | Win | 6β0β2 (8) | Jimmy Howard | DQ | 9 (10) | Sep 13, 1910 | Fairmont A.C., Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
15 | Loss | 5β0β2 (8) | Paddy Sullivan | NWS | 10 | Aug 8, 1910 | Olympia Boxing Club, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
13 | Win | 5β0β2 (6) | Johnny Dohan | NWS | 10 | Jul 19, 1910 | Fairmont A.C., New York, U.S. | |
12 | Win | 5β0β2 (5) | Nick Muller | NWS | 8 | Jul 8, 1910 | Combine A.C., Yonkers, New York, U.S. | |
11 | Win | 5β0β2 (4) | Billy Leary | NWS | 10 | Jul 5, 1910 | Yonkers, New York, U.S. | |
10 | Win | 5β0β2 (3) | Charley Lawrence | NWS | 10 | Jun 28, 1910 | Fairmont A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
9 | Win | 5β0β2 (2) | Mark Anderson | NWS | 10 | May 25, 1910 | Yonkers, New York, U.S. | |
8 | Win | 5β0β2 (1) | Smiling Eddie Kelly | NWS | 8 | May 5, 1910 | Combine A.C., Yonkers, New York, U.S. | |
7 | Draw | 5β0β2 | Young Nipper | PTS | 6 | Apr 14, 1910 | King's Hall, London Road, Southwark, London, England | |
6 | Win | 5β0β1 | Jack Turner | PTS | 20 | Mar 14, 1910 | Wonderland, Whitechapel Road, Mile End, London, England | |
5 | Win | 4β0β1 | Sid Stagg | PTS | 10 | Feb 19, 1910 | Wonderland, Whitechapel Road, Mile End, London, England | |
4 | Draw | 3β0β1 | Dick Lee | PTS | 6 | Jan 10, 1910 | The Empire, Holborn, London, England | |
3 | Win | 3β0 | Gunner Hart | PTS | 6 | Jan 1, 1910 | Surrey Music Hall, Southwark, London, England | |
2 | Win | 2β0 | Bob Russell | PTS | 10 | Dec 20, 1909 | The King's Hall, London Road, Walworth, England | |
1 | Win | 1β0 | Battling Lacroix | PTS | 10 | Nov 1, 1909 | King's Hall, London Road, London, England |
Unofficial recordβ»
86 fights | 51 wins | 30 losses |
---|---|---|
By knockout | 7 | 2 |
By decision | 42 | 26 |
By disqualification | 2 | 2 |
Draws | 3 | |
No contests | 2 |
Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw column.
No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
86 | Win | 51β30β3 (2) | Jack Hart | PTS | 15 | May 12, 1922 | Premierland, Whitechapel, London, England | |
85 | Win | 50β30β3 (2) | Stanley Glen | PTS | 15 | Apr 17, 1922 | Tredegar Road Drill Hall, Bow, London, England | |
84 | Loss | 49β30β3 (2) | Ted Moore | PTS | 15 | Dec 29, 1921 | Premierland, Whitechapel, London, England | |
83 | Win | 49β29β3 (2) | Clement Carlos | TKO | 13 (15) | Oct 31, 1921 | National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, England | |
82 | Loss | 48β29β3 (2) | Seaman Nobby Hall | PTS | 15 | Aug 31, 1921 | Cosmopolitan Gymnasium, Plymouth, Devon, England | |
81 | Win | 48β28β3 (2) | Joe Davis | TKO | 10 (15) | Dec 11, 1920 | The Dome, Brighton, Sussex, England | |
80 | Win | 47β28β3 (2) | Kid Plested | KO | 6 (15) | Nov 27, 1920 | Tyneside Stadium, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England | |
79 | Loss | 46β28β3 (2) | Ted Moore | DQ | 13 (20) | Aug 7, 1920 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England | |
78 | Win | 46β27β3 (2) | Joe Attwood | TKO | 5 (20) | Jun 26, 1920 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England | |
77 | Win | 45β27β3 (2) | Gus Platts | PTS | 20 | Jun 12, 1920 | Pheasant Inn Grounds, Carbrook, Yorkshire, England | |
76 | Win | 44β27β3 (2) | Fred Newberry | PTS | 20 | Jun 4, 1920 | The Peoples' Palace, Mile End, London, England | |
