On 27 February 1911, at the National Sporting Club in London he defeated Freddie Welsh in a twenty-round bout to win the lightweight championship of Great Britain and take home the Lonsdale belt, becoming the first Jewish boxer to hold the honor.

[5] Wells delivered two hard blows in the ninth that proved his hitting power against a boxer who was noted for exceptional defensive skills.

Wells defeated "Knockout" Brown before an enthusiastic crowd as large as 14,000 on 30 August 1911 in a ten round newspaper decision at New York's famed Madison Square Garden.

[10] On 26 April 1912 he lost to the exceptional American boxer Packey McFarland at Madison Square Garden, in Manhattan, New York City.

The Boston Globe considered McFarland the better boxer in each of the ten rounds, scoring with frequent right uppercuts to the face and body.

[12][13] Wells impressively defeated reigning World Featherweight Champion Abe Attell on 20 September 1911 in New York.

The Press went on to note that "although Attell was clearly outpointed, his defeat was not a disgrace or anything like it for Wells was heavier, stronger, taller, and had a longer reach.

Wells defeated American Ray Bronson, former holder of the World Welterweight Championship, in a seventh round technical knockout in Sydney, Australia on 28 February 1914.

The Boston Globe noted that Wells lacked the power he usually showed in his punch but was ready to mix with Glover, who had he been fighting less cautiously may have scored a knockout.

By the eleventh, Wells, the older boxer by four years, was beginning to show signs of fatigue, but he never failed to mix when required.

Welsh had gained a bit of weight prior to the match which may have affected his speed, and Basham had continued to improve his skills in the previous year.

[22] On 26 December 1919, Wells lost to the accomplished English boxer Ted "Kid" Lewis in twelve of twenty rounds at Royal Albert Hall in Kensington.

[1][5] Taking a serious beating, Wells's face was cut badly and his nose was broken, before he gave up the unequal struggle in the twelfth.