RARE 1911 BOMBARDIER BILLY WELLS real photo boxing postcard card GREAT BRITIAN

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RARE 1911 BOMBARDIER BILLY WELLS real photo boxing postcard card GREAT BRITIAN:
$150.00

Offered here is a

SUPER RARE,

ca 1911

earlyreal photounused boxing postcard of

GREAT BRITIAN\'S

great

EUROPEAN HEAVYWEIGHT

CHAMPION

BOMBARDIER BILLY WELLS

This rare real photo boxing postcard picturinga young Bombardier Billy Wells in a full bare knuckle boxing pose also shows what is believed to be his European Heavyweight Championship belt that Billy won in 1911. The postcard shows several other distinguishedtrophies and awards, most likely won by Billy Wells and the other unidentified wrestler/ boxer. Great collectable on this early British Heavyweight Champion,conditionis excellent+++.

William Thomas Wells, better known as Bombardier Billy Wells (31 August 1889 – 12 June 1967), was an English heavyweight boxer. Fighting under the name \"Bombardier Billy Wells\", he was British and British Empire Champion from 1911 until 1919, defending his title fourteen times. In 1911 he became the first Heavyweight to win the Lonsdale Belt, which had been introduced for British champions at all weights in 1909.

Wells, who was 6ft 3in (1.91m), Wells had his first professional fight on 8 June 1910, against Gunner Joe Mills, winning on points over six rounds. In his first eight fights he recorded seven wins and one defeat. In his next fight he fought for the British Heavyweight Title, at the National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London. The fight was in April 1911 against Iron (William) Hague, the holder, and Wells won by a knockout in the sixth round of twenty.

Wells was matched to fight the current world heavyweight champion, Jack Johnson, in London in October 1911, but religious opponents of excessive prize money, led by Baptist minister Frederick Brotherton Meyer, and opponents of contests between the races, caused the fight to be cancelled by Winston Churchill, who was then Home Secretary. A \'colour bar\' remained in British boxing until 1947.

In December 1911, Wells fought Fred Storbeck at Covent Garden for the British Empire Heavyweight Title, scoring a knockout in the eleventh round to gain his second title in one year.

In June 1913, Wells fought the extremely talented Frenchman Georges Carpentier for the European Heavyweight Title. The bout was held in Ghent, Belgium, and Wells lost by a knockout in the fourth round.

Wells defended his British heavyweight title three times in 1913, and then in December of the same year, he had a rematch with Carpentier for his European title. The bout was held at Covent garden, but again Carpentier won, this time by a knockout in the first round.

Wells continued to box and successfully defend his British heavyweight title, even after the start of World War I. In May 1915, Wells joined up for military service (in the Welch Regiment) and was later made a sergeant.[1] He continued to box until the end of 1916, and in 1917 was sent to France to organize physical training amongst the troops.

After the end of the war, Wells resumed his boxing career. His fourteenth defence of his British heavyweight title, and of his British Empire title was against Joe Beckett, a boxer whom he had beaten on points two months previously. The bout was held in February 1919, in Holborn, London, and Beckett won by a knockout in the fifth round to take Wells’ titles.

Wells then had five more bouts, winning them all, before having a rematch against Beckett in May 1920. The bout was held at Olympia, Kensington, but again Wells was knocked out, this time in the third round.

Wells continued to fight, his last fight was in April 1925.

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