Eugene Criqui

[Sherlock]

Does anybody know anything about this guy? I was reading a section of a boxing book that mentioned he was a French hero in WWI and had his jaw shattered by a bullet and replaced with steel (or some other metal, can't remember which right now) but still came back and had a successful career. It reminded me of the Marco Antonio Barrera situation of the plate in his head.

So, does anybody know anything else about him or other situations like this one?

[Alex]

Apparently he completely changed his style of fighting after his jaw was repaired: he wanted to minimise the risk of further damage, so would always try for a stoppage. You can actually see this reflected in his record:

http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=009863

[silkov]

Very brave guy and must have been some fighter to get where he did (world championship!) with such a handicap... and this was when world titles were world titles!. I think Criqui was a slick boxer before the injury but then became a outright slugger... which is very interesting really as it poses the question as to whether sluggers actually take less punishment than we think as opposed to slick styled boxers.
His idea was seemingly to get his opponents out of there as quick as possible... but you'd still think that perhaps he would have relied on a tighter defence and a hit and move style instead in order to protect his chin.
In pictures I've seen of him Criqui has a long scar running from the corner of his mouth to under his chin... I think he actually had a plastic plate put in to replace damaged bone... I doubt that he'd be allowed to box on in this era.

[Sherlock]

Just reread it. A silver plate was put in and was rebuilt with plastic. Right on Silkov

Also just glancing at his record is like looking at a who's who of that time period. He only was world featherweight champ for 54 days, but defeated Johnny Kilbane, ending his 11 year reign. Lost the title to Johnny Dundee, another great. Not that many fighters face two hall of famers nowadays, and he took on two in 54 days! And thats only at a glance at his record.

[Alex]

[Alex]

So, does anybody know anything else about him or other situations like this one?

The great British featherweight Nel Tarleton had only one lung as a result of turberculosis. His record is an incredible achievement in its own right, but even more so when you consider what he was up against.

http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=009912

[Sherlock]

Very brave guy and must have been some fighter to get where he did (world championship!) with such a handicap... and this was when world titles were world titles!. I think Criqui was a slick boxer before the injury but then became a outright slugger... which is very interesting really as it poses the question as to whether sluggers actually take less punishment than we think as opposed to slick styled boxers.
His idea was seemingly to get his opponents out of there as quick as possible... but you'd still think that perhaps he would have relied on a tighter defence and a hit and move style instead in order to protect his chin.
In pictures I've seen of him Criqui has a long scar running from the corner of his mouth to under his chin... I think he actually had a plastic plate put in to replace damaged bone... I doubt that he'd be allowed to box on in this era.

Just seen he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, a pretty good choice when looking at what he accomplished with that handicap and who had two distinct careers at flyweight and featherweight.

[silkov]

Yes, he definately deserves that recognition... especially when you take into account that world titles were just that in Eugenes day, not just one of half a dozen world champs like you have today! ...seriously though it must have taken a lot of guts and courage for him to resume his career and to change his style so dramatically...... mind you after fighting in the war boxing was probably a picnic in comparison for him...

[robert.snell1]

I found some articles about him mainly around the 1923 period. this artwork is from one of the articles.

[silkov]

It must have been a nasty surprise for the yanks when Eugene koed Kilbane eh!.... 8) .
I'd like any articles you can get on this guy Rob!....

[klompton]

At the time Kilbanes reign had become tiresome due to his unwillingness to defend and the fact that he was slowing down. I dont think it was that "nasty" of a surprise. Especially when you consider that we just loaned it out for a couple of months.

[robert.snell1]

It must have been a nasty surprise for the yanks when Eugene koed Kilbane eh!.... 8) .
I'd like any articles you can get on this guy Rob!....

no problem mate....will send you on cd in a few days when i have had more time to look for articles. odd thing about the silver plate is my dad had the same thing done after his fight in 1926.

He once kidded me about it saying it set of metal detectors at the airport or something like that.

[silkov]

It must have been a nasty surprise for the yanks when Eugene koed Kilbane eh!.... 8) .
I'd like any articles you can get on this guy Rob!....

no problem mate....will send you on cd in a few days when i have had more time to look for articles. odd thing about the silver plate is my dad had the same thing done after his fight in 1926.

He once kidded me about it saying it set of metal detectors at the airport or something like that.

