Matt Wells

Matt Wells had an outstanding amateur career, winning four ABA titles, and was runner-up on another occasion, He was just 17 when he won the first of four consecutive titles, and up to 2018 was the only man to have performed this feat. He beat his fellow Lynn ABC man Alf Chalmers in 1904, H. Collins of Eton Mission in 1905 and 1906, and then claimed his fourth title with a win over Fred Spiller in 1907. Wells’ last appearance in the Championships was in 1909, when he lost the final to Fred Grace, the man who beat him at the London Olympics a few months earlier.

Wells then turned professional and embarked on another successful career, winning 45 and drawing six of his 82 fights between 1909-22. He beat Freddie Welsh over 20 rounds to win the British and European Lightweight title in 1911, and in 1914 beat Irishman Tom McCormick over 20 rounds in Sydney to win the British, Commonwealth and World featherweight titles. He lost his world title to Mike Glover (USA) 15 months later, and his British and Commonwealth titles to Johnny Basham in 1919. After his retirement from the ring, Wells became a boxing coach and trainer.