Primo Carnera


Primo Carnera, nicknamed the Ambling Alp, was an Italian professional boxer and wrestler who reigned as the boxing World Heavyweight Champion from 29 June 1933 to 14 June 1934. He won more fights by knockout than any other heavyweight champion in boxing history.

Biography

Personal life

Primo Carnera was born in Sequals, then in the Province of Udine, now in the Province of Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia at the north-easternmost corner of Italy.
On 13 March 1939, Carnera married Giuseppina Kovačič, a post office clerk from Gorizia. In 1953 they received dual citizenship. They settled in Los Angeles, where Carnera opened a restaurant and a liquor store. They had two children, Umberto and Giovanna Maria. Umberto became a medical doctor.

Professional boxing career

Overview

Carnera was touted in America as being tall, and thus the tallest heavyweight in history, but he was actually tall. He fought at as much as. Jess Willard who stood was the tallest world heavyweight champion in boxing history until Nikolai Valuev, at and. Though shorter than Willard, Carnera was around heavier and was the heaviest champion in boxing history until Valuev.
At a time when the average height in Italy was approximately and in the United States, Carnera was considered a giant.
He enjoyed a sizable reach advantage over most rivals, and when seen on fight footage, he seems like a towering giant compared to many heavyweights of his era, who were usually at least lighter and shorter. One publicity release about him read in part: "For breakfast, Primo has a quart of orange juice, two quarts of milk, nineteen pieces of toast, fourteen eggs, a loaf of bread and half a pound of Virginia ham." His size earned him the nickname "The Ambling Alp". Time magazine called him "The Monster".

World Heavyweight Champion

12 September 1928 was the date of Carnera's first professional fight, against Leon Sebilo, in Paris. Carnera won by knockout in round two. He won his first six bouts, then lost to Franz Diener by disqualification in round one at Leipzig. Then, he won seven more bouts in a row before meeting Young Stribling. He and Stribling exchanged disqualification wins, Carnera winning the first in four rounds, and Stribling winning the rematch in round seven. In Carnera's next bout he avenged his defeat to Diener with a knockout in round six.
In 1930, he moved to the United States, where he toured extensively, winning his first seventeen bouts there by knockout. George Godfrey broke the knockout streak in Philadelphia by losing to Carnera by disqualification in the fifth round. In 1932, Carnera faced the tallest heavyweight in history up to that point, Santa Camarão, a Portuguese fighter. Carnera won the fight in a sixth-round knockout.
On 10 February 1933, he knocked out Ernie Schaaf in thirteen rounds in New York City. Schaaf died four days later. Schaaf had suffered a severe beating and knockout in a bout with future heavyweight champion Max Baer six months earlier, on 31 August 1932. Furthermore, an autopsy revealed that Schaaf had meningitis, a swelling of the brain, and was still recovering from a severe case of influenza when he entered the ring with Carnera.
For his next fight, Carnera faced the world heavyweight champion, Jack Sharkey, on June 29, at the Madison Square Garden Bowl in Queens, New York. Carnera became world champion by knocking out Sharkey in round six.
He retained the title against Paulino Uzcudun and Tommy Loughran, both by decision in 15 rounds, but in his next fight on 14 June 1934 against Max Baer, Carnera was knocked down multiple times in 11 rounds, before referee Arthur Donovon stopped the fight. There is disagreement regarding how many times Carnera was knocked down, with sources giving conflicting totals of 7, 10, 11 and 12.
After that, Carnera won his next four fights, three of them as part of a South American tour that took him to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, as well as two exhibitions fought on the South American continent. But then, on 25 June 1935, he was knocked out in six rounds by Joe Louis.
For the next two and a half years, he won five and lost three of eight total fights. But in 1938, Carnera, a diabetic, had to have a kidney removed, which forced him into retirement by 1944. Carnera's record was 89 wins and 14 losses. His 72 wins by knockout made him a member of the exclusive club of boxers that won 50 or more bouts by knockout.
Carnera died in 1967 in his native town of a combination of liver disease and complications from diabetes.

