Primo carnera umberto carnera biography

Carnera was born on October 26,in Sequals, Italy. Carnera went on to win 5 more consecutive fights after his debut, including 4 wins via stoppage. However, he bounced back and won seven fights in a row, including a win over Young Stribling. InCarnera moved to the United States, where he won his first 17 bouts by knockout. In Philadelphia, he faced George Godfrey, who broke Carnera's knockout streak by losing to him via disqualification in round five.

Carnera's size earned him the nickname "The Ambling Alp. He was also considered a giant, especially in Italy, where the average height was approximately 5 ft 5 in 1. On June 29,Carnera became the heavyweight champion of the world after defeating Jack Sharkey via a 6th round knockout. Carnera met his first serious heavyweight contender, Young Striblinginand won when Stribling fouled him.

In a rematch, he fouled Stribling. Each scoring a victory by disqualification. Commenting on the unsatisfactory conclusion of the two matches, sportswriter Robert Edgren commented "Stribling seems to be playing Carnera the way he has played a lot of palukas and stable mates at different towns in "the sticks" in this country. Always the return engagement.

The New York Times noted the absence of betting on the outcome causing skepticism prior to the match. Peterson was counted out while punching himself in the jaw. A week later against Elzear Rioux the fight lasted only 47 seconds and Rioux was down 6 times. Bob Soderman of the Chicago Tribune reported, "Rioux didn't do much fighting. Trafton was knocked out by Carnera in the first round of their fight.

His April fight against California club fighter Bombo Chevalier ended when one of Chevalier's seconds, Bob Perry, threw in the towel, although it appeared to all that the boxer was in no worse condition than Carnera. The match was found to be fixed, Carnera's purse was initially withheld. Chevalier told them her husband had been approached earlier to agree to a "fake fight," but that he had directed all business to his manager, Tim McGrath.

McGrath declared he had no knowledge that Perry was going to throw in the towel, and that the towel should not have been thrown in. His June match against George Godfrey was controversial before it began. Seconds were forbidden from throwing in the towel. Time magazine, in a 5 October cover story on Carnera primo carnera umberto carnera biography he won the heavyweight title, commented on his odd career: [ 48 ].

Since his arrival in the US, backed by a group of prosperous but shady entrepreneurs, Carnera's career has been less glorious than fantastic. His first opponents—Big Boy Peterson, Elzear Rioux, Cowboy Owens—were known to be incompetent but their feeble opposition to Carnera suggested that they had been bribed to lose. Suspicion concerning the Monster's abilities became almost universal when another adversary, Bombo Chevalier, stated that one of his own seconds had threatened to kill him unless he lost to Carnera.

Against the huge, lazy, amiable George Godfrey lbhe won on a foul. In a return fight, at Miami last March, Carnera managed to outpoint Maloney. The travails of McClintock, who was played by Jack Palance Sean Connery played the part on British television and Anthony Quinn essayed the role in the filmwas thought by many boxing fans to resemble Carnera's life.

Infighting aficionado Budd Schulberg wrote The Harder They Falla novel about a giant boxer whose fights are all fixed. The towel throwing controversy against Bombo Chevalier is briefly depicted. A highlight was the appearance of Max Baerplaying 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 movie Mighty Joe Young. Carnera was played by Matthew G. Taylor in the film Cinderella Mana film about the life of fellow boxer James J. InCarneraan Italian comic book series sporting a fictional version of Primo Carnera, was produced. Another popular Italian comic character, Dick Fulminewas graphically inspired by Carnera.

Wodehouse on p. In his collection of short stories Mulliner NightsWodehouse 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.

Primo carnera umberto carnera biography

Carnera is mentioned in the novel, The Far Distant Oxus, by Katharine Hull and Pamela Whitlock, during Bridget's dream where their servant was a cross between 'their waterboy out east and Carnera' on p. Carnera is mentioned in the pulp fiction story series Avenger 1 Justice Incby Kenneth Robeson on page 59, as an example of a "giant" as the author attempts to describe the physical stature of Algernon Smith - one of Richard Benjamin's future crime fighting allies.

