Jimmy Wilde—a little man with a big reputation for delivering knockout wins—comes a close second in the list.
Nicknamed the Mighty Atom, he was a world champion at flyweight. However, he often fought bigger men, simply because they were the only bouts he could get.
Wilde, who served in World War I, retired in 1921 but was tempted back to take on Pancho Villa over two years later. He lost the fight, though only after being left in a bad way by a blow landed after the bell.
In profiling the fighter for Boxing News, George Zeleny wrote, "He had skinny legs, pipe-stem arms and a completely unorthodox fighting style. Persistently attacking opponents while holding his gloves at hip level, and bobbing and weaving as he moved in, he was a difficult opponent to pinpoint with a decisive punch."
