Gogea Mitu (born Goagă Stephen on September 23, 1911 – June 8, 1936) was a Romanian boxer and the tallest Romanian in history (followed by Ghiţă Mureșan). Gogea Mitu is also listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the tallest professional boxer.[1]
Early life
Gogea was the first of 11 children of a poor family, who made their living with agricultural work. Two of the children were, touched by the gigantism: Gogea (eldest son) and his brother Tudorel (who would die at age 7, when measured 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)).
Circus life
Prague circus performances shown in human oddities and is recruiting young people to work on it. Gogea stature was noticed since childhood, so this could be the reason why in the 30's, a circus Prague Romanian bank of the Danube reach the giant 17-years. Gogea entered the caravan and was in all the capitals of Europe, acting as a human oddity.
After a season with the team in Prague, Gogea became very famous in the circus: the famous band of Monaco Globus proposes Oltenian (which could reach street lamps by hand) a financially advantageous contract terms. His role in the proceedings does not change. Gogea remains a "strange man", the song of Monaco circus attraction. People pay good money for a photograph with Gogea and some stories say could double wrought iron bar only with the strength of his arms. At that time Gogea measures 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) and weighs 330 lb (146 kg). Soon come a Romanian boxing promoter Umberto Lancia.
Boxing career
Gogea Mitu Umberto Lancia met at a fair in the district of Obor in Bucharest. After the fortune came out of nowhere, resulted in the contract with the circus in Prague, Gogea Mitu could not suspect that his destiny would take a sudden change. The Italian Umberto Lancia heard so impressive stature of Romanian caravans crossing the Old Continent with the circus and immediately saw an excellent opportunity to make money.
Umberto Martini Lancia was only after Italian origin, born and raised in Bucharest. A former boxer, Lancia and he had a career in the professional ring, for a total of six years, during which he met with 21 bouts. The Italian had been a boxer vuen had achieved 10 wins, three before the deadline, seven bouts ended in draws and just four defeats. In total, the middleweight category, Umberto Lancia is in the ring of 167 rounds. His last argument was recognized in 1932 when he lost to Motz Spakow, after a break of almost three years without boxing.
He is the Mitu Gogea contacted and offered to teach him to box. Taking advantage of his height, his guard was almost impregnable, but the large area of impact that your body gave opponents represent a vulnerability. The first match took place in Craiova, because in any case at the time Gogea Mitu for boxers was unattainable. As now, sports betting were a sports related field, so that viewers were satisfied struggles and support Gogea Mitu, because the end result was easy to find. Of course, there were dissatisfied voices of the public, who observed that savers partners fighting well before the deadline ends at the expense of balanced performance and adrenaline that offers the ultimate gong.
Umberto Lancia is known as the Fair Berti was pretty much the first opponent Gogea Mitu, in an exhibition match in Galati, where about 3,000 spectators were in 1935, in Marsani to see the giant. Umberto Lancia sacrificed to get in the ring with Gogea Mitu, for lack of enemies. Even if taken before the story: Mitu Gogea before, but after his death, Umberto Lancia fate dealt another legend of the noble name of art, Lucian Popescu, triple European champions in different weight classes.
After learning to attack and defend, at least know basic boxing, Gogea Mitu was ready to debut in professional boxing. In his corner, director of photography, as would be called today, and coach was Umberto Lancia. From the shadows, a technician with more experience the Italian Giacomo Pometti.
The first professional boxing match was not great, not at home in Bucharest. His first opponent experienced heavyweight champion Italian Saverio Grizzo. The June 6, 1935, Venus Stadium in Bucharest, one of the most elegant of the time, he hosted his debut as a professional boxer. The fight was scheduled for six rounds, but the size difference between the two was evident from the first exchanges. Saverio Grizzo received some hard blows in the first round and was sent twice to the ground. Referee ring, Jeny Dumitrescu, a leading authority in the field, Italian counted to 9. Before the first break, Grizzo was reunited with the floor it is said, to applause from the audience, by KO. Gogea Mitu walked right the great boxing ring. Gogea Mitu beat Saverio Grizzo by KO in the 2nd round.
