- World flyweight champion Jimmy Wilde (left) and British welterweight champion Johnnie Basham.
The military boxing tournament which was promoted by the 6th Reserve Brigade Royal Field Artillery on the Luton Town football ground on Saturday evening [June 23rd, 1917] was a very successful sporting event organised with a view to aiding local charities, especially hospitals affording accommodation to soldier patients.
There were 1,500 spectators, and the outstanding attraction was the visit of two champions and Lonsdale belt winners - Staff-Sgt Jimmy Wilde, fly-weight champion of the world, and Sgt Johnnie Basham (Royal Welsh Fusiliers), welterweight champion of Great Britain - both of whom had enthusiastic receptions and gave masterly expositions of ring craft.
Wilde figured in three-round exhibitions with Driver Burnham (R.F.A.) and Pte W. Ireland (Training Reserve Battalion, and Basham was quite as entertaining in his bouts with Sgt Bates (R.F.A.) and Horace Smith, a well-known Lutonian. Wilde afterwards offered his gloves for sale for the good of the cause, and they realised £2, while Basham's fetched another £1.
Another exhibition bout was given by Air Mechanic George Hatto (R.F.C.), feather-weight champion of Wales, and challenger for the Lonsdale belt, and A. Riches, London Scottish and Lynn Athletic Clubs.
Of three ten-round contests only one went the full length, Ted Childs (Kent's Ltd) gaining the verdict after a spirited encounter with Sykes Albone, and local Childs' success was the more popular in that he is something of a veteran and such an enthusiast that he succeeded in disposing of £26 worth of tickets.
Gunner H. G. Osborne (R.F.A.) gave in to Jack Long in the third round, and Driver T. Jones put out Pte A.S. Cann (Training Reserve) in the first round.
The best six-round contest was between Pte W. M. Powell (Training Reserve) and Gunner Monksfield (R.F.A.), both of whom had all they could do to finish the course. A draw would have been a more popular verdict that a victory for Powell, but Monksfield had a handsome consolation in the award of a lovely silver cup presented by the Sergeants' Mess for the best and cleanest fight by one of the Biscot men.
Pte W. F. Devive (Training Reserve) was knocked down by Pte A. E. Ward, one of his comrades, in the second round, and two others of the same battalion - Pte A. Shrubshall and Pte S. Simpson - failed to survive a round against Driver Morgan and Gunner D. Leete (R.F.A.).
Two Modern School boys, Lance Weatherhead and Dick Harris, provided an attractive three rounds in which Weatherhead deservedly gained the verdict.
The prizewinners in competition bouts were: Bantam - 1 Pte Higgs (T.R.), 2 Driver Pepperall (R.F.A.); Lightweight - 1 Gunner White (R.F.A.), 2 Gunner Large ( R.F.A.); Welterweight - 1 Shoeing Smith Carter (R.F.A., Hemel Hempstead), 2 Gunner Carter ( R.F.A.); 10-stone open novice - Gunner Powell (R.F.A.) beat Pte Pallant (Training Reserve).
[The Luton Reporter: June 25th, 1917]