Legacy in boxing

Carnera was the third European to hold the world heavyweight championship after Bob Fitzsimmons and Max Schmeling. He would be the last until Ingemar Johansson claimed the title against Floyd Patterson in 1959, over a quarter of a century later.
Carnera was also the first boxer to win the European Heavyweight title and subsequently become World Heavyweight champion.
Carnera's 1933 title defense against Tommy Loughran held the record for the greatest weight differential between two combatants in a world title fight for 73 years until the reign of Nikolai Valuev, who owns the current record for the weight advantage he held in his 2006 defense against Monte Barrett.
Valuev also broke Carnera's record of to become the heaviest world champion in history, weighing as high as during his reign. Carnera still ranks as the third-heaviest, behind Valuev and Tyson Fury, over eighty years after he held the title.
Carnera's 1933 title defense against Paulino Uzcudun in Italy was the first Heavyweight title fight to be held in Europe since Jack Johnson's title defence against Frank Moran in Paris in 1913. It would be the last such occasion until Muhammad Ali defended the title against Henry Cooper in London in 1966. Carnera-Uzcudun was the first World Heavyweight championship fight to be contested between two Europeans. It would be another sixty years, when Lennox Lewis defended the WBC heavyweight title against fellow-Englishman Frank Bruno in 1993, that this would occur again.
Trailing only Ezzard Charles's 95 wins, Carnera holds the second-most victories of all heavyweight champions with 89. Carnera's 72 career knockouts is the most of any world heavyweight champion.

Acting career

Carnera appeared in a short film in 1931. During his tenure as world champion he played a fictional version of himself in the 1933 film The Prizefighter and the Lady starring Max Baer and Myrna Loy. Here he plays the heavyweight champion who barely holds onto his title with a draw decision after a furious fight with Baer. The film was made just the year before Carnera fought Baer for real, in a bout that was as wild as the film version, but ended with a knockout loss for Carnera.
Carnera had a silent bit part in the 1949 movie Mighty Joe Young. He played himself in the tug-of-war scene with the giant gorilla. After being pulled by the ape into a pool of water, Carnera throws a couple of futile punches to Joe's chin.
He also played a bully boy wrestler in Carol Reed's film A Kid for Two Farthings based around London's Petticoat Lane Market where he has a match against a local bodybuilder who is marrying Diana Dors.
Primo appeared in at least ten Italian films between 1939 and 1943, as well as several in the 1950s, like Prince Valiant, in the role of Sligon. His last screen role was as the giant Antaeus alongside Steve Reeves in Hercules Unchained.

Professional wrestling career

In 1945 he temporarily returned to boxing and won two fights. But the next year, after three losses against Luigi Musina his talent for wrestling was discovered. In 1946 he became a professional wrestler and was immediately a huge success at the box office. For several years he was one of the top draws in wrestling. Carnera continued to be an attraction into the 1960s. Max Baer attended at least one of Carnera's wrestling matches. Carnera won his debut on 22 August 1946, when he defeated Tommy O'Toole in California. On 23 October 1946, Carnera won his 41st consecutive wrestling match by defeating Jules Strongbow. On 19 November 1946, Carnera beat Harry Kruskamp to remain undefeated at 65-0-0.
Primo Carnera went 120 straight wrestling matches undefeated before suffering his first loss to Yvon Robert in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on 20 August 1947. Carnera's greatest victory took place on 7 December 1947 when he defeated former world heavyweight champion Ed "Strangler" Lewis.
In May 1948, Carnera took a 143-1-1 record against world heavyweight champion Lou Thesz. Thesz defeated Carnera in a world title defense.

Mob accusations

According to boxing historian Herbert Goldman, Carnera was "very much mob controlled." Carnera met his first serious heavyweight contender, Young Stribling, in 1929, and won when Stribling fouled him. In a rematch, he fouled Stribling. His 1930 fight against California club fighter Bombo Chevalier in Emeryville was considered fixed, and Carnera was banned from fighting in California. His 1930 match against George Godfrey was controversial, as Godfrey was disqualified in the sixth round when he was clearly getting the better of Carnera.
Time magazine, in a 5 October 1931 cover story on Carnera before he won the heavyweight title, commented on his odd career:

