Georges Carpentier

Georges Carpentier
Statistics
Rated at Welterweight
Middleweight
Light Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Height 5 ft 11 12 in (182 cm)[1]
Nationality French
Born January 12, 1894[1]
Lievin, Pas-de-Calais, France
Died October 28, 1975(1975-10-28) (aged 81)
Paris, France
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights 109
Wins 88
Wins by KO 56
Losses 14
Draws 6
No contests 1

Georges Carpentier (pronounced car-pont-yay) (January 12, 1894 – October 28, 1975) was a French boxer, actor and World War I pilot.[2] He fought mainly as a light heavyweight and heavyweight in a career lasting from 1908 to 1926. Nicknamed the "Orchid Man",[1] he stood 5 feet 11 12 inches (182 cm) and his fighting weight ranged from 126 to 175 pounds (57 to 79 kg).[1] Carpentier was known for his speed, his excellent boxing skills and his extremely hard punch. Halle Georges Carpentier is named after him.

Biography

Born in Liévin in Pas-de-Calais, Carpentier began his career by progressing up through the weight divisions, fighting in every division from welterweight upwards. With his first professional bout at age 14, he was welterweight champion of France and of Europe in 1911, middleweight champion of Europe in 1912, and light heavyweight champion of Europe in 1913. On June 1, 1913, he beat "Bombardier" Billy Wells in Ghent, Belgium to become heavyweight champion of Europe. He defended his title in December against Wells, in January 1914 against Pat O'Keefe and in London on July 16 he beat Ed "Gunboat" Smith to add the "White Heavyweight Champion of the World" to his European title. The white heavyweight title bout sported a purse worth 9,000 pounds sterling (equivalent to approximately $999,320 in today's funds[3]).

Carpentier was also a referee during the early stages of his career, supervising a number of fights including the world title bout between Jack Johnson and Frank Moran in June 1914. Carpentier was a French Air Force aviator during World War I and was awarded two of the highest French military honors, the Croix de Guerre and the Médaille Militaire. This served to heighten his already exceptional popularity, not only in France but in the United States and England as well.

Jack Dempsey and Georges Carpentier boxed in the first million-dollar gate.

Carpentier defended his title twice again in 1919 before dropping down a weight class to challenge Battling Levinsky for the light heavyweight championship of the world. The fight took place on October 12, 1920, in Jersey City and Levinsky was knocked out in the fourth. Carpentier's attempt at the heavyweight Championship of the world came on July 2, 1921, again in Jersey City, when he faced Jack Dempsey in front of boxing's first million dollar gate (equivalent to approximately $13,266,791 in today's funds[3]). Carpentier was badly beaten around before suffering a knockout in the second minute of the fourth round. Carpentier never fought again for that title. He lost his world light heavyweight title and his European heavyweight and light heavyweight titles the following year, on September 24, 1922, in a controversial bout with Senegalese fighter Battling Siki. His last truly noteworthy fight was on July 24, 1924, with Gene Tunney at the Polo Grounds in New York; Carpentier lost the bout by TKO after fifteen rounds. He retired from the ring after a final exhibition bout in 1927.

Following his retirement from boxing, Carpentier spent a number of years as a vaudeville song-and-dance man, mostly in England and the US. He is the author of a boxing novel, "Brothers of the Brown Owl a story of the boxing ring" published c1920 by Cassell and Company (being a volume in the uniform Cassell's Empire Library). He also appeared in half a dozen motion pictures, starring in both silent films and talkies. He made three films in Hollywood, one for director J. Stuart Blackton in England and two in his native France. His last screen appearance was in 1934. Soon after, he became proprietor of an upmarket bar, Chez Georges Carpentier, in a chic Paris neighborhood. In several different locations, this is the profession he would exercise until shortly before his death.

From the time they boxed together in 1921, Carpentier remained close friends with Jack Dempsey. They visited each other in New York and Paris, got together to commemorate the anniversary of their famous bout and exchanged birthday greetings.