In addition, Umberto Lancia outbid and prepared a bout with George Godfrey himself, former world title holder in IBU (International Boxing Union) version. Umberto Lancia knew from the beginning that Gogea Mitu is not ready and does not have the necessary equipment to cope, but his bet that Gogea Mitu win grandstand competitive and experience will be full capacity.
Goodfrey has a reputation to defend, so he accepted the challenge and arrived in Bucharest in June 1935. As in the first pro fight, assumptions go to an expected result. Umberto Lancia knew Gogea Mitu lose, but wanted the audience, especially punters to know that Gogea Mitu is not invincible. Stake and your athlete will harden and remain grounded in the perspective of a long international tour looming on the horizon.
Goodfrey, more technical and more experienced, knew how to counteract the difference in size and Gogea Mitu was defeated via KO in the 4th round.
After two bouts of exibición, Gogea Mitu had a win and a derota. It is therefore possible that the American for taking precautions and not to damage his record, has requested that the comabate either exibición and unofficial.
Gogea Mitu needs at least one more victory to recover morally. It already had been training and upcoming bout against Rumanpo National Heavyweight Champion, Dumitru Pavelescu.
The fighting took place on October 27, 1935, in Room Gibb, a favorite place for organizing galas time. Dumitru Pavelescu was immediately defeated. Basically, Gogea Mitu took only two series of strokes a crochet hook and a baffling. With the force of these blows, Pavelescu Dumitru was unable to resist the superheavy, taking several hard blows to the head.
The same arbitrator, Dumitrescu Jeny said the fight was uneven, stop the rain of blows from Gogea Mitu. After a few seconds, Dumitru Palevescu was stripped of the title Romanian Champion. Mitu Gogea expected to be the start of a successful career.
When your technical staff found that Gogea Mitu was ready to appear before international public opinion, he had come a long trip through Italy and France. Gogea Mitu was included in the program of small-scale galas, which literally crushed his opponents. Imposing size to attract the audience was like a magnet. He has not born a fighter who can defeat Gogea Mitu. The defeat against United States Champion, George Goodfrey, had been forgotten. Boxing fans Italian and French Goea Mitu thought was invincible.
After all disputed bouts won astronomical amounts of money and of course Umberto Lancia enriched with it. Gogea Mitu sends a lot of money to his poor family Marsani. Contemporary stories count as the postman brought in two or three bags of money home for parents and their count Gogea Mitu was a very laborious work.
Gogea Mitu had enormous potential and had made a quick progrevo. It was asesoraro by Umberto Lancia and was perfectly suited to a young leave Marsani to conquer the world.
Gogea Mitu had initiated a brilliant career in boxing and had to termimnar so abruptly; and tragically. We stop below the recent meetings they have had in its center. First, the December 13, 1935, he crossed gloves with the professional Romanian Italian Giuseppe Sanga to a packed Palais des Sports in Paris. Gogea Mitu won by KO in the 2nd round.
On January 2, 1936, Gogea Mitu faces German-French Bergman, also in Paris. He decided to face a great opponent of 2.05 m. and boxer with tremendous footwork and often surprised Gogea Mitu often unguarded. Mitu was exhausted Gogea obviously debilitating lung disease, tuberculosis. The battle lasted six rounds and was a draw.
Gogea Mitu Marsani leaves in the spring of 1936, Umberto Lancia targets are international tournaments, which had recorded all outstanding financial results.
In April 1936, Umberto Lancia French tried to present our journey as a success, although Gogea Mitu was sick, even before going to France. Umberto Lancia says.. "We were very unlucky, could not Gogea debut in Paris in satisfactory condition undermined by the disease, which could not have the conquest enthusiasm necessary speed Immediately after exposure, I consulted with Dr. Sanga Simionescu, the most important health for the lungs of prophylaxis turerculozei services. He assured me that Gogea Mitu is not threatened by a lung disease. However, I felt that my student for two months and could not be activated. Although only partially reconstructed started on a journey through Strasbourg, Metz, Nancy, Reims. I stayed a week in each city exhibitii together. These exhibitii greatly enjoyed by the public and leaving aside all modesty I dare say we had a success. "
Umberto Lancia, who had no way of knowing that in two months the disease tuberculosis Gogea Mitu completely deteriorate your health and would cause death. Umberto Lancia admits he went to France with Gogea Mitu already sick and climbed into the ring a man who suffers, therefore, an unusual physical weakness. According to Umberto Lancia after 2 rounds comabte with Giuseppe Sanga, Gogea Mitu falls to bed until late February or may not even make combats exibición. Umberto Lancia, who probably suspected tuberculosis, consult a doctor later said in outpatient suspected pulmonary tuberculosis disease.