The Yeasayer song Ambling Alpfrom their album Odd Blood references Carnera by his nickname in the title and second verse. All information in this section is derived from BoxRec[ 1 ] unless otherwise stated. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects.

Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. Italian boxer and professional wrestler — For the song by Yeasayer, see Ambling Alp song. SequalsItaly. Personal life [ edit ]. Professional boxing career [ edit ]. Overview [ edit ]. Starting career [ edit ]. World Heavyweight Champion [ edit ]. After defeat [ edit ]. Legacy in boxing [ edit ]. Acting career [ edit ].

Professional wrestling career [ edit ]. Mob influence and suspicious matches [ edit ]. For his physical strength, his personal qualities, his life, he is forever imprinted in the history of the boxing world, and has become a legend internationally. Primo Carnera was born in Sequals, a village in the province of Pordenone, in October 25,and at birth weighed 8 kg.

His family was very poor and only survived thanks to the work of his father, a mosaic artist who emigrated to Germany. In his father was called to fight in the First World War and therefore had to leave his job, leaving all the burden of the family on his wife. The mother then sought a job, but was soon forced to sell her wedding ring to survive.

Carnera was thus obliged to leave school and to beg with his brothers. Surprisingly, the "strongest man in the world" always maintained a great love for poetry, and knew whole cantos of the Divine Comedy by heart. He was growing to the point that, at twelve years old, he had the stature of an adult and was also arrested as a deserter, until his relatives came to explain that he was just a kid wearing adult men's clothes.

Still a teenager, primo carnera umberto carnera biography by poverty, Primo emigrated to France to stay with his uncle, finding employment as a carpenter. The uncles introduced him to the world of boxing, organizing a match with a beginner, but Carnera was not yet ready for the big step. His physique, meanwhile, was still growing: cm tall, kg of weight; he was nicknamed "violin's feet" because he needed size shoes.

He could adapt clothes, but was accustomed to walk barefoot. Ina circus stopped right where he living, near Le Mans. One day, during one of the wrestling matches which he was attending, the manager noticed his imposing physique and hired him. Carnera began touring as a wrestler, and his manager offered a prize for anyone who could defeat him, but none succeeded.

He became a freak and were saddled with nicknames, including the curious "Juan the Spaniard". One day the circus made a stop at Arcachon. But training for Carnera would mean abandoning the circus and return to poverty, and thus at first he chose to drop the proposal. Thanks to his stubbornness, and the teachings of the former champion, soon he reached good levels.

He won all six following matches, among them the much-discussed one with Epifanio Islas, in Milan. Journalists declared the match was rigged and called Carnera "gorgonzola tower". Actually his manager, whenever he could, made sure that his boxer could win. Still today it is not known how many matches were fixed. Carnera was not, however, aware, and there were many matches won regularly.

Although somewhat lacking in technique, Carnera had in fact an exceptional fist. In Carnera's next bout, he avenged his defeat to Diener, with a knockout in round six. Inhe moved to the United States, where he toured extensively, winning his first seventeen bouts there by knockout. One of the boxers he beat during that streak was Jack McAuliffe.

The one rival who broke the streak was George Godfrey, beaten by disqualification in five in Philadelphia. Carnera lost a decision to Jim Maloney in Boston to finish Inhe went Inhe wentwith 17 knockouts, but mostly against obscure opposition. Schaaf passed away two days later and Carnera had to go through what most boxers wish they did not have to: the death of an opponent.

For his next fight, Carnera faced the by then world Heavyweight champion Sharkey, with the crown on the line. Carnera became world champion by knocking out Sharkey in round six. He retained the title against Paulino Uzcudun who was attempting to become the first Hispanic world Heavyweight champion and Tommy Loughran, both by decision in 15 rounds, but in his next fight, against Max Baer, he was dropped 12 times en route to an 11 round knockout defeat.

After that, he 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 boxing two exhibitions in the southern American continent.