Depictions in popular culture

In film

Requiem for a Heavyweight, Rod Serling's 1956 Emmy Award-winning teleplay for Playhouse 90 directed by Ralph Nelson, focused on down-and-out former heavyweight boxer Harlan "Mountain" McClintock. The travails of McClintock, who was played by Jack Palance, was thought by many boxing fans to resemble Carnera's life.
In 1947, fighting aficionado Budd Schulberg wrote The Harder They Fall, a novel about a giant boxer whose fights are fixed. It was adapted into Mark Robson's 1956 film, which starred Humphrey Bogart and Rod Steiger. A highlight was the appearance of Max Baer, playing a fighter the mob could not fix who destroys the giant in his first fair fight. Critics drew parallels with the real-life Baer-Carnera fight two decades before. In response, Carnera unsuccessfully sued the film's company.
Carnera played himself in the 1949 movie Mighty Joe Young.
Carnera was played by Matthew G. Taylor in the 2005 film Cinderella Man, a film about the life of fellow boxer James J. Braddock.
In 2008, the actor Andrea Iaia played Carnera in the Italian biographical film , directed by Renzo Martinelli.
In 2013, Emporio Elaborazioni Meccaniche named a motorbike, the 1983 BMW R80RT Carnera, in honor of Carnera.

In comics

In 1947, Carnera, an Italian comic book series sporting a fictional version of Primo Carnera, was produced. In 1953, it was translated into German. A facsimile version was published in 2010.
Another popular Italian comic character, Dick Fulmine, was graphically inspired by Carnera.

In literature

Carnera is mentioned by Bertie Wooster in the 1934 novel Right Ho, Jeeves, by P.G. Wodehouse on p. 234.
In his 1933 collection of short stories Mulliner Nights, Wodehouse described one character as follows: "He was built on large lines, and seemed to fill the room to overflowing. In physique he was not unlike what Primo Carnera would have been if Carnera hadn't stunted his growth by smoking cigarettes when a boy."

