Page A
THE CHINA - ́MAIL,“
MONDAY, MAY 5, 1959.
The blow that ended the
Jimmy Wilde legend
promoters,
and anger,
ceeded to drive him half crazy. with pleas, threats, solicitations and advice.
RAMAS are four-a-penny in the fight game. Every where
case-hardened
On Londoners, raised the arc-lighted rumpuses of the ring, would find it hard to parallel the eye-popping excitement that came their way on the night of January 18, 1921, at the Royal Albert Hall. where Hammer in his Hand, Jimmy Wilde, the Ghost with a got himself beaten to pulp by an Italian-American called Fate Herman with the Prince of Wales bobbing up and down in a ringside seat.
I've seen a few other tits since then, but Herman v. Wilde 18 moulded indelibly in the memory possibly because I paid an ill-afforded £2 for the privilege of wajching it, and got my ear clipped by a steward for trying to wipe a more expen- alve viewpolni.
Jimmy Wilde also got his car. clipped-plus plenty... Jimmy ...the Mighty Atom... the.
Indian Rhondda Rlot... the Famine... the pipe-stem little ex-pitboy with a punch like an Irrliated H-bomb. Never again were we to see him win fight. Herman knocked the hammer out of his hand, and the whole of sporting London mourned the passing of a legend.
FALLEN IDOL
We hollered and we howled, not so much because our Adul had been shattered, but because we felt in our bones that those wine-guy Americans had beaten him to the draw. To quote the Wilde pugilistic idiom, Jimmy Was "done up in style" before the first flickering jab had left on in thick-car mission,
To recap, Wilde, built like a ghat, was four months short of
years
by George
Whiting
•
bouth-when they pald him the then colossal fee of £8,000 to Bght Pele Herman for the latter's world bontamweight championship.
Teddy Lewis, Wilde's manager, agreed to a 20-round title fight
sort
What a way to run *Dght Out front, restive patrons came near to rloting. Backstage, harassed officials tried to out cock-eyed contracts which called upon Wilde to weigh not more than 8x1. Olb. at ringside, while permitting Herman to meet the same stipulation nt two o'clock-and come In 開露 licavy as he pleased at night.
Actually, Herman fought at at least Ost. 8lb. Wilde weighed Tat. lib.
Suddenly a red-faced official appeared in Wilde's drossing- room with the news that the h Prince of Wales (now the Duke of Windsor) had arrived at the hall and that his companion, Lord Lonsdale, was on his way to talk to the badgered and bewildered Bule Welshman,
That settled it. Wilde, tret- ful and fuming, jumped off the rubbing table and cried: "I'm tired of these argumentą. 1.
for £8,000 plus £250 expenses, don't care what Herman weighs. all deposited in a British bank. It the Prince wants me to fight, Referee Jack Smith got £50 in 11 Aght." £1 notes. lferman's share has remained undisclosed.
No sooner had the signatures dried then the "trukes" began in New York. Herman, with no more iden of losing his world tille to a Welshman than he had of presenting it to the Hotten- tots, was beaten the night before he sailed by a fellow-American, Wilde had Joe Lynch, whom already beaten twice.
of
Ay- This stratagem took care
Jimmy's bantamweight aspira- tions.
Ten minutes later the Prince of Wales was mounting the ring steps, thanking Wilde gesture and asking think you can beat Herman?"
for his "Do you
RESERVES GONE
"No, sir." teplied Wilde. "Not after all this bother. But he'll have to knock me senseless to beat me."
29th birthday, ve past his winning of the
A grim prophecy and we were weight championship of the
roon to know its truth. Within world from the Zulu Kid, and
two minutes, it was revealed to nine years beyond his introdu
The swarthy Herman arrived us all that our hero was there tion ie the Bnekiriars Ring,
here sans les, ens Jubels in gallantry and spirit, but not where a frightened muragement
of ex- Bud gas any other impedimenta much else. The zip had gone had been scared stiff
OF the
...and no swift counter-punch pusing so frail a youth to the likely to be of value
exchange, cut the smoky air as Herman ribaldry of the crowd, ond the world championship
the unhappy promalers opened up with an unorthodox punches of one Young Nipper Anj whom he proceeded to knock 5 with a Jimmy Wilde ac- but unimpeded right cross 10
count for £0,000, began yelling Wilde's jaw. for help. Before long, they really needed il.
out in 45 seconds.