75 | Win | 43β27β3 (2) | Bermondsey Billy Wells | DQ | 15 (20) | May 8, 1920 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England | Billy Wells disqualified for butting Matt Wells in the stomach |
74 | Loss | 42β27β3 (2) | Ted Moore | PTS | 20 | Apr 24, 1920 | Palace Theatre, Plymouth, Devon, England | |
73 | Loss | 42β26β3 (2) | Phil Bloom | PTS | 15 | Mar 18, 1920 | Holborn Stadium, Holborn, London, England | |
72 | Loss | 42β25β3 (2) | Ted Kid Lewis | RTD | 12 (20) | Dec 26, 1919 | Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London, England | |
71 | Loss | 42β24β3 (2) | Johnny Basham | PTS | 20 | Nov 13, 1919 | Holborn Stadium, Holborn, London, England | For Commonwealth and BBBofC British welterweight titles |
70 | Win | 42β23β3 (2) | Kid Carter | PTS | 20 | Oct 20, 1919 | National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, England | |
69 | Win | 41β23β3 (2) | Harlem Eddie Kelly | PTS | 12 | Oct 29, 1917 | 20th Century A.C., Pittsfield, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
68 | Win | 40β23β3 (2) | Young Maxwell | DQ | 4 (?) | Oct 9, 1917 | Albany, New York, U.S. | Some sources have this has a TKO win in four for Wells while a few other sources have Wells losing by DQ in four |
67 | NC | 39β23β3 (2) | Charley White | NC | 9 (10) | Oct 5, 1917 | Arena, Syracuse, New York, U.S. | Bout stopped due to stalling |
66 | Win | 39β23β3 (1) | Frankie Nelson | NWS | 10 | Sep 28, 1917 | Arena, Syracuse, New York, U.S. | |
65 | Loss | 38β23β3 (1) | Bryan Downey | NWS | 12 | Sep 17, 1917 | Coliseum, Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | |
64 | Loss | 38β22β3 (1) | Bryan Downey | NWS | 10 | Aug 27, 1917 | Airdome A.C., Rochester, New York, U.S. | |
63 | Win | 38β21β3 (1) | Kid Curley | NWS | 10 | Jun 19, 1917 | Urban Liberty Park, Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
62 | Win | 37β21β3 (1) | Phil Bloom | NWS | 10 | Jun 16, 1917 | Broadway S.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
61 | Win | 36β21β3 (1) | Walter Mohr | NWS | 10 | Jun 11, 1917 | Airdome A.C., Rochester, New York, U.S. | |
60 | Loss | 35β21β3 (1) | Lockport Jimmy Duffy | PTS | 10 | May 25, 1917 | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | |
59 | Win | 35β20β3 (1) | Walter Mohr | NWS | 10 | May 1, 1917 | National S.C., Albany, New York, U.S. | |
58 | Loss | 34β20β3 (1) | Lockport Jimmy Duffy | NWS | 10 | Apr 10, 1917 | Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
57 | Loss | 34β19β3 (1) | Charley White | TKO | 5 (12) | Jul 11, 1916 | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
56 | Loss | 34β18β3 (1) | Frankie Mack | NWS | 10 | Jun 9, 1916 | Genesee Arena, Rochester, New York, U.S. | |
55 | Loss | 34β17β3 (1) | Johnny Dundee | PTS | 12 | May 16, 1916 | Armory, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
54 | Win | 34β16β3 (1) | Eddie Murphy | PTS | 12 | Apr 18, 1916 | Armory, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
53 | Loss | 33β16β3 (1) | Charley White | PTS | 15 | Apr 6, 1916 | Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | |
52 | Loss | 33β15β3 (1) | Charley White | NWS | 10 | Mar 20, 1916 | Broadway A.C., Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
51 | Loss | 33β14β3 (1) | Johnny Griffiths | NWS | 12 | Feb 29, 1916 | Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | |
50 | Win | 33β13β3 (1) | Charley White | PTS | 12 | Jan 4, 1916 | Hippodrome, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