In music

The Yeasayer song Ambling Alp, from their 2010 album Odd Blood references Carnera by his nickname in the title and second verse. Both Carnera and German boxer Max Schmeling are referenced for their bouts with American Joe Louis.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
103Loss89–14 Luigi MusinaUD1019 May 1946 Gorizia, Italy
102Loss89–13 Luigi MusinaPTS819 Mar 1946 Trieste, Italy
101Loss89–12 Luigi MusinaTKO7 21 Nov 1945 Milan, Italy
100Win89–11 Sam GardnerKO1 25 Sep 1945 San Sabba Stadium, Trieste, Italy
99Win88–11 Michel BlevensKO3 22 Jul 1945 Moretti Stadium, Udine, Italy
98Win87–11 Josip ZupanKO2 4 Dec 1937 Budapest Zirkus, Budapest, Hungary
97Loss86–11 Albert Di MeglioPTS1018 Nov 1937 Salle Wagram, Paris, France
96Loss86–10 Leroy HaynesTKO9, 0:4027 May 1936 Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
95Loss86–9 Leroy HaynesTKO3, 0:5316 Mar 1936 Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
94Win86–8 Isidoro GastanagaTKO5 6 Mar 1936 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
93Win85–8 Big Boy BrackeyTKO4, 1:069 Dec 1935 Buffalo Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
92Win84–8 Ford SmithUD1025 Nov 1935 Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
91Win83–8 Walter NeuselTKO4, 2:231 Nov 1935 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
90Loss82–8 Joe LouisTKO6, 2:3225 Jun 1935 Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, U.S.
89Win82–7 Ray ImpelletiereTKO9, 0:3815 Mar 1935 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
88Win81–7 Erwin KlausnerKO6 22 Jan 1935 Estádio das Laranjeiras, Río de Janeiro, Brazil
87Win80–7 Seal HarrisKO7 13 Jan 1935 Estádio da Floresta, Sao Paulo, Brazil
86Win79–7 Victorio CampoloPTS121 Dec 1934 Club Atletico Independiente, Buenos Aires, Argentina
85Loss78–7 Max BaerTKO11, 2:1614 Jun 1934 Madison Square Garden Bowl, Queens, New York, U.S.Lost NBA, NYSAC, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles
84Win78–6 Tommy LoughranUD151 Mar 1934 Madison Square Garden Stadium, Miami, Florida, U.S.Retained NBA, NYSAC, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles
83Win77–6 Paulino UzcudunUD1522 Oct 1933 Piazza di Siena, Rome, ItalyRetained NBA, NYSAC, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles;
Won European and IBU heavyweight titles
82Win76–6 Jack SharkeyKO6, 2:2729 Jun 1933 Madison Square Garden Bowl, Queens, New York, U.S.Won NBA, NYSAC, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles
81Win75–6 Ernie SchaafKO13, 0:5110 Feb 1933 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
80Win74–6 Young SpenceKO1 30 Dec 1932 Fair Park Arena, Dallas, Texas, U.S.
79Win73–6 James MerriottKO1 20 Dec 1932 City Auditorium, Galveston, Texas, U.S.
78Win72–6 Joe RiceKO2 19 Dec 1932 Northside Coliseum, Forth Worth, Texas, U.S.
77Win71–6 KO ChristnerKO4 15 Dec 1932 City Auditorium, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
76Win70–6 Big Boy PetersonTKO2 13 Dec 1932 Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
75Win69–6 King LevinskySD109 Dec 1932 Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
74Win68–6 John SchwakeKO7, 2:162 Dec 1932 St. Louis Coliseum, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
73Win67–6 José SantaTKO6 18 Nov 1932 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
72Win66–6 Les KennedyKO3 4 Nov 1932 Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
71Win65–6 Jack TaylorKO2, 1:5917 Oct 1932 Jefferson County Armory, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
70Win64–6 Gene StantonKO6 13 Oct 1932 114th Infantry Armory, Camden, New Jersey, U.S.
69Win63–6 Ted SandwinaKO4 7 Oct 1932 Benjamin Field Arena, Tampa, Florida, U.S.
68Win62–6 Art Lasky101 Sep 1932 St. Paul Auditorium, St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
67Win61–6 Jack GagnonKO1, 1:3519 Aug 1932 Mark's Stadium, North Tiverton, Rhode Island, U.S.
66Loss60–6 Stanley PoredaPTS1016 Aug 1932 Dreamland Park, Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
65Win60–5 Hans BirkieUD102 Aug 1932 Queensboro Stadium, Long Island City, New York, U.S
64Win59–5 Jerry PavelecTKO5, 0:5128 Jul 1932 Playgrounds Stadium, West New York, New Jersey, U.S
63Win58–5 Jack GrossTKO7, 2:5020 Jul 1932 Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
62Loss57–5 Larry GainsPTS1030 May 1932 White City Stadium, London, England
61Win57–4 Hans SchönrathTKO3 15 May 1932 Stadio San Siro, Milan, Italy
60Win56–4 Maurice GriselleTKO10 30 Apr 1932 Palais des Sports, Paris, France
59Win55–4 Don McCorkindalePTS107 Apr 1932 Royal Albert Hall, London, England
58Win54–4 George CookKO4 23 Mar 1932 Royal Albert Hall, London, England
57Win53–4 Pierre CharlesPTS1029 Feb 1932 Palais des Sports, Paris, France
56Win52–4 Ernst GühringTKO5 5 Feb 1932 Berlin Sportpalast, Berlin, Germany
55Win51–4 Moise BouquillonTKO2 25 Jan 1932 Palais des Sports, Paris, France