Wilde had lost but two of his 850 battles00 of them in fie
"This business is confidên. tial-I had to meet you in
secret!"
Ladda Express Sartic
.
STALEMATE
But Pele Herman was in no hurry. With a 201b, pull in the weights, he permitted, even opponent encouraged, his trail
to wear himself down,
LONDON
DRAMAS
"Boy, lend me that flag to give your mother to see if it works over here.”
WHY THIS PICTURE
THE two
TH
ond lected chin,
over went Wildo half-way out of the ring Another for a count of seven. power-laden right-hander met him as he scrambled back, and this time the immortal Jimmy Wilde was sent hurtling through the ropes. I can hear to this day the thud of his head as it hlf the edge of the ring.
That punch ended the in- sad contrast. vincibility of the Mighty Alom but not immediately. Up at Wilde offered the "nine," pathetic resistance of a puppel, took another count of Ave, and, ipcredibly, rose ógain.
ALARMS ME
great nations of Western Europe present a
France is again without a Government, torn, by seem- ingly insoluble conflict. The head of the German Gov- ernment has been an By the ninth round all sting race was to be Herman's that
no, rip-roaring coup de honoured guest in London. avalanche. Bottling Levinski, had gone from Wilde's once
ADW LO Or rather he has honoured billed to show us the Asts of an emnipotent left hand; by the night. Referee Smith
one swift move us by his presence, We and Rhondda that. With
Cometh the hour, cometh the
ex-world cruiserweight chaft- 12th the reserves of
But
pion in a supporting vout with fire were spent; and by The menthe waved the American all others in the Western world, Boinbardler Wells, pulled out 15th Herman was in rampaging aside, gathered Wilde in his including the United States, are with a dislocated shoulder. The pursuit of a game but weary arms, and carried the battered his ellents. Albert Hall crowd, their view little man.
Hile body to the corner. obscured. by badly placed ring
That was our grim curtain. lights, started scrambling all The climax, Inevitable from But every drama has to have its epilogue. A moderately pros-
He lays down the polley that, we must follow. Humbly, gratefully, we do his bidding
I remember
over the place, with accompany- "sturi, arrived In Round 17 ing squawks. The MC, Ronald borne on a punch that put the perous and. certainly tubbier Adair, threatened to go home, fragile Wilde out of a real Jimmy Wilde-now thinning a commission ་་་ punch that little as the aftermath of a road Then the principals brought was later held to be at least accident last year still goes to the whole shunting matchi to part responsible for Jimmy the fights. explosion polat, Herman, bron- losing his world flyweight title dishing his contract, refused to Pancho Villa in New York Pele Herman, Inst time European statesman should point blank to weigh-in at ring- efter a two-year interval; heard of him, was also doing stand pre-eminent and resolute. side. Wilde, righteously angry.
well as a night club proprietor But how much beller it would
14
all to the good that some- one should "speak for Europe," Good that some
at auch shenanigans, declined to Herman shot the straightest in his native New Orleans. Too be for us all if this European budge from his dressing-room, of straight rights at an unpro- bud he went blind.
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leader were a great Frenchman instead of Adenauer,
The French often do things
to make us impatient,
I remember these things. But
ME
THE HONOURED GUEST: the Queen welcomes Adenauer to Windsor Castle. ;
the
I remember much more, I German armies had won, remember that Britain. and man who sent 5,000,000 Jews to Franco were the only Great the gas chambers would now be including Powers who went through the ruling all Europe, First World War toge her from Britain, And not a German jfirst to last.
would cheep.
He
I remember that only two Dr Adenauer stood aside, countries declared war against did not resist, He did not oct. Hitler in the name of freedom. But he is free from blame.
All others, including · Soviet Russia and the United States, walled to be attacked. The two who chose and France.
far better than ever
And now he has succeeded,
Ker
war wero
Brilain
did, in accompilshing the mane
part of Hiller's policy.
also
France, was struck down.
He has made Germany She suffered not only mill- tary defeat but
the leading Power in Europe." spiritual polson of Marshal only we, but still more Petain and his Vichy Govern Americans, ment. Thousands of Frenchmen prompting. served in the Resistance.
the
Net
the
move to
be
by- A. J. P. TAYLOR
not the remedy. He wants Cor- many to be important, to'occupy. the front of the stage.