49 | Loss | 32β13β3 (1) | Johnny Dundee | PTS | 12 | Dec 10, 1915 | Italian Riverside Club, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. | |
48 | Loss | 32β12β3 (1) | Johnny Griffiths | NWS | 12 | Nov 29, 1915 | Akron, Ohio, U.S. | |
47 | Loss | 32β11β3 (1) | Steve Latzo | NWS | 6 | Nov 25, 1915 | Olympia A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
46 | Win | 32β10β3 (1) | Young Abe Brown | NWS | 10 | Nov 19, 1915 | Harlem S.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
45 | Win | 31β10β3 (1) | Charley White | NWS | 10 | Oct 29, 1915 | Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. | |
44 | Win | 30β10β3 (1) | Willie Schaefer | NWS | 10 | Aug 7, 1915 | Fairmont A.C., Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
43 | Draw | 29β10β3 (1) | Young Neil | NWS | 10 | Jul 13, 1915 | Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
42 | Loss | 29β10β2 (1) | Mike Glover | PTS | 12 | Jun 1, 1915 | Arena (Atlas A.A.), Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Lost world welterweight title |
41 | Loss | 29β9β2 (1) | Johnny Basham | PTS | 15 | Mar 22, 1915 | London Opera House, Kingsway, London, England | |
40 | Win | 29β8β2 (1) | Gus Platts | PTS | 15 | Jan 21, 1915 | Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England | |
39 | Win | 28β8β2 (1) | Young Nipper | PTS | 15 | Oct 12, 1914 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England | |
38 | ND | 27β8β2 (1) | George Mack | ND | 4 | Oct 5, 1914 | Wellington Pier Pavilion, Great Yarmouth, England | |
37 | Win | 27β8β2 | Tom McCormick | PTS | 20 | Mar 21, 1914 | Sydney Stadium, Sydney, Australia | Won Commonwealth, BBBofC British, and world welterweight titles |
36 | Win | 26β8β2 | Ray Bronson | TKO | 7 (20) | Feb 28, 1914 | Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |
35 | Loss | 25β8β2 | Herb McCoy | PTS | 20 | Jan 17, 1914 | Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |
34 | Loss | 25β7β2 | Harry Stone | PTS | 20 | Nov 29, 1913 | Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |
33 | Loss | 25β6β2 | Hughie Mehegan | PTS | 20 | Nov 3, 1913 | West Melbourne Stadium, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | For Australian lightweight title |
32 | Win | 25β5β2 | Owen Moran | PTS | 20 | Sep 27, 1913 | Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |
31 | Win | 24β5β2 | Hughie Mehegan | PTS | 20 | Aug 9, 1913 | Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |
30 | Win | 23β5β2 | Hughie Mehegan | PTS | 20 | Feb 24, 1913 | National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, England | |
29 | Win | 22β5β2 | Johnny Basham | KO | 7 (15) | Dec 26, 1912 | Theatre, Swansea, Wales | |
28 | Loss | 21β5β2 | Freddie Welsh | PTS | 20 | Nov 11, 1912 | National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, England | Lost IBU and NSC lightweight titles |
27 | Loss | 21β4β2 | Hughie Mehegan | DQ | 14 (20) | Sep 16, 1912 | National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, England | |
26 | Loss | 21β3β2 | Bobby Wilson | NWS | 10 | Jun 7, 1912 | Oneida County A.A., Utica, New York, U.S. | |
25 | Win | 21β2β2 | Young Abe Brown | NWS | 10 | Jun 5, 1912 | Royale A.C., Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
24 | Loss | 20β2β2 | Packey McFarland | NWS | 10 | Apr 26, 1912 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
23 | Win | 20β1β2 | Billy Donovan | KO | 5 (10) | Oct 5, 1911 | Olympic B.C., Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Retained world lightweight title claim |
