Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-10-22
WELLS AFTER CHAMPIONSHIP
Would Make Enough Money to Keep
His Mother Comfortably.
FEARS SON WILL BE INJURED
After Every Battle He Must Appear
Before Her TO show whether
re uas Received Any
Marks.


in the life OF Matt Wells. the Engiish
lightweight champion, Is 10 win the
worlds title from Ad wolsRst. and IL
IL largely because he wants 10 earn
enough money so that he can insure his
| mother trust fund OF ct least s25 a week
as long as she lives.
Woils mother IS dearer to him than ali
the honors that have been heaped on him
| In this country and abroad. He has ,
pledged himself TO a bachelors life, and
Gays he'll never marry as long as his
! mother IS npared 10 him.
Matt was born IN London, and win be
&c years old December IA However, re-
| ghrding this point he and his mother are
forever arguing. Matt says he Is only
20 years old now. while his mother de-
cRros no 81 twelve months older than
| that, and aE he believes his mother is In
g better position than himself to know
| his right age he takes her word for IT,
There were twelve in Mats family. but
two OF them have passed beyond. Six Of
the survivors are girls and they have oil
married business men In England. Two
OF his brothers are married. while the
other is content to emulate Matt and re-
main single as long as their mother IL
alive.
| Wells IL Is years old. as she Is just as
lively as n cricket and takes long walks,
| swlms and other outdoor enjoyments with
all the ardor OF much younger person.
Mrs. Wells didn't like Il when Matt first
took up the pugilistio game. but as long
as he was determined to make his living
out Of II she made tho best OF II. Her
only worry Is that he might get hurt and
after every one OF his battles she insists
on his gazing straight to her TO see whether
he Is marked. $50
Mother Cautions Him.
Mrs Wells breads tho thoughts OF Matt
being seriously injured IN his fights and
she has always cautioned him 70 be
lenlent with his opponents and It IL for
this reason that he Is content with just
outpointing an adversary.
once during tho four years that Matt
was an amateur on the other side he
beat fellow so badly that Il made him
tlmld for a long time in the ring, and
ever since he has always let up on his
opponent when he showed signs OF
grogginess. II all his twenty-five battles
as a professional Matty has never really
knocked an opponent senseless.
It was because OF his great love for
mis- mother and his loneliness when she
is not at his side that prompted Wells
, 10 cable her 20 come TO America when
he had only been here a week himself.
She came here toward the last OF May
and he hired u nice furnished apartment
for her.
II you ask Mrs. Wells what she prizes
most on earth, she will tell you that out
side OF the love for her children It Is
gold medal studded with diamonds. which
, Matt won after a special bout when an
, amateur In England.
r Wells probably has fought less battles
professionally than any champion that
ever stepped into the roped arena Dur
ing the years OF 19Ol-05-'O 6-'O7 ne was
, the amateur lightweight champion of
, England-the greatest record In the his
tory OF that class.
, Before boxing In public Wells was a
} member-and still is--of the Lynn Box
! ing club. They used to hold bouts for
: the members only and it was because OF
I the marked superiority he displayed over
any other man In the organization that
I they urged him to compete for the ANA
teur title, for which any boxer IN the
p world under l4o pounds is eligible.
Wells first fight as a professional was
fought against Battling l.. Croix, the
4 French weterweight champion. After
! engaging in nine other unlmportant bouts
and winning all Of them he came 10
, America, arriving here in March, 1910. He
fought here eight times, and although
most OF them were no decision affairs,
the majority OF newspapers acknowledged
him victor on each occasion. One OF his
big feats at that time was 70 stop Jimmy
9 Howard OF Chicago in nine rounds.
c No wonder that fans in this country
s marvelled when they heard that he de-
feated Freddie Welsh for the lightweight
a championship on February a. 1911. for
they regarded him as a welterweight. and
o that he would have TO saw off a leg IN
4 order to make the limit OF the lighter
class.
e 1t was the failure Of Paekey Mcfarland
I 20 go TO England to meet him as sehed-
0 uled last spring that made Wells come
h back here and II is his intention OF stay
a ing in the United States until he defeats
both the Chicago boy and Ad Wolgast.
He has fought six times on his second
: invasion OF America and has been the
undisputed victor on each occasion, mis-
A opponents including men OF every known
], style Of fisticuffs
Besides the beautiful belt he won for
: capturing the English title the most
priced gift In Mats keeping Is an a.
: Illuminated address. with the signature OF
: the earl OF Lonsdale. which was presented
i 10 him at a banquet rendered him IN
London before sailing.
, When at home Matt lives with his
= mother and two brothers in Peckham.
and the house in which they reside and
8 all it's furnishings were given 70 his
9 mother by the fighting member Of the
family.