This is why ho opposes so viclently any "idea of" "disen- gagement"the idea, that both Russians and Americane should withdraw from Contrg) Europe; This would improve the chances of peace but it would end Dr Adenauer's 'run' as the great European leader.
}
point.
I'sco Dr Adenauer's We swallowed without He is no doubt quite right so
Luststence that murmur his
far as he and the Germans pre Germany must be united before
concerned. But why should wo eny agreement is reached with insist in the same way on und bis Soviet Russia, or even discussed. ing Germany? What does 1-
Now he condescends to drop this matter to us whether, there are condition, but only because he two Germanles or three? For Why is this? Is he a dynamic knows that the Americans have don't forget: there aro already
Has he a wide adopted it.
two free German State We may be irritated by the personality?
the We may sometimes European vision? Can he speak French
Federal Think what this means. We Austria, and angry. But we stand like a prophet?
are living under the shadow of Republic. Why not a hurd? closer to them than to any 'Not at all. He is a soild, annihilation from H-bombs.
who A British statesman other Europe people not hard-headed administrator who Yet no attempt can be made deali with Soviet nussia about only geographically but in spent most of his life as Mayor, to escape from this shadow
Belfish interests instead of spirit. Their wrakisens la our of Cologne. He has one simple until Germany is united.
obeying Dr. Adenauer, could, effectlyó woupon. Ho has
In my opinion, sti a veille, ment.
Joas,
Just
Is persuaded the American
that
certainly да Germany's gain. I do hot grudge the Germana a happy and pro- sperous exlalerce. I would "ilke Hier tried the metrick expense until Germany is do that nuclear war would do-
We are spending'a vast pro- of our revenue on he alone can provide the barrier portion
armaments, Yet no atteinpt Mr Krushchev is a sensible against Russlan Bolshevism,
can be made to lessen this man. He knows as well as wa
want to develop troy us all. 'Ho would settle for
to see the East Germans free 20 years ago. And plenty of united. We from Communism. Just as I people believed him until it trade with, Soviet Russia. It things as they are. He will not would like to see the Caechs, was almost 100 lato,
Dr cannot be done until Germany settle for a united Germany.
the Poles, and the Rasians Adonauer plays just the same is united, themselves froe from Coms tune. And fila, time he gets
muniam.
Akwiling listeners.
But I recoll when a German comes to Britain claiming to Of Coured we want tá kr
peak for Europe and dictates Itumin
Bolshevism but of
to us what our policy should be. Europe, But if we are "repared ·
indepen-
Quite right
Can you blame tim?
A straight settlement offers the best chance of Moro freedom for the Poles, ankh ¡Czochz, who......werp, our "plilen
HERE must be as stopping of when the Germans word busy in a different way. The Russians nuclear tests, there must be helped us to beat the Germanp
Dr Adenauer is nellher a lo sacriice everything to the tyrant nor a warmonger. Ho our principles, our has an honourable record ameng dence our friends why on no relaxation of tension, there then. I would stand by the German For, in the days of ourth did we go against Hiller? must be, no renewal of friend Russlare agalbela Poúrited
between us and our Germany now, Hitler's rule, he did. NOTHING. He would have done the job of ship
That a rate achievement beating the Russians 1 that in great war-lime ally until.
Germany Bs Germans go. Its more all we ask from le.
is united. Taxes If not, the time "will," nócial then can be said for many of Instead,wo spent years la cannot go down. People cannot come who, instead of wel-
Germany's rula those who are now building up bitter war. To do what?. To live in peace, Seltnge cannot be coming Germany's armed forces. They establish in Germany a ruler tumes la creative purposca iritain our rulers will be going over tq, Cheranje to fought their best for Hiler's WNIO proposes to succeed where until Germany is unkled.
resolve, teir orders, much a Victory and
Mor called the othe Of course they way, they did We made Dr Adenauer the Yot Dr, Adenauer himself is Caval and Mussolini and the it for Clermany, not for Hitler. dufender of the West." Now Bot Koen on reunition: fest on danced attendance nous [The faol rmmáfan, that if the ye are dependent on him. What he wante la the grievance, Hitler,