The Washington herald., 1918-12-30
JIMMY WILDE A
FREAK IN GAME
Charley Mitchell Compares
English Battler with Jimmy
Barry, Of Chicago.

1t is our understanding thSt Jimmy
Wilde, the British fiyweight cham
pion, soon is to visit our shores in
quest of honors in the ring, and his
portion of the gate receipts on the
side.
This is interesting news coming In
the wake of Wildes defeat in the re-
cent interallied boxing tournament in
London, at the hands of our own Pal
Moore, who, we are told incidentally
by his manager, Tommy Walsh, is TO
he rechristened Wilson" Moore, in
order to escape being confused with
lighters of lesser note with some
what similar names.
1t is interesting to watch for the
coming of Wilde, because it affords
us opportunity to compare the little
British wonder with some of the most
noted ringInen of his class in days
gone by.
Wilde, according TO Charley
Mitchell, veteran British heavyweight,
who was defeated many years ago
by the late John L. Sullivan, is just
such another boxer as was Jimmy
Barry. of Chicago. when he, Barry
was monarch of all he surveyed in
the world of bantams
Barry weighed only los pounds. but
often gave his opponent 20 or ~
pounds in weight and got away with
II at that.
Wilde has engaged in 200 battles In
the six years he has been in the ring.
and was victor in all excepting one.
This defeat was handed him by fancy
Lee. a Scotch fy-weight. and the title
changed hands on the result.
Wilde had little to say about his
defeat beyond that his health was
poor at the time. He upset the
theory that a beaten champion never
comes back. knocking out Lee in
eleven rounds in their second meet
ing and regaining the championship.
Wilde has scored more than 100
knock outs in the 200 times he has
been in the ring.
1t seems to have been a matter
of good fortune for those who re-
manned standing to the finish
Although Wilde is small and ap-
parently frail. he Is well constructed
and is provided with the long. pill
able muscles that are so essential
for speed and hitting in the pugilist.
Those who have seen him box de-
clare he is a marvellous ring gen.
eral. and those who have felt his
blows declare he hits with the force
OF middle weight.
AS he was rejected by the English
military authorities. owing to his
small size. there is nothing to pre-
vent him coming to America except
the money demanded by his man
ager Wilde is earning $4,000 a
week in England in exhibition work.
Wilde is not the first little fellow
sent from England to try his skill
against the American feather and
light weights. Besides Wilde,
among other notable little men sent
from the old country to this was
Billy Plimmer, one of the greatest
bantams ever produced in England.
and. until he bumped up against
masterful Pedlar Palmer, regarded
as invincible.
PIimmer. who stood ; feet 3l-2
inches and scaled well under lis,
was born in Birmingham. February 5,
1863 He began his career as a boxer
in 1890. and developed so rapidly that
he captured a title bout at the Ma
tionaI Sporting Club in the follow
ing year. beating the champion, Jack
Stevens. in fifteen rounds.
In 1892 Plimmer. having heard that
America was Queensber Col
Conda, has stened here arriving in New
York early in January. In order TO
try him out Plimmer was put in the
ring with Kid Hogse. shifty Brook
lyn boy, who held the Englishman
to a draw in an eight-round bout.
Plimmer may not have extended
himself in the trial bout, as subse-
quently he made short work of a
number who decided to take him on.
His first real affair was with
Tommy Kelly. whom he stopped in
ten rounds at the Coney Island Ath-
nett, n clever boxer. who was stopped
in the eighth round, also at Coney
Island.
Next there arrived from England Joe
McGrath. who was a contender for
the English bantam championship.
McGrath lasted only eight rounds.
matching Plimmer with Dixon when
the latter was bantam and feather
weight champion of America, but
O'Rourkc. DiXon's manager. was
backward and did not consent to a
test of skill till six months had
passed. and then only in a four-round
bout in Madison Square Garden.
Steve O'Donnell was the referee,
and at the end of the fourth round he
declared Plimmer the Winner on
points. O'Rourke never forgave
O'Donnell, although the consensus
was that the referee was correct in
his decision.
Like England. Chicago, more than
any other city in the world. has had
many wonderful little/men.
Among them were Johnny Coulon,
Tommy White. the Forbes Clarence
and Harry. Harry Rauch, Eddie San
try. Johnny Ritchie and a host of
others,