22 | Win | 19β1β2 | Abe Attell | NWS | 10 | Sep 20, 1911 | Madison A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
21 | Win | 18β1β2 | Knockout Brown | NWS | 10 | Aug 30, 1911 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
20 | Win | 17β1β2 | Willie Moody | NWS | 6 | Jul 28, 1911 | Fairhill S.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
19 | Win | 16β1β2 | Dick Hyland | NWS | 10 | Jul 19, 1911 | Albany, New York, U.S. | |
18 | Win | 15β1β2 | Philadelphia Pal Moore | PTS | 12 | Jun 24, 1911 | Armory A.A., Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
17 | Win | 14β1β2 | Leach Cross | NWS | 10 | Jun 2, 1911 | Harlem River Casino, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
16 | Win | 13β1β2 | Freddie Welsh | PTS | 20 | Feb 27, 1911 | National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, England | Won IBU and NSC British lightweight titles |
15 | Win | 12β1β2 | Jimmy Howard | DQ | 9 (10) | Sep 13, 1910 | Fairmont A.C., Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
14 | Loss | 11β1β2 | Paddy Sullivan | NWS | 10 | Aug 8, 1910 | Olympia Boxing Club, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
13 | Win | 11β0β2 | Johnny Dohan | NWS | 10 | Jul 19, 1910 | Fairmont A.C., New York, U.S. | |
12 | Win | 10β0β2 | Nick Muller | NWS | 8 | Jul 8, 1910 | Combine A.C., Yonkers, New York, U.S. | |
11 | Win | 9β0β2 | Billy Leary | NWS | 10 | Jul 5, 1910 | Yonkers, New York, U.S. | |
10 | Win | 8β0β2 | Charley Lawrence | NWS | 10 | Jun 28, 1910 | Fairmont A.C., New York City, New York, U.S. | |
9 | Win | 7β0β2 | Mark Anderson | NWS | 10 | May 25, 1910 | Yonkers, New York, U.S. | |
8 | Win | 6β0β2 | Smiling Eddie Kelly | NWS | 8 | May 5, 1910 | Combine A.C., Yonkers, New York, U.S. | |
7 | Draw | 5β0β2 | Young Nipper | PTS | 6 | Apr 14, 1910 | King's Hall, London Road, Southwark, London, England | |
6 | Win | 5β0β1 | Jack Turner | PTS | 20 | Mar 14, 1910 | Wonderland, Whitechapel Road, Mile End, London, England | |
5 | Win | 4β0β1 | Sid Stagg | PTS | 10 | Feb 19, 1910 | Wonderland, Whitechapel Road, Mile End, London, England | |
4 | Draw | 3β0β1 | Dick Lee | PTS | 6 | Jan 10, 1910 | The Empire, Holborn, London, England | |
3 | Win | 3β0 | Gunner Hart | PTS | 6 | Jan 1, 1910 | Surrey Music Hall, Southwark, London, England | |
2 | Win | 2β0 | Bob Russell | PTS | 10 | Dec 20, 1909 | The King's Hall, London Road, Walworth, England | |
1 | Win | 1β0 | Battling Lacroix | PTS | 10 | Nov 1, 1909 | King's Hall, London Road, London, England |
See alsoβ»
- Lineal championship
- List of welterweight boxing champions
- List of British welterweight boxing champions
- List of British lightweight boxing champions
External linksβ»
- Boxing record for Matt Wells from BoxRec (registration required)
- Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
Major titlesβ»
Achievements | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by | British lightweight championship 27 February 1911 β 11 November 1912 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | British welterweight championship 21 March 1914 Vacated |
Vacant Title next held by Johnny Basham
|
World Welterweight Champion 21 March 1914 β 1 June 1915 |
Succeeded by |
Referencesβ»
- ^ Silver, Mike (2016). Stars of the Ring, Published by Rowman and Littlefield, Los Angeles, pps. 86-7.
