Matt Wells (boxer)
Encyclopedia
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
in the welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
(147lb
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
) division.
Amateur career
During his amateur career, he won four consecutive ABA Lightweight titles (1904-07).Olympics
He competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
. In the lightweight event
Boxing at the 1908 Summer Olympics - Lightweight
-Competition:Round of 16Wells and Holberg split the judges over the course of the first three rounds. The referee declared a fourth round, which Wells won in a contest with involved much grappling rather than punching. Bouvier was knocked down several times by Holmes before the referee stopped...
he was eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing to Frederick Grace
Frederick Grace
Frederick "Fred" Grace was a lightweight boxer. At the 1908 Olympic Games he became British and European professional champion.-Biography:...
who later won the gold medal.
Professional career
Wells turned pro in 1909. In 1911 in London he defeated Freddie WelshFreddie Welsh
Freddie Welsh was a Welsh lightweight boxing champion. Born in Pontypridd, Wales, and christened Frederick Hall Thomas, he was nicknamed the "Welsh Wizard". Brought up in a tough mining community, Welsh left a middle-class background to make a name for himself in America...
in a twenty round fight to win the lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
championship of great Britain and take home the Lonsdale belt
Lonsdale belt
The Lonsdale Belt was a boxing prize introduced by Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, to be awarded to British boxing champions. It is still awarded to British champions today.-National Sporting Club:...
.
On April 26, 1912 he lost to Packey McFarland
Packey McFarland
Patrick "Packey" McFarland was a popular American boxer in the lightweight and welterweight divisions, despite a extraordinary winning record he was unable to secure a match for either world title...
at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
In 1914 he won the World Welterweight title by defeating Tom McCormick by 20 round decision. Wells also defeated Owen Moran
Owen Moran
Owen Moran was a world Bantamweight boxing champion.-Professional career:Known as "The Fearless", Moran is recognized by some historians as a former world bantamweight champion...
and Abe Attell
Abe Attell
Abraham Washington "Abe" Attell , known in the boxing world as Abe "The Little Hebrew" Attell, was a boxer who became known for his record-setting six-year reign as World Featherweight Champion...
in his career.