Death

Carpentier died in Paris in 1975 of a heart attack, and was buried in the cimetière de Vaires-sur-Marne, Seine-et-Marne, France.[2]

Legacy

He was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991.[4]

Selected filmography

Professional boxing record

88 Wins (57 Knockouts), 14 Defeats (9 Knockouts), 6 Draws, 1 No Contest[5]
Res. Record Opponent Type Rd., Time Date Location Notes
Win 88-14-6 United States Rocco Stramaglia KO 3 1926-09-15 United States Elks Gym, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Win 87-14-6 United States Jack Burke KO 2 (4) 1926-07-07 United States Denver, Colorado
Loss 86-14-6 United States Tommy Loughran UD 10 1926-06-17 United States Sesquicentennial Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Draw 86-13-6 United States Eddie Huffman PTS 10 1926-05-21 United States Armory A.A., Boston, Massachusetts
Loss 86-13-5 United States Gene Tunney TKO 15 (15) 1924-07-24 United States Polo Grounds, New York, New York The Ring magazine's "Fight of the Year" (1924)
Loss N/A United States Tommy Gibbons NWS 10 1924-05-31 United States Floyd Fitzsimmons' Arena, Michigan City, Indiana Newspaper Decision
Win 86-12-5 United Kingdom Arthur Townley KO 2 (10) 1924-05-01 Austria Stadion Hohe Warte, Vienna
Win 85-12-5 United Kingdom Joe Beckett KO 1 (20) 1923-10-01 United Kingdom Olympia, Kensington, London
Win 84-12-5 France Marcel Nilles KO 8 (15) 1923-05-06 France Stade Velodrome, Paris
Loss 83-12-5 Senegal Battling Siki KO 6 (20) 1922-09-24 France Buffalo Stadium, Paris Lost World Light Heavyweight Title.
Win 83-11-5 United Kingdom Kid Lewis KO 1 (20) 1922-05-11 United Kingdom Olympia, Kensington, London Retained World Light Heavyweight Title.
Win 82-11-5 Australia George Cook KO 4 (10) 1922-01-12 United Kingdom Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London
Loss 81-11-5 United States Jack Dempsey KO 4 (12) 1921-07-02 United States Boyle's Thirty Acres, Jersey City, New Jersey For World Heavyweight Title.
Win 81-10-5 United States Battling Levinsky KO 4 (12), 0:07 1920-10-12 United States Westside Ballpark, Jersey City, New Jersey Won World Light Heavyweight Title.
Win 80-10-5 Belgium Georges Grundhoven KO 2 (20) 1920-02-26 France Casino de Beausoleil, Beausoleil, Alpes-Maritimes
Win 79-10-5 United States Blink McCloskey KO 2 (10) 1920-01-10 France Bordeaux, Gironde
Win 78-10-5 United Kingdom Joe Beckett KO 1 (10), 1:10 1919-12-04 United Kingdom Holborn Stadium, Holborn, London
Win 77-10-5 France Jean Croissilles KO 2 (20) 1919-09-29 Spain Teatro Bellas Artes, San Sebastian, País Vasco
Win 76-10-5 United Kingdom Dick Smith KO 8 (20) 1919-07-19 France Cirque de Paris, Paris
Win 75-10-5 United Kingdom Kid Jackson DQ 4 (10) 1914-07-26 France Bordeaux, Gironde
Win 74-10-5 United States Gunboat Smith DQ 6 (20) 1914-07-16 United Kingdom Olympia, Kensington, London
Win 73-10-5 Philippe Robinson KO 3 1914-06-14 France Beziers, Hérault
Win 72-10-5 France Hubert Roc KO 2 1914-06-02 France Hippodrome, Valenciennes, Nord
Win 71-10-5 United Kingdom George Mitchell KO 1 1914-04-14 France Paris
Win 70-10-5 France Irish O'Mara KO 2 1914-04-13 France Blois, Loir-et-Cher
Loss 69-10-5 United States Joe Jeanette PTS 15 1914-03-21 France Luna Parc, Porte Maillot, Paris
Win 69-9-5 United Kingdom Pat O'Keefe KO 2 (20) 1914-01-19 France Nice, Alpes-Maritimes
Win 68-9-5 United Kingdom Bombardier Billy Wells KO 1 (20) 1913-12-08 United Kingdom National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London
Win 67-9-5 United Kingdom Jim Lancaster KO 2 (12) 1913-10-31 Switzerland Geneva
Win 66-9-5 United States Jeff Smith PTS 20 1913-10-11 France Luna Parc Arena, Paris
Win 65-9-5 France Irish O'Mara KO 2 1913-08-10 France Vichy, Allier
Win 64-9-5 Ashley Williams KO 4 (20) 1913-08-06 France Vichy, Allier
