| Show First W Worlds World's orld Champion Fly Weight in the Making Two Contenders for the International al Title Will Meet in Aristocratic Aristocratic Aristocratic Aristo Aristo- cratic London Club Next Saturday Victor W Will l Be BeKing BeKing BeKing King Pin Phi in That Class HE first worlds world's champion in the fly weight division divisio of pugilism is now T THE in the making Next Saturday night in the arena of the aristocratic National i i Sporting ing club of London England two contenders for the tle international titre among ring mites will meet in a twenty round battle to a decision and The be victor will be universally acclaimed as the legitimate ruler in that class The principals will be Jimmy wilee Wilde no Jio Is the accepted fly weight champion championS f S A England and Young Zulu Kid Brooklyn Brook Brook- lyn newsboy who Is the first worthy representative rep rep- that has gone from this country coun coul- cowl try to Joust with Wilde for physical su supremacy supremacy su- su In spite I he of the fact tact that the tight ight little tittle isle is torn by the ravages of war the people there apparently have time ume to turn their attention from fields of carnage carnage carnage car car- nage na-ge to a a. milder form of battling within with with- in in- ina a roped arena All t the g gouty dukes and bellied l earls wt f alar es whose e age e and p physical inefficiency f i prevent prevent pre pre- vent ent them from taking an active parr pare in their country's service will be Ie on hand to watch the title conflict because Wilde today Is a greater ring favorite amon mong the British 1 people eople than Bombardier Wells VeIls was in his days Mingling with the aristocracy will be the soldiers rs home on furlough the valiant members of the home guards and the hoi polloi who are fortunate enough to raise the nece necessary ary price of admission Taken all aU in an all it promises to be some occasion Followers of the squared circle in this country countr rna ma maj not definitely know just what a fly weight is as the class is comparatively com corn new over here but in England it is a division islon of pugilism that Is replete with historic and memorable battles battle Briefly a fI fly weight is Is an all undersized bantam sawed bantam sawed off a trifle snore more In other words words- he is a boxer who scales around pounds The ring records s of the prospective C contenders contenders con con- te tenders los for the c championship a i are hut but t slightly familiar perhaps to the a average patron of the boxing game so for that a short review re of the history of Wilde VIlde and and Zulu Kid may be he of pf interest We will deal first with the personality of the Zulu Kid Outside of oC the ring the Kid is known as Joseph DI Dl Melfi 1 He Is Isa Isa isa a native nath-e of Italy Itah having been born in Potenza April Avril 22 1897 He Ito has been actively actively ac ac- ac identified with professional boxing since 1912 He learned the fighting game in the rough and and ready tactics of the street for the Kid KIl was a newsboy for tor years in Brooklyn n before he began to develop develop develop de de- de- de Into a ring attraction there The Time Kid has been partial to the ten- ten round no decision game game- around Gotham and his record shows shows- that he has been one of the regular performers in section Between January 1 of the present present present pres pres- ent year and the close of the winter season season season sea sea- son he he engaged in ten contests in the tIme East and in one of ot them thern with Johnny Ertle who has bas a sort of claim on the time bantam t title Zulu made such el a splendid tr t toC taSI r showing showing- g that t. t there was talk immediately n n of oC grooming him for a championship encounter encounter encounter en en- en- en counter with Kid Williams VillIam This Timis never ne ma materialized however Among the well known ring mites suites that the time Zulu KM has fou fought ht this year are Johnny twice Walter Nelson Benny McCoy McCo Johnny Ertle jack Jacl Monte tonte Attell Attell Jimmy furray Pal Moore foore and Abe Friedman Zulu Kid Iid lost on a a. foul toul to Friedman after carrying carrying carry carry- ing him through a a. fast pace and Ertle beat the everlasting whey out of this same Friedman several weeks before that Comparisons in this case however are mighty might unsatisfactory as Zulu Kid claims that If he had not accidentally fouled Friedman he would have given that stout little Jewish l boy just as thorough a aOn trouncing as Ertle Ertie did i On the time face of his showing to date against heavier boys bOs with whom h he has 1 competed the Zulu Kid appears to be he worthy worth of being considered a good representative representative repe- repe of the time United States in the time title conflict now approaching England which has not developed developed a a heavy weight pugilist worthy of ot the name t e Continued on page 4 FIRST WORLDS WORLD'S CHAMP Continued from page 2 since the days jI of Jem I 1 Mace ce has been prolific In Jn I producing sensational performers perform perform- era ers In the tho other divisions of pugilism notably from the light weight class downward down down- ward but of ot all the ring stars t that Britain Bri Brt- tam tain has baa been en proud to acclaim none nom was was' 1 ever ii given greater r praise that a Jimmy t i Wilde Wilcie e a titleholder b by right of conquest o ThiS little chap is ia the reigning reigning- sensation sensation sensa sensa- tion of the present day and by many he is looked upon as a future conten contender es for th the worlds world's bantam weight championship as soon as his frail fran little frame has taken on ona ona a a. few additional pounds of flesh Wilde Is 24 2 4 years of age and as time Is reckoned reckoned reckoned reck reck- in this thin country he is fast approachIng approach approach- ing the climax of his ring career but in his fighting style to the present he has I given ginn no indication of waning physical powers power In all his battles to date Wilde has been forced to meet opponents who have outweighed out out- outI weighed him from five to fifteen pounds out out-I but this handicap has never deterred him 1 According to the record books Wilde has I engaged in contests to date both I I amateur and professional and he was waa victorious vic vic vic- I In all alt but one This defeat was wai 1 administered to him by Tancy Lee a a 1 Scotch fly weight and the British title I changed hands as a result Wilde had little to say cay about his failure at tho the time I I beyond that his health had been poor I Just previously to the contest A little 1 later r on on however he le upset the theory that a champion cannot come back by knocking out Lee In eleven rounds Among the recent victims of the sturdy fists of Wilde are Young Rosner an ar L American AH AU Mansfield Young Symonds Sy- Sy mends monds and Johnny Hughes Rosner was eai I stopped tle in eleven e n rounds S Mansfield In ir ten Symonds I n in t twelve Y and n IaH Hughes 1 in fri I I I ten It is impossible for American ring 1 th lbs followers 0 ability to of obtain Wilde an an because e accurate of line his d de on or I defeat of Rosner Roaner for the reason that thai th the latter has never bene regarded over here as anything better than a second I I rater I Although Wilde Is described as of rather rathe I frail physique he is said uld to long Pliable muscles somewhat on the order 0 of ot E Freddie Welsh and these thess contribute te to his wonderful Those who have hav seen een him lm box ar among ong them Charley Charle Mitchell veteran British heavy weight who was in this country a short time back ira say Wilde ll Is a wonderful 1 ring gen eral and an exceptional c hard hitter lefo 10 for fi such ch a small chap Mitchell has baa stated state that Wilde knows little about defense a as he relies almost entirely upon his speed I to score points What success he will wil I have against a fighter of the Zulu Kids Kid's type remains to be seen The Kid I ts Is notoriouSly tin no no- no fond of fighting at close range rang rangen e and n 1 hammering at th the body of his opp n nent nt H He is the kind who should make mak S things warm for Wilde over the twenty twenty- route |
