Item 01: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett diary, 1915-1917 - Page 214

[Page 214]

give interviews to the representatives of the Australian press in London, We all went on to the National Sporting Club to see the fight between Jimmy Wild [Wilde] known as "The Terror", and Sid Smith the flyweight champion. Wild is a great marvel of the age, and is quite unknown outside England. He weighs 6 stone 8 pounds and has long thin arms and legs, is 30 years of age and has ten children. He comes into the ring with long hair over his forehead, which makes him look like a boy of l6 and with a very weary bored expression on his face. All the other fighters, flyweights and featherweights are terrified of him. He never gives away less than 10 lbs, and very often 16 or 20. On this occasion he was giving Sid Smith, who is a very fine fighter about 16 lbs.

To see him fight is a revelation. Wild never lifts his legs or feet off the ground, but seems to slither along and when he gets going heis the greatest marvel the ring has ever seen. All experts are agreed on this. His speed is terrific he dodges like streak lightning and his hitting power tremendous. He sailed into Sid Smith with the most fearful long swinging blows delivered with such bewildering speed that he was at a loss to know what to do with them. The fight lasted eight rounds during which time the unfortunate Smith was knocked down at various periods 27 times before giving in.

Wild then left the ring without having turned a hair. He has fought 200 fights, and his first 36 were won by clean knockouts. He has never been beaten, and only once has had a decision given against him, and that was when he fought Tancy Lee the featherweight champion last year. Wild was in no condition to take the ring as he was suffering from a bad attack of influenza. Until I had seen him I could never believe that such a strange freak of nature existed in the world. Fenton had a farewell party at his house which we all went to after the fight. It was great fun