Win 63-9-5 France Albert Lurie TKO 3 1913-06-29 France Bordeaux, Gironde
Win 62-9-5 United Kingdom Bombardier Billy Wells KO 4 (20) 1913-06-01 Belgium Feestpaleis, Ghent, Oost-Vlaanderen
Win 61-9-5 United States George Gunther PTS 15 1913-03-17 France Nice, Alpes-Maritimes
Win 60-9-5 United States Cyclone Smith KO 3 1913-03-01 France Nice, Alpes-Maritimes
Win 59-9-5 United Kingdom Bandsman Dick Rice KO 2 (20) 1913-02-12 France Cirque de Paris, Paris
Win 58-9-5 France Marcel Moreau TKO 8 (20) 1913-01-08 France Cirque de Paris, Paris
Loss 57-9-5 United States Billy Papke TKO 18 (20) 1912-10-23 France Cirque de Paris, Paris
Loss 57-8-5 United States Frank Klaus DQ 19 (20) 1912-06-24 France Dieppe, Seine-Maritime For World Middleweight Title.
Win 57-7-5 United States Willie Lewis PTS 20 1912-05-22 France Cirque de Paris, Paris
Win 56-7-5 France Hubert Roc KO 6 1912-05-10 France Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône
Win 55-7-5 United States George Gunther PTS 20 1912-04-04 France Cirque de Paris, Paris
Win 54-7-5 United Kingdom Jim Sullivan KO 2 (20) 1912-02-29 Monaco Monte Carlo
Win 53-7-5 United Kingdom Charles Bradley KO 2 1912-01-27 France Rouen, Seine-Maritime
Win 52-7-5 France Battling La Croix KO 4 1912-01-20 France Rouen, Seine-Maritime
Win 51-7-5 United Kingdom Jim Taylor KO 4 1912-01-14 France Lille, Nord
Win 50-7-5 United States Harry Lewis PTS 20 1911-12-13 France Cirque de Paris, Paris
Win 49-7-5 Theo Clay KO 9 1911-11-17 France Boulogne, Pas-de-Calais
Win 48-7-5 United Kingdom Young Joseph KO 10 (20) 1911-10-23 United Kingdom King's Hall, London
Win 47-7-5 United Kingdom Sid Burns KO 15 (15) 1911-10-02 United Kingdom Earls Court Arena, Kensington, London
Loss 46-7-5 United States Dixie Kid TKO 5 (15) 1911-08-29 France Trouville, Calvados
Win 46-6-5 United Kingdom Arthur Evernden PTS 15 1911-08-14 France Cabourg, Calvados
Win 45-6-5 United Kingdom Jack Goldswain KO 4 (15) 1911-06-23 France National Sporting Club, Paris
Win 44-6-5 France Robert Eustache TKO 16 (20) 1911-06-10 France Cirque de Paris, Paris
Win 43-6-5 United States Frank Loughrey PTS 15 1911-05-20 France Cirque de Paris, Paris
Win 42-6-5 France Henri 'K.O.' Marchand KO 7 1911-04-23 France Arras, Pas-de-Calais
Win 41-6-5 G Colbourne PTS 10 1911-04-08 Belgium Brussels
Win 40-6-5 United Kingdom Sid Stagg PTS 10 1911-04-01 France Roubaix, Nord

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 James B. Roberts & Alexander G. Skutt (2006). The Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall of Fame Official Record Book. USA: McBooks Press. p. 83. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  2. 1 2 Radosta, John S. (October 29, 1975). "Georges Carpentier, Boxer, Dies in Paris; He Fought Dempsey at Boyle's Thirty Acres in 1921". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-16. Georges Carpentier, who lost on a fourth-round knockout to Jack Dempsey in boxing's first $1million gate, died last night of a heart attack. He was 81 years old.
  3. 1 2 "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  4. John Grasso (2014). Historical Dictionary of Boxing. USA: Scarecrow Press. p. 89. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  5. Georges Carpentier's Professional Boxing Record. BoxRec.com. Retrieved on 2014-05-03.

External links

Achievements
Preceded by
Battling Levinsky
World Light Heavyweight Champion
12 October 1920 – 24 September 1922
Succeeded by
Battling Siki
Titles in pretence
Vacant World Middleweight Champion
29 February 1912 - 24 June 1912
Succeeded by
Frank Klaus
Preceded by
Gunboat Smith
World White Heavyweight Champion
16 July 1914 - 5 April 1915
Title defunct when
Jess Willard
wins World Championship
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