Death and Burial
Returning from France in April 1936 to the early summer of 1936, particularly in June, Gogea returned by train from Istanbul to Bucharest. I was contacted again a cold (probably current train) and was advised to postpone his departure for Umberto Lancia Marsani. Gogea disappeared media attention. His illness worsened and he was hospitalized in Bucharest Philanthropy. Doctors tried to save injecting several injections around the navel. The doctors were at the head of Gogea until he breathed his last. The expert team did everything possible to save Gogeau, but tuberculosis contracted in childhood had been fatal. After a few days he died on June 8, 1936 at the Military Hospital Sanitarium, his body was deposited at the morgue, where it will conduct an autopsy at the request of the family that was made by the deputy director in the IML while Theodor Vasiliu, a leading authority in the field, then director of IML between 1938 and 1956. The funeral was held in his hometown, Marsani, where he was buried.
Exhumation of the skeleton
In the 80s his remains were exhumed at the request of the Department of Anatomy and History of the Medical University of Craiova, at the initiative of Professor Michael Schiau. "I did it because his skeleton was a precious object of study dug with great difficulty, because his followers are opposed and then tried to take it. For science, Gogea Mitu is more useful in Uiversidad in the well, "Professor Schiau (born in 1924) said. From then until now, the skeleton of Gogea Mitu served as teaching material for countless generations of medical students. After several years in which it is exhibited at the Medical Legal Institute Museum in Bucharest, the skeleton is returned to Craiova. Now he rests in a niche covered with double glazing and is admired by new generations of Medicine Craiova.
Professional boxing record
| 10 Wins (10 knockouts), 1 Losses, 1 Draws, |
| Res. |
Record |
Opponent |
Type |
Round |
Date |
Location |
Notes |
| Win |
10-1-1 |
 Umberto Lancia |
KO | 3 (10) |
1936/04/21 |  Reims, Marne, Champagne-Ardenne, France |
Exhibition |
| Win |
9-1-1 |
Umberto Lancia |
KO | 3 (10) |
1936/04/14 | Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, France |
Exhibition |
| Win |
8-1-1 |
Umberto Lancia |
KO | 3 (10) |
1936/04/07 | Metz, Moselle, Lorraine, France |
Exhibition |
| Win |
7-1-1 |
Umberto Lancia |
KO | 3 (10) |
1936/04/01 | Strasburg, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France |
Exhibition |
| Draw |
6-1-1 |
 Bergman |
PTS | 6 (6) |
1936/01/02 | Palais des Sports, Paris, Paris, France |
Profesional |
| Win |
6-1 |
 Giuseppe Sanga |
KO | 2 (10) |
1935/12/09 | Palais des Sports, Paris, Paris, France |
Exhibition |
| Win |
5-1 |
Dumitru Pavelescu |
KO | 1 (10) |
1935/10/27 | Gibb Hall, Bucharest, Muntenia, Romania |
Profesional |
| Win |
4-1 |
Umberto Lancia |
KO | 3 (10) |
1935/08/10 | Eforie Sud, Eforie City, Constanţa County, Romania |
Exhibition |
| Win |
3-1 |
Umberto Lancia |
KO | 3 (10) |
1935/08/03 | Galați, Galați County, Sud-Est, Romania |
Exhibition |
| Loss |
2-1 |
 George Godfrey |
KO | 4 (10) |
1935/06/30 | Bucharest, Muntenia, Romania |
Exhibition |
| Win |
2-0 |
Saverio Grizzo |
KO | 1 (6) |
1935/06/07 | Venus Stadium, Bucharest, Muntenia, Romania |
Profesional |
| Win |
1-0 |
Umberto Lancia |
KO | 3 (10) |
1935/05/12 | Galați, Galați County, Sud-Est, Romania |
Exhibition |
References
External links