Thanks mate!... did your father fight again after having the plate put in... must have been a very nasty injury. I have metal pins in my ankle and foot and they do indeed set off metal detectors in Airports... 8)

[robert.snell1]

Hi... no after that he gave up fighting....he became a ref at Liverpool stadium for quite a few years. I have his referees licence issued in 1929 which is in mint condition and takes him to 1944.
Hoping to get more details on that in the future.

with regard to Criqui , was just getting more on him and will pick out some details to post. Hoping to get some from the Toronto Star also which may prove interesting given the french Canada link.

How he was allowed to carry on shows how different things are compared to present day. getting a dint in the head takes on a whole new meaning with this guy.

got another interestin photo also to post later which given your interest in facts and figures you will find interesting

[robert.snell1]

[Sherlock]

Here's a pretty interesting article from Time magazine regarding the Criqui-Dundee fight:
http://www.time.com/time/archive/previe ... 38,00.html

Looks like he became a hero in France inside the ring as well as outside. He must have been a truly remarkable individual.

Robert, thats really interesting that your father had the same thing done.

[silkov]

I'd be interested to know about the fights your father was in Rob if you can send me any info... also it'd be interesting to know what bouts he refereed.... any title bouts?.
Shame Eugene didn't hold on to his title for longer but Dundee was a bit special himself and had been ducked for many years by Kilbane if I remember correctly.

[Sherlock]

I just thought of something. With the seemingly simple surgeries that resulted in the deaths of Harry Greb and Tiger Flowers and the tooth infectioon that killed Pancho Villa, was your father in any serious danger going through that surgery, Rob?

Eugene was incredibly lucky too. Taking a bullet in the chin, he was lucky to survive, let alone to win a world title.

Also, in the first picture posted by Rob, it says how do you pronounce Eugene's name? Does anybody know the correct pronunciation. I've been pronouncing it Creek-e, but I'm absolutely horrible in pronouncing names.

[robert.snell1]

I'd be interested to know about the fights your father was in Rob if you can send me any info... also it'd be interesting to know what bouts he refereed.... any title bouts?.
Shame Eugene didn't hold on to his title for longer but Dundee was a bit special himself and had been ducked for many years by Kilbane if I remember correctly.

I will send you a stack of what i have on the various fights and some other info on opponents where the dates are not known yet. As for the ref thing that is a complete blank so far. i am putting a list together of all the fights at the liverpool stadium and then check out each one to see if he was the ref. This as you can see may take a little while.

However i am in touch with someone who may help this go a lot faster.Given the time he was a ref it is quite likely some title fights were involved. It would be fantastic if i can get hold of some photos of him as a ref!!

[robert.snell1]

Lincoln State Journal
1923-07-27

CRIQUE CARRIES ON
WITHOUT A CHANCE

With the same stout heart that carried him
thru the horrors of Verdun and the
same indomitable will that urged him
to grip his bayonet when a shell had
removed part of his face, game Eugene
Criqui the- Frenchman with the
twisted face, passed over the' featherweight
championship of the world last
night to Johnny Dundee.

As he "carried on" under the blue
uniform of France when everything
seemed lost, so Criqui kept going last
night for fifteen rounds when he knew
that he couldn't win, even with a bayonet.

When he had survived fifteen
rounds of cruel and merciless bombardment,
he stood unsteadily in the
center of the ring, his mouth pouring
blood in a stream, his eyes cut and
puffed and his twisted face trying to
smile and heard the announcer hail
Dundee as the "new champion of the
world."

Criqui Keeps Coming in

' Floored once in the first round for
a count of nine, downed three times in
the second round as the ten count of
the referee was about to -fall on him,
beaten all over the ring in every round
Criqui kept going and going.

"What's holding him up?" A youngster,
at the ringside asked.
A "sage judge of the supreme court
next to him answered:
"A heart, my boy, nothing but a
heart."

There was romance and a moral for
sermon in the virtue of patience in
the feat of Johnny Dundee, who had
after thirteen years of effort been rewarded
with a championship, but
there was so much tragedy in the
downfall of the gamest champion that
ever defended a title that the wild
partisans of little Dundee went away
with a picture that will remain for a
long time of that bleeding Frenchman
with the twisted smile and the (Shattered
jaw.

Criqui never had a chance. He
won not a single round. He was
never close to victory. The right
hand that dropped Johnny Kilbane
just a little over a month ago never
found a target. Round by round from
the first to the fifteenth it was one
story "Criqui missed and Dundee
countered with a left hook and a right
to the jaw."

To have been a king.if only for a
little more than a day, to have earned
just a little money and a reputation
for sportsmanship and gameness that
will be to his undying credit, are all
that Criqui has to take back to his
, France, which just a few weeks ago
- was celebrating its first real world's
championship.

Shoved Into the Match.

