By Eion Jardine
Over the years boxing has become one of the most popular spectator sports in the World. A champion often becomes a National Hero. It has been this way since the beginning of the sport and it was no different on April 10, 1934 when Motee `Kid Singh’ a former world rater of British Guiana became the first pugilist to win the world’s Indian Featherweight title.
`Kid’ Singh born May 13, 1909, in Berbice migrated with his parents in 1924, to the United States where he took up the sport of boxing at 14. Motee had his first fight on April 19, 1925 in Chicago against Bobby Russell who he stopped in the fourth round and followed up with seven more bouts the same year winning three and losing four. Among opponents he defeated were Joey Schwartz, John Walker and Jack McFee. The Guianese was popular wherever he fought be it in Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Brooklyn, New York or Rockaway. They loved the `Kid’. He was matched with the hard hitting Johnny Vacca on February 20, 1927 in Los Angeles with Motee showing some of his power knocking Vacca out in the 7th Round. `Kid’ Singh rolled off eight more wins and two draws between 1928 and 1929. Around that time there was a boxer by the name of Joseph Robert Lo Sealzo, known as `Midget Wolgast’, and who, unknowing to Motee was to be the man to deny him a world title crack. The Flyweight title was vacant at that time and the main contenders were `Kid’ Singh, Wolgast, Phil Tobias and Black Bill. But for Singh to wear the crown, he had to get past Tobias who had defeated `Wolgast’. Tobias had also lost to Black Bill so it was Singh to play his cards next. The fight was set for October 19, 1929 in Brooklyn New York, the home town of his opponent.
But this never bothered Motee who exhibited good skills to jab his way to a points decision over the more experienced Tobias and at the same time make way for a showdown with `Wolgast’ to decide who took on Bill for the vacant title. Between November and December of the same year, Wolgast had scored four victories the last being on December 3rd. Eleven days later Wolgast then with a record of 72 fights, 67 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw on December 14, 1929, in New York, took on `Kid’ Singh. Singh had floored Wolgast in the third round, and boxed beautifully in the early rounds, but the American came back strongly in the latter rounds and stole the victory. And so it was Wolgast who captured the title on March 21, 1930 beating Black Bill over 15 rounds and winning the vacant New York, World Flyweight title. Wolgast went on to put together a record of 202 fights winning 150. He died on October 19, 1955 in his hometown. The Kid went on to defeat Speed Dado knocking him out in five rounds. Dado had fought Wolfast to a draw.
He then sailed to London where he had five bouts winning 2 of them and losing the others. The two that he won were against Jim Crawford, KO 4 and “Snow Ball” Reynolds, KO 8, before setting sail for South Africa. His first fight on African soil was against George Frenchman who he demolished in 3 rounds. He then travelled to Johannesburg August 24, 1933 and knocked out Babe Smith in the Seventh round. He then went up against the Capetown Champion Sonny Thomas destroying him in four rounds. The `Kid’ was becoming unbeatable at this time and on November 25, 1933, in Durban took on Arthur Cupido winning a points decision over 15 rounds in an elimination for the Indian World Featherweight Title. Immediately after, he signed up for a title crack against the World’s Indian Featherweight Champion, Mannie Dixon. The fight took place on April 10, 1934 in South Africa. Singh entered the ring first followed by the champion wearing the gold belt. The first four rounds were dominated by Nixon but the Guyanese came back to take the following five, then came the crucial round. Singh startled Dixon with a vicious right to the jaw and the champion went down for a count of nine. He got up on rubbery legs, but Singh never gave his opponent any time to recover, landing another blistering right to the face, sending the champion to the canvas for the second and last time. Now in possession of the Championship belt, Motee was invited to India but elected to return to England. His first bout was in Liverpool on June 29, 1934 where he knocked out Joe Croft in five rounds. `Kid’ Singh’s second chance for a World Title crack came on July 5, 1934 when he met Billy Gannon in London in an elimination for the world’s Featherweight title.
After an even four rounds, Singh was disqualified in the fifth round for hitting low. Singh went on to win two more bouts and lost two. Nursing a hand injury Motee retired to take a rest and travelled to Trinidad and Tobago in 1935. While there he suffered two back-to-back defeats at the hands of the Trinidadian champion Al Tunney. Bruised and scarred after many battles in the “Square Jungle” Motee then sailed to Georgetown, British Guiana his homeland and on January 1st 1936 Singh challenged the Featherweight Champion of British Guiana, William Richard Adrian AKA `Kid Tanner’ and was knocked out in sixth round. The old Champion was no match for the young `Tiger’. They had a return match this time Singh went the full distance losing on points. Motee had three more fights in Guyana knocking out young Tiger of Trinidad and drawing two with Cecil Barnwell and Joe Beckles of Trinidad. `Kid’ Singh had his last bout on February 9, 1938 in London where he lost to Chick Jones over 10 rounds. There was no report on Singh’s defence of his Indian Featherweight Title. He retired in 1939 and eventually flew for Spain in the war. He died in London, England in 1971, he was 62 years old, His record was 59 fights 33 won, 21 lost, 5 drawn, 18 won by KOs.
