With his waxen features, protruding ribs, sparrow's legs and matchstick arms, Jimmy Wilde looked as though he should have been slouching droop-shouldered across a Lowry industrial landscape instead of fighting like a whirling dervish on a boxing canvas.
Barely 1.6m tall and seldom weighing more than 44.5kg, Wilde surrendered height and weight to almost every one of his 864 ring opponents (aye, they bred them tough in those days) yet was hailed as the "greatest flyweight ever" by American promoter "Broadway" Charley Rose.
Indeed, although Monday marked the 40th anniversary of his death, many still consider the "Mighty Atom" to be the finest pound-for-pound fighter of them all.
Such was the ferocity of his punching power that Ring Magazine named the tiny Welshman at No 3 in their "100 Greatest Punchers" list behind Joe Louis and Sam Langford, but ahead of such noted human missile launchers as Archie Moore, Jack Dempsey, George Foreman, Earnie Shavers, Rocky Marciano and Mike Tyson.
Born into poverty on May 15 1892 in Merthyr Tydfil, Wilde began work at the age of 12, chiselling coal from shafts too narrow for a grown man to squeeze through; by 16, he had become a legend in the Rhondda Valley via his prowess against all-comers in Jack Scarrott's boxing booth.
Wilde was credited with more than 700 victories in those early days, frequently beating 25 opponents - all of whom would routinely outweigh him by 20kg and more - in a day.
Though possessed of lightning-quick hands and dizzying speed of foot, the power Wilde could generate from his scrawny frame intrigued ring experts throughout his career and he became the subject of a series of medical examinations as doctors sought a scientific answer to his seemingly inhuman strength.
Others put it down to his often weird and wonderful training methods which included sparring with his wife Elizabeth.
With Lizzie Wilde's help, her husband was proclaimed world champion in Britain following his victory over Joe Symonds on Feb 14 1916 but the Americans were less enamoured and withheld recognition until his 11th-round knockout of Young Zulu Kid 10 months later.
Having served as a company sergeant major in the First World War - as a PE instructor in Aldershot he boxed only five times in the years 1917-18 - Wilde made his long-awaited return to the ring against American Joe "Irish" Lynch at the National Sporting Club in Covent Garden on March 31 1919, when a crowd of 10,000 defied the heavy rain lashing the streets of London to stand outside awaiting the announcement of the result over the public address system.
As a ringside scribe of the day described Wilde's bloody and bruising 15-round victory: "It was one of the most wonderful battles ever decided in the historic club and undoubtedly the greatest seen between two little men."
After a 12-month tour of the US - where future world heavyweight champion Gene Tunney said of him: "He is the greatest fighter I've ever seen..." - Wilde took the title into retirement for more than two years before making a misguided comeback at the age of 31 against Filipino Pancho Villa, nine years his junior, in the Polo Grounds, New York amid controversial circumstances; when the bell sounded to end round two, the ex-champ dropped his guard and was poleaxed by a late punch.
Unable to see out of either eye, he fought on with foolhardy courage before being knocked out in the seventh round, only his fourth defeat in 149 pro contests.
He died at the age of 76, a broken man who never fully recovered from being beaten up by a gang of teenagers on a lonely railway station platform. But the legend of Jimmy Wilde will live forever...
@Email:rphilip@thenational.ae
SUCCESSION%20SEASON%204%20EPISODE%201
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
CRICKET%20WORLD%20CUP%20QUALIFIER%2C%20ZIMBABWE%20
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Company%20Profile
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The years Ramadan fell in May
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
ARSENAL IN 1977
Feb 05 Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland
Feb 12 Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal
Feb 15 Middlesbrough 3-0 Arsenal
Feb 19 Arsenal 2-3 West Ham
Feb 26 Middlesbrough 4-1 Arsenal (FA Cup)
Mar 01 Everton 2-1 Arsenal
Mar 05 Arsenal 1-4 ipswich
March 08 Arsenal 1-2 West Brom
Mar 12 QPR 2-1 Arsenal
Mar 23 Stoke 1-1 Arsenal
Apr 02 Arsenal 3-0 Leicester
UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind