Georges Carpentier (; 12 January 1894 – 28 October 1975) was a French boxer, actor and World War I pilot. A precocious pugilist, Carpentier fought in numerous categories. He fought mainly as a light heavyweight and heavyweight in a career lasting from 1908 to 1926. A French professional champion on several occasions, he became the European heavyweight champion before the First World War. A sergeant aviator during the Great War, he was wounded before returning to civilian life. He then discovered rugby union, playing as a winger.
On his return to the ring in 1919, "le grand Georges" ("the great Georges" in English) he was celebrated as a symbol of a sporting powerhouse France, via performances in Great Britain and the United States of America. His knockout victory over Battling Levinsky on 12 October 1920 in Jersey City in the United States earned him the title of world champion. A defeat by Jack Dempsey the following year nevertheless strengthened his legend and brought him worldwide fame. This defeat marked the decline of his career, punctuated by the controversial loss of his titles to Battling Siki.
Nicknamed the "Orchid Man", he stood and his fighting weight ranged from .
Later notable performances included a defeat by Gene Tunney. Carpentier ended his career in 1926, but remained a leading figure in French boxing. Appointed ambassador for French sport abroad after the Second World War, in which he took part in the French Air Force, Carpentier died of a heart attack in 1975. A decade after his death, the Parisian Sports Arena in the 13th arrondissement of Paris was renamed Halle Georges-Carpentier after him. Along with Marcel Cerdan, he remains one of France's best boxers.
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. After making 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 1 June 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'Keeffe and in London on 16 July 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 (equivalent to approximately £ today).
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 also in the United Kingdom and the United States.
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 12 October 1920, in Jersey City and Levinsky was knocked out in the fourth. Carpentier's attempt at the heavyweight Championship of the world came on 2 July 1921, again in Jersey City, when he faced Jack Dempsey in front of boxing's first million dollar gate (approximately $ today). Carpentier was badly beaten around before suffering a knockout in the second minute of the fourth round and 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 24 September 1922, in a controversial bout with Senegalese fighter Battling Siki. His last truly noteworthy fight was on 24 July 1924, with Gene Tunney at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan, New York City. 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 the UK and the US. As a singer he cut two sides on a gramophone record in 1927 for Pathé, in the style of French singer Maurice Chevalier. He is the author of a boxing novel, Brothers of the Brown Owl: A Story of the Boxing Ring published c. 1920 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, US, 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 neighbourhood. 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 at age 81 in 1975 of a heart attack, and was buried in the cimetière de Vaires-sur-Marne, Seine-et-Marne, France.
Legacy He was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991.
Selected filmography The Wonder Man (1920) A Gipsy Cavalier (1922) The Show of Shows (1929) Hold Everything (1930) Toboggan (1934)
Professional boxing record
All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column. ResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateAgeLocationNotes112WinRocco StramagliaKO3 (12)15 September 1926111Win88–15–6 Jack BurkeKO2 (4)7 July 1926110Loss87–15–6 Tommy LoughranUD1017 June 1926109Draw87–14–6 Eddie HuffmanPTS1021 May 1926108Loss87–14–5 Gene TunneyTKO15 (15)24 July 1924.107Loss87–13–5 Tommy GibbonsNWS1031 May 1924106Win87–13–5 Arthur TownleyKO2 (10)1 May 1924105Win86–13–5 Joe BeckettKO1 (20)1 October 1923104Win85–13–5 Marcel NillesKO8 (20)6 May 1923103Loss84–13–5 Battling SikiKO6 (20)24 September 1922102Win84–12–5 Ted 'Kid' LewisKO1 (20)11 May 1922101Win83–12–5 George CookKO4 (10)12 January 1922100Loss82–12–5 Jack DempseyKO4 (12)2 Jul 192199Win82–11–5 Battling LevinskyKO4 (12)12 October 192098Win81–11–5 Georges GrundhovenKO2 (15)21 February 192097Win80–11–5 Blink McCloskeyKO2 (15)10 January 192096Win79–11–5 Joe BeckettKO1 (20)4 December 191995Win78–11–5 Jean CroissillesKO2 (20)29 September 191994Win77–11–5 Dick SmithKO8 (20)19 July 191993Win76–11–5 Kid JacksonDQ4 (15)26 July 191492Win75–11–5 Gunboat SmithDQ6 (20)16 July 191491Win74–11–5 Battling RobinsonKO3 (?)14 June 191490Win73–11–5 Hubert RocKO2 (12)31 May 191489Win72–11–5 George MitchellTKO1 (6)14 April 191488Win71–11–5 Irish O'MaraKO2 (15)13 April 191487Loss70–11–5 Joe JeannettePTS1521 March 191486Win70–10–5 Pat O'KeeffeKO2 (15)19 January 191485Win69–10–5 Bombardier Billy WellsKO1 (20)8 December 191384Win68–10–5 Max AbbatKO3 (12)31 October 191383Win67–10–5 Jeff SmithPTS2011 October 191382Win66–10–5 Ashley WilliamsKO4 (12)6 August 191381Win65–10–5 Albert LurieTKO3 (?)29 June 191380Win64–10–5 Bombardier Billy WellsKO4 (20)1 June 191379Win63–10–5 George GuntherPTS1517 March 191378Win62–10–5 Willy SchootKO2 (10)8 March 191377Win61–10–5 Cyclone SmithKO3 (20)1 March 191376Win60–10–5 Bandsman Dick RiceKO2 (20)12 February 191375Win59–10–5 Marcel MoreauTKO8 (20)8 January 191374Loss58–10–5 Billy PapkeTKO18 (20)23 October 191273Loss58–9–5 Frank KlausDQ19 (20)24 June 191272Win58–8–5 Willie LewisPTS2022 May 191271Win57–8–5 Hubert RocKO6 (?)10 May 191270Win56–8–5 George GuntherPTS203 April 191269Win55–8–5 Jim SullivanKO2 (20)29 February 191268Win54–8–5 Charles BradleyKO2 (?)27 January 191267Win53–8–5 Battling LacroixTKO6 (15)17 January 191266Win52–8–5 Battling TaylorKO4 (?)13 January 191265Win51–8–5 Harry LewisPTS2013 December 191164Win50–8–5 Battling LacroixKO9 (15)25 November 191163Win49–8–5 Theo GrayKO9 (?)17 November 191162Win48–8–5 Young JosephRTD10 (20)23 October 191161Win47–8–5 Sid BurnsPTS152 October 191160Loss46–8–5 Dixie KidTKO5 (15)19 August 191159Win46–7–5 Arthur EverndenPTS1514 August 191158Win45–7–5 Jack GoldswainKO4 (15)23 June 191157Win44–7–5 Robert EustacheTKO16 (20)10 June 191156Win43–7–5 Frank LoughreyPTS1520 May 191155Win42–7–5 Henri MarchandKO6 (15)23 April 191154Win41–7–5 George ColbournePTS108 April 191153Win40–7–5 Sid StaggPTS101 April 191152Win39–7–5 Jack MeekinsPTS1025 March 191151Win38–7–5 Henri MarchandKO6 (?)15 March 191150Win37–7–5 Harry StaessensKO1 (10)12 March 191149Win36–7–5 Young NipperPTS81 March 191148Loss35–7–5 Henri PietPTS1027 January 191147Win35–6–5 George RandallKO5 (15)14 January 191146Win34–6–5 Edouard BrochetKO7 (15)8 January 191145Win33–6–5 Jack DanielsPTS1017 December 191044Win32–6–5 Henri DemlenPTS103 December 191043Win31–6–5 George RandallTKO10 (10)19 November 191042Win30–6–5 Young WilliamsKO7 (?)6 November 191041Win29–6–5 Jim CampbellKO5 (10)22 October 191040Win28–6–5 Percy WilsonPTS1015 October 191039Draw27–6–5 Jean AudouyPTS108 October 191038Win27–6–4 Fernand CunyTKO8 (?)13 August 191037Win26–6–4 Hubert BaelenKO2 (?)17 July 191036Draw25–6–4 Paul TilPTS158 July 191035Win25–6–3 Louis AchilleKO6 (10)11 June 191034Loss24–6–3 Fernand CunyTKO13 (?)16 April 191033Loss24–5–3 Ted BroadribbTKO4 (?)9 April 191032Win24–4–3 Georges GloriaKO8 (?)3 April 191031Win23–4–3 Fernand CunyPTS1026 March 191030Win22–4–3 Louis AchilleKO5 (10)20 March 191029Loss21–4–3 Buck ShinePTS1012 March 191028Win21–3–3 Wally PickardKO8 (10)5 February 19102720–3–3 Paul TilNC8 (15)14 January 191026Win20–3–3Georges GaillardPTS108 January 191025Win19–3–3Young WarnerDQ7 (10)5 January 191024Win18–3–3Paul TilPTS1022 December 190923Win17–3–3Georges GaillardPTS68 December 190922Loss16–3–3Paul TilTKO8 (20)27 November 190921Win16–2–3Charles LedouxPTS1524 November 190920Win15–2–3Joseph LampinKO7 (?)8 November 190919Win14–2–3Lucien DorgueillePTS1023 October 190918Draw13–2–3Paul TilPTS1016 October 190917Win13–2–2Omer HelleboutTKO5 (10)11 October 190916Win12–2–2Joseph LampinKO5 (10)28 August 190915Win11–2–2Lucien DorgueilleKO11 (15)21 August 190914Win10–2–2Emile WetinckKO1 (?)26 June 190913Win9–2–2Joseph LampinKO10 (10)20 May 190912Win8–2–2Auguste RelingerPTS617 May 190911Win7–2–2F. CheveauPTS625 April 190910Win6–2–2AchalmePTS1018 March 19099Draw5–2–2Charles LegrandPTS2028 February 19098Win5–2–1Gaston SimonPTS1025 February 19097Loss4–2–1Georges GloriaKO6 (?)19 February 19096Win4–1–1Charles LegrandPTS1510 January 19095Draw3–1–1Charles LegrandPTS65 December 19084Win3–1Gaston SimonPTS63 December 19083Win2–1Louis LépinePTS63 December 19082Loss1–1Ed SalmonTKO18 (20)30 November 19081Win1–0Ed SalmonDQ13 (20)1 November 1908
Titles in boxing Major world titles World light heavyweight champion (175 lbs) NYSAC light heavyweight champion (175 lbs) NBA (WBA) light heavyweight champion (175 lbs)
Regional/International titles France welterweight champion (147 lbs) European welterweight champion (147 lbs) European middleweight champion (160 lbs) European light heavyweight champion (175 lbs) European heavyweight champion (200+ lbs) (2×) France heavyweight champion (200+ lbs)
Undisputed titles Undisputed light heavyweight champion
See also List of light heavyweight boxing champions
Notes and references Notes
References
External links Carpentier vs Gene Tunney - Fight by Rounds - July 25, 1924 Carpentier vs Gene Tunney - July 25, 1924
Georges Carpentier at Virtual History www.georgescarpentier.org (biographical website devoted to Carpentier, including extensive text, images, some video)