Georges Carpentier

Infobox_Boxer
name = Georges Carpentier
realname = Georges Carpentier


nickname = orchid man
nationality = flagicon|France French
weight = Welterweight
Middleweight
Light Heavyweight
Heavyweight
birth_date = January 12, 1894
birth_place = Lievin, Lens, Pas-de-Calais, France
death_date = death date and age|1975|10|28|1894|1|12|mf=y
death_place =
style = Orthodox
total = 109
wins = 88
KO = 56
losses = 14
draws = 6
no contests = 1

Georges Carpentier (pronouced "car-pun-tee-eh")(January 12, 1894 – October 28, 1975) was a French boxer. He fought mainly as a light heavyweight and heavyweight in a career lasting from 1908-26. Nicknamed the "Orchid Man," he stood 5 ft 11½ in (1.82 m) and his fighting weight ranged from 125 to 175 lb (57 to 79 kg). Carpentier was known for his speed, his excellent boxing skills and his extremely hard punch.

Born in Liévin near Lens, 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 Championship of the World" to his European title. 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 an 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 phenomenal popularity, not only in France but in the United States and England as well.

Carpentier defended his title twice again in 1919 before dropping down a weight 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. 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 a vaudeville song-and-dance man, mostly in England and the US. 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.

Beginning in 1921 and continuing throughout the rest of their lives, he and one-time opponent Jack Dempsey would remain close friends, visiting back and forth in New York and Paris, getting together to commemorate anniversary of their famous bout and exchanging birthday greetings.

Carpentier died in 1975 and was buried in the Cimetiere de Vaires-sur Marne, Seine-et-Marne, France.

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

References

External links

*
* [http://www.genetunney.com/newspaper54.html Carpentier vs Gene Tunney - Fight by Rounds - July 25, 1924]
* [http://www.genetunney.com/newspaper55.html Carpentier vs Gene Tunney - July 25, 1924]
*

Persondata
NAME=Carpentier, Georges
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=French boxer
DATE OF BIRTH=January 12, 1894
PLACE OF BIRTH=Liévin, France
DATE OF DEATH=October 28, 1975
PLACE OF DEATH=