Ranking Jimmy Wilde

I look forward to your further input:good

 

Look out for the book!

 

I agree. Wilde was very fleet of foot but didn't over move or waste energy. From what I've seen he was a very concentrated ring general, Just waiting for the right moment to either throw or get out of there. He was patient and had great balance/elegance. A total nightmare opponent.

I think Lynch at his best beats Wilde at his best . Lynch's ridiculous physical strength, stamina and Iron beard win this for him. He had spring for legs and was a brilliant counter puncher himself. Lynch could box and brawl. Benny eventually gets to The Mighty Atom and stops him late.

 

I'm inclined to agree:good

 

I used to think this but after seeing the Tancy Lee fight? Wilde would've lasted the distance if not for Lee's dirty tactics.

And when I say dirty, I neant blatant WWF-style downward elbows to the back of the head. Even then the towel was thrown in. Wilde wasn't knocked out.

Wilde could be hurt, but usually by bantams. As Benny was usually a wide puncher (bar his Hopkins-esque right hand) I think Wilde will see a lot of his work and survive the onslaught.

I think Benny wins a decision as 'Little' Jackie Sharkey did. Outworking Wilde, while the little Welshman lands the cleaner blows.

Lynch definitely had the harder chin but Montana smarted his way to the distance. Hell, Lynch even had a boogeyman in Warnock, which Wilde didn't.

Before he was completely shot he was stopped by a big flyweight, who elbowed him in the back of the head numerous times (Wilde was ill also, but I won't include that in my analysis too much) and, in my opinion at least, the second greatest bantamweight of all time.

Then a miniature Jack Dempsey when Wilde was well past it.

I have to say it's remarkable how good Tancy Lee was. I've never been more surprised when seeing a fighter for the first time. Very modern defensive style, often picking shots off on a high guard, cut the ring off well and threw well to head and body.

Knowing that Wilde slaughtered him in the rematch is what prompted a proper re-evaluation of Wilde from me.

Next thing you know I'm writing a book about him, determined to make sure no one ever makes the same mistake I did when analysing his flyweight era and opposition.

 

There's certainly room for a new appraisal of," The Mighty Atom"
ATB with it.:good

 

Thank you Sir. I've been very, VERY lucky with the research so far but still a fair bit to do.

I'm happy to say it won't be that long though!

 

Indeed Wilde was never the same after the Villa loss. He suffered brain damage from that fight and admitted in his bio that he had severe amnesia for weeks after the bout.

Wilde was a phenom and I, like Flea, had my opinion of him change after viewing extensive footage of him. A very skilled operator who used subtle footwork, timing, feints, and counterpunching to befuddle his opponents.

 

Yes indeed , but decidedly NOT a relentless pressure fighter as Mendoza classifies him.

 

I need to watch the Tancy Lee fights, flea. I've only seen bits of Tancy Lee and know little about him. I only know that he was very good and Edinburgh's first world champion. Yeah I read Wilde was ill during the first fight. He basically proved it the second time around as you said.

I agree Wilde would evade a lot of Benny's attacks because Benny was crude at times or looked it with those wide hooks but he was very accurate and sharp in and out with his feet. Benny was as strong as a bull inside, great at parrying and turning his opponents. His great judging of distance/spacial awareness made him hard to hit. He would spring back to avoid shots or turn his head to take the sting out of shots. He was all arms, always trying to manipulate space, from any range he could parry shots brilliantly.
I think Wilde would wait for Benny to spring in and either look to counter mistakes or ghost out of harms way if there's nothing to hit. Benny was a bully going forward and a master counter puncher on the front or back foot. He would be chasing the fight vs Wilde not doing much countering on the back foot I don't think.
It's a close hard fight for both guy's. Maybe I underrate Wilde's strength and toughness in this fight. Maybe he goes the distance. I know Wilde fought bigger men than himself and even Benny but Benny had quick feet and was freak strong, his trainer said he was as strong as Welters. I think his feet are good enough get him to Wilde where he could bully him. I don't think Wilde can knock Lynch out as hard as he hits but he would frustrate him a lot with his sharp, clever evasive style.
It's one of my fav fantasy match ups. Stylistically very interesting :good

The Warnock fights had added bitterness due to the Catholic/protestant hype surrounding the fights. Warnock would've been up for those fights more than any other fight he had because of where he came from, where he grew up. Benny was a very heavy drinker, I don't think he took the fights as serious as Warnock. Benny was just a Scot with Irish-Catholic decent living the high life in east Glasgow in an at the time thriving city. Sure there was pressure on Benny to win as well but probably not enough to keep him out the pubs. Warnock was a Protestant living in Belfast, a hate filled, bitter war zone. It was win or die for him. This is why I think Warnock was Lynch's boggy man.

Good luck with the book on Jimmy Wilde mate :good

 

Certainly not from the extent footage and if you think about it it makes a lot more sense given that he had so much success against bigger guys. It was likely a style bread from necessity. He would stand in front of a guy, take little half steps around him, use head movement and feints to create openings and then counter. I dont see him as aggressive, relentless, or a pressure fighter until he gets his man hurt.

 

Agreed that when he had his man hurt he could step it up. A deadly finisher when he smelled blood. Let rip with accurate two-handed combos to head and body.

Really is crazy how his technique doesn't appear archaic at all. Sure, he's not textbook, but neither was Roy Jones or Tony Canzoneri.

 

he's in my top 5, always had him on top 1-3

 

He'd probably have to give lynch nearly a stone and its too much but at 7 1/2 stone he's unbeatable.
I remember my dad being upset and very annoyed when he heard about wee jimmy being mugged and beaten up when he by then a harmless old man.

 

Great thread this! I'll have to have a proper look at what's available on him. As a kid growing up I read loads of stuff about him, he was revered. I don't think we hear that much about him now. I do wonder though how he would of got on against some of the real quality big powerful 8 stoners. You've got to wonder though how many of the old fly champs could of made light fly and straw if those weights had been about back then.