Perhaps America can rejoice that
the featherweight championship is
back in this country, but there Is no
occasion to warrant boasting. Criqui
was blackjacked into a match with
the toughest man in the class before
he had a chance to use his title.
The Frenchman was poorly handled
by his manager. He could have de-
- manded the right to stay away from
the Dundee bout for at least six
months, but Frenchmen are in awe of
American boxing" commissions.

Criqui was badly handled last night.
"When one of his false teeth had been
knocked clear thru his cheek, there
was nothing in his corner to stop the
flow of blood and his seconds just let
, him bleed. He was badly advised and
greatly neglected in his corner.

Officials estimate the crowd at
32.420 and the recepits at $114,523.
Criqui drew 37 1-2 per cent or $42,845,
while Dundee's end of 12 1-2 per cent
brought him $14,281.
-
Criqui defended his title a little
over a month after he had won it.
Watch Dundee now and see what
he does!

[silkov]

Lincoln State Journal
1923-07-27

CRIQUE CARRIES ON
WITHOUT A CHANCE

With the same stout heart that carried him
thru the horrors of Verdun and the
same indomitable will that urged him
to grip his bayonet when a shell had
removed part of his face, game Eugene
Criqui the- Frenchman with the
twisted face, passed over the' featherweight
championship of the world last
night to Johnny Dundee.

As he "carried on" under the blue
uniform of France when everything
seemed lost, so Criqui kept going last
night for fifteen rounds when he knew
that he couldn't win, even with a bayonet.

When he had survived fifteen
rounds of cruel and merciless bombardment,
he stood unsteadily in the
center of the ring, his mouth pouring
blood in a stream, his eyes cut and
puffed and his twisted face trying to
smile and heard the announcer hail
Dundee as the "new champion of the
world."

Criqui Keeps Coming in

' Floored once in the first round for
a count of nine, downed three times in
the second round as the ten count of
the referee was about to -fall on him,
beaten all over the ring in every round
Criqui kept going and going.

"What's holding him up?" A youngster,
at the ringside asked.
A "sage judge of the supreme court
next to him answered:
"A heart, my boy, nothing but a
heart."

There was romance and a moral for
sermon in the virtue of patience in
the feat of Johnny Dundee, who had
after thirteen years of effort been rewarded
with a championship, but
there was so much tragedy in the
downfall of the gamest champion that
ever defended a title that the wild
partisans of little Dundee went away
with a picture that will remain for a
long time of that bleeding Frenchman
with the twisted smile and the (Shattered
jaw.

Criqui never had a chance. He
won not a single round. He was
never close to victory. The right
hand that dropped Johnny Kilbane
just a little over a month ago never
found a target. Round by round from
the first to the fifteenth it was one
story "Criqui missed and Dundee
countered with a left hook and a right
to the jaw."

To have been a king.if only for a
little more than a day, to have earned
just a little money and a reputation
for sportsmanship and gameness that
will be to his undying credit, are all
that Criqui has to take back to his
, France, which just a few weeks ago
- was celebrating its first real world's
championship.

Shoved Into the Match.

Perhaps America can rejoice that
the featherweight championship is
back in this country, but there Is no
occasion to warrant boasting. Criqui
was blackjacked into a match with
the toughest man in the class before
he had a chance to use his title.
The Frenchman was poorly handled
by his manager. He could have de-
- manded the right to stay away from
the Dundee bout for at least six
months, but Frenchmen are in awe of
American boxing" commissions.

Criqui was badly handled last night.
"When one of his false teeth had been
knocked clear thru his cheek, there
was nothing in his corner to stop the
flow of blood and his seconds just let
, him bleed. He was badly advised and
greatly neglected in his corner.

Officials estimate the crowd at
32.420 and the recepits at $114,523.
Criqui drew 37 1-2 per cent or $42,845,
while Dundee's end of 12 1-2 per cent
brought him $14,281.
-
Criqui defended his title a little
over a month after he had won it.
Watch Dundee now and see what
he does!

Thats awful really!..... terrible handling by the corner.... and he certainly shouldn't have defended the title so quickly, but then he was definately one of the oldschool warriors. Can't begrudge Dundee his win either as he'd been ducked for years... I've read some articles on Dundee and seems to have been a good guy, always willing to advise and help younger boxers etc and was thought of very highly by his fellow boxers so it seems.

[robert.snell1]

managed to find a few more on this guy today from the Canadian press. In a comment from Criqui about what happened in the war. He was shot in the mouth and they used sheep bone to replace the damage.

i will send you guys all the articles at the end of next week when i have come to the end of the search.