- ^ "Roll of Honour". England Boxing. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ "Matt Wells". Olympedia. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
- ^ "Twenty-round Fight. Matt Wells Lightweight Champion of Great Britain". The Gazette. 28 February 1911. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
Matt Wells won a twenty round fight tonight from Fred Welsh for the lightweight championship of Great Britain and the Lonsdale belt The ...
- ^ "Mat Wells BoxRec record". BoxRec. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- ^ "Mat Wells Won", The Gazette (Montreal), Montreal, Canada, pg. 4, 3 June 1911.
- ^ "Wells Victor in the Fight", El Paso Times, El Paso, Texas, pg. 7, 31 August 1911.
- ^ Brown took as many as seven rounds, K.O. Brown No Match for Wells, The Post-Star Gazette, pg. 1, 31 August 1911
- ^ "Mob Battles in Rain to See Prizefight", The New York Times, New York, New York, pg. 1, 31 August 1911
- ^ Rice, Thomas, "Wells, Most Versatile of Boxers Easily Outpoints K.O. Brown", The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, pg. 10, 31 August 1911
- ^ "McFarland Makes Wells Appear Like a Novice", The Boston Globe, Boston, Massachusetts, pg. 6, 27 April 1912
- ^ "Packey M'Farland Whips Matt Wells. English Lightweight Champion Outclassed by Chicago Stock Yards Boxer". The New York Times. 27 April 1912. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
Packey McFarland of Chicago removed all doubts as to how he compares as a boxer with Matt Wells, the English lightweight champion, at Madison Square Garden ...
- ^ Packey McFarland
- ^ "Attell Beaten in Classy Bout with Matt Wells", The Pittsburgh Press, pg. 38, Pittsburgh, PA., 21 September 1911.
- ^ "Matt Wells Hands Bronson A Bad Beating", Vancouver Daily World, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, pg. 10, 2 March 1914
- ^ Bronson retired in "Ray Bronson Retires", Evening Star, Washington, D.C., pg. 18, 31 March 1914
- ^ "Glover Whips Matt Wells", Boston Globe, Boston, Massachusetts, pg. 6, 2 June 1915
- ^ "Wells Gets Lacing From Johnny Dundee", The Boston Globe, Boston, Massachusetts, pg. 8, 17 May 1916
- ^ "Dundee Winner Over Matt Wells", The Bridgeport Times and Evening Farmer, Bridgeport, Connecticut, pg. 8, 11 December 1915
- ^ The Boston Globe, Boston, Massachusetts, pg. 6, 12 July 1916
- ^ "Boxing at the Stadium", The Times, Greater London, England, pg. 32, 14 November 1919
- ^ "Wells Anxious to Gain Crown", Great Falls Tribune, Great Falls, Montana, pg. 17, 21 March 1915
- ^ "Stop the Bout to Save Wells", The Bridgeport Telegram, "American Fighters Clean Up in London Bouts", The Bridgeport Telegram, pg. 18, 27 December 1919
- ^ "BoxRec: Matt Wells".
- 1886 births
- 1953 deaths
- English Jews
- Jewish boxers
- Boxers at the 1908 Summer Olympics
- Olympic boxers for Great Britain
- People from Walworth
- Boxers from the London Borough of Southwark
- Welterweight boxers
- World welterweight boxing champions
- World boxing champions
- European Boxing Union champions
- English male boxers
- Jewish British sportspeople