54Win50–4 Victorio CampoloKO2, 1:2727 Nov 1931 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
53Win49–4 King LevinskyUD1019 Nov 1931 Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
52Loss48–4 Jack Sharkey1512 Oct 1931 Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.For American heavyweight title
51Win48–3 Armando De CarolisKO2, 1:086 Aug 1931 Shellpot Park, Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
50Win47–3 Roberto RobertiTKO3, 2:254 Aug 1931 Dreamland Park, Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
49Win46–3 Knute HansenKO1, 2:1024 Jul 1931 Edgerton Park Arena, Rochester, New York, U.S.
48Win45–3 Bud GormanKO2, 2:3530 Jun 1931 Arena Gardens, Toronto, Ontario Canada
47Win44–3 Umberto TorrianiKO2, 0:4326 Jun 1931 Buffalo Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
46Win43–3 Pat RedmondKO1, 2:2415 Jun 1931 Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
45Win42–3 Jim MaloneyPTS105 Mar 1931 Madison Square Garden Stadium, Miami, Florida, U.S.
44Win41–3 Reggie MeenTKO2 18 Dec 1930 Royal Albert Hall, London, England
43Win40–3 Paulino Uzcudun1030 Nov 1930 Estadio Olímpico de Montjuïc, Barcelona, Spain
42Loss39–3 Jim MaloneyPTS107 Oct 1930 Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
41Win39–2 Jack GrossKO4 17 Sep 1930 Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
40Win38–2 Pat McCarthyTKO2, 1:168 Sep 1930 Newark Velodrome, Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
39Win37–2 Riccardo BertazzoloTKO3 30 Aug 1930 Atlantic City Auditorium, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
38Win36–2 George CookKO2, 1:4429 Jul 1930 Taylor Bowl, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
37Win35–2 Bearcat WrightKO4, 1:1317 Jul 1930 League Park, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
36Win34–2 George GodfreyDQ5, 1:1323 Jun 1930 Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
35Win33–2 KO ChristnerKO4, 1:205 Jun 1930 Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
34Win32–2 Sam BakerKO1 22 Apr 1930 Portland Ice Hippodrome, Portland, Oregon, U.S.
33Win31–2 Leon ChevalierTKO6 14 Apr 1930 Oakland Baseball Park, Emeryville, California, U.S.
32Win30–2 Neil ClisbyKO2, 0:408 Apr 1930 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
31Win29–2 Jack McAuliffe IIKO1, 2:1828 Mar 1930 Stockyards Stadium, Denver, Colorado, U.S.
30Win28–2 George TraftonKO1, 0:5426 Mar 1930 Convention Hall, Kansas City, Kansas, U.S.
29Win27–2 Frank ZavetaKO1, 1:5120 Mar 1930 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
28Win26–2 Chuck WigginsKO2 17 Mar 1930 St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
27Win25–2 Sully MontgomeryKO2, 1:1511 Mar 1930 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
26Win24–2 Roy ClarkKO6, 2:383 Mar 1930 Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
25Win23–2 Farmer LodgeKO2, 1:2224 Feb 1930 Heinemann Park, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
24Win22–2 Johnny EricksonKO2, 1:4517 Feb 1930 Coliseum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
23Win21–2 Jim SigmanKO1, 1:3514 Feb 1930 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
22Win20–2 Buster MartinKO2, 0:5611 Feb 1930 St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
21Win19–2 Cowboy Billy OwensKO2, 2:226 Feb 1930 113th Regiment Armory, Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
20Win18–2 Elzear RiouxKO1, 0:4731 Jan 1930 Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
19Win17–2 Big Boy PetersonKO1, 1:1024 Jan 1930 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
18Win16–2 Franz DienerTKO6 17 Dec 1929 Royal Albert Hall, London, England
17Loss15–2 Young StriblingDQ7 7 Dec 1929 Vélodrome d'Hiver, Paris, France
16Win15–1 Young StriblingDQ4 18 Nov 1929 Royal Albert Hall, London, England
15Win14–1 Jack StanleyTKO1 17 Oct 1929 Royal Albert Hall, London, England
14Win13–1 Hermann JaspersKO3 18 Sep 1929 Salle Wagram, Paris, France
13Win12–1 Feodor NikolaeffKO1 30 Aug 1929 Garage de Normandie, Dieppe, France
12Win11–1 Joe ThomasTKO4 25 Aug 1929 Arènes du Rond-Point du Prado, Marseille, France
11Win10–1 Jose LeteUD1014 Aug 1929 Estadio Municipal de Atocha, San Sebastián, Spain
10Win9–1 Jack HumbeeckTKO6 26 Jun 1929 Salle Wagram, Paris, France
9Win8–1 Marcel NillesTKO3 30 May 1929 Cirque de Paris, Paris, France
8Win7–1 Moise Bouquillon1022 May 1929 Salle Wagram, Paris, France
7Loss6–1 Franz Diener1 28 Apr 1929 Messehalle, Leipzig, Germany
6Win6–0 Ernst RoesemannTKO5 18 Jan 1929 Berlin Sportpalast, Berlin, Germany
5Win5–0 Constant BarrickKO3 1 Dec 1928 Vélodrome d'Hiver, Paris, France
4Win4–0 Epifanio Islas1025 Nov 1928 Palazzo dello Sport, Milan, Italy
3Win3–0 Salvatore RuggirelloTKO4 30 Oct 1928 Cirque de Paris, Paris, France
2Win2–0 Joe Thomas3 25 Sep 1928 Cirque de Paris, Paris, France
1Win1–0 Leon Sebilo2 12 Sep 1928 Salle Wagram, Paris, France

Championships and accomplishments

Boxing