Primo Carnera's Height

[Guest]

We had his height at 6ft 5 3/4inches. I saw a newspaper article of the day that compared the heights of Carnera, Victorio Campolo and Luis Firpo. It gave Carnera's height as 6ft 10in, so I changed it in his record. Anyone disagree? ric

[SteveO]

There have always been varying reports about Carnera's height, but it was measured at 6' 5 3/4" at his autopsy. The Guinness book of world records also listed his height as stated above (tallest heavyweight champion).

[Guest]

Oh, well. I'll leave it up to more-informed minds than mine to made the correct adjustment of his height in his record.

[Justin]

That article was probably used as "propoganda," if you will, to hype up Carnera as being a giant beast...

[Gherardo Bonini]

I did'nt know that an autopsy's report stated circa 1.96 (sorry I use continental values). I remember an album of picture champions for boys, short biography stated 2.11. Recently, an Italian television quiz show asked height Carnera and correct answer registered 2.07, thus corresponding (if I am not wrong in change the measures) more or less to 6ft 10in.

[DL]

I bought a book on Carnera at a used book shop recently. There is no agreement on his height. The Ring Record book listed him as 6-5 3/4, a doctor in Italy measured him at about 6-7 1/2. Some claimed that he was 6-10. From what I have read, most people embellish their height by about 2 inches, NBA basketball players by much more(3-5 inches is common). If Carnera was measured accurately at 6-7 1/2, he was probably as tall or taller than most people who claimed to be 6-10, since people add inches to their height.

[SteveO]

I know Carnera was tall, but his profile on this website now lists him as being 65ft 5 3/4inches!!!

[6 Pack]

Good God!!! The man literally was a Giant! No wonder many consider Joe Louis the Greatest of all time, he slew a monster in Primo Carnera!

[robin]

Too many uppercuts!

[Daniele Summa]

I know certnaly that Carnera's uncle saw to Aldo Spoldi : "Primo's Height was 2.03 meters

[Colin]

The New York Times in the 'tale of the tape' in the lead up to his fights pretty consistently gives 6' 5 3/4. If they articles are accurate he was not the tallest of the heavyweights at the time. They, in one article, give Ray Impellitiere as being 6' 8" and in another had Campolo at 6' 7". I think DL is probably correct, they all embellished their height. Perhaps the best way around it is to have 6' 5 3/4 in the data base and the upper limit (6' 10) in the biography.
Colin

[BoxBuzz]

How tall was Valuev? Just curious.

Are the Klitschkos the same height or is one taller than the other?

[SteveO]

Valuev is 6' 11¾". His height was measured live on German TV. Some reports list him at anything up to 7' 2" - but they are incorrect.
Vitali is an inch taller than Wladimir.

[DaveyMac]

The guy we have too short I think is Jose Santa. He was widely billed as 6-9 and when he fought Carnera reporters there said he was three inches taller.
If you look at him in pictures with others I think he probably was a legit 6-9.

I don't know if this pic solves anything on Carnera but you can see he was taller than Max Baer and much, much bigger than my personal idol Spanky McFarland :)

[dempseyfire]

There have always been varying reports about Carnera's height, but it was measured at 6' 5 3/4" at his autopsy. The Guinness book of world records also listed his height as stated above (tallest heavyweight champion).

Given natural atrophy with age, 6'6 is probably a safe height to give him while he was boxing. He certainly wasn't anything near 6'10.

What I find more impressive about Carnera is his sheer massive frame/bulk. The guy after a boxing training camp was 260-270 lbs of ripped muscle . . your McClines, Whitakers, Briggs etc. always carried a good deal of fat, but Da Preem was shredded and humongous.

[DaveyMac]

Here is a link to Jose Santa and Max Baer together.

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/File:BaerSanta.jpg

[Ambling Alp II]

The guy we have too short I think is Jose Santa. He was widely billed as 6-9 and when he fought Carnera reporters there said he was three inches taller.
If you look at him in pictures with others I think he probably was a legit 6-9.

I don't know if this pic solves anything on Carnera but you can see he was taller than Max Baer and much, much bigger than my personal idol Spanky McFarland :)

Baer was about 6'2. Going by that picture (with him looking down), 6'6 seems about right. Judging by watching him on film, he also seems about that height. He certainly was not 6'10.

[JC]

Another comparison, Joe Louis was 6' 2", so again 6' 6" looks about right.

Carnera's hands and feet are huge compared to Louis, even taking the height difference into account.

[DaveyMac]

I think Max was a big 6-2 also. Buddy Baer was a solid 6-6. I remember watching a re-run of the old black and white Western "Cheyenne" and the star of the show Clint Walker, who is believe to be 6-6, gets in a fight with a mountain man who is bigger than him. I was like who the hell is that. Then I realized it was Buddy Baer.

[HomicideHenry]

Carnera was at best 6'6". However, because of his enormity and muscle mass, he appeared much larger than he was. When he fought 6'9" Ray Impeltierre (sorry if misspelled) he looked the bigger man in the fight. I do know there were plenty of exaggerations when Carnera was boxing, especially when he went into professional wrestling---- as he was often billed as anywhere between 6'8" and 6'10" when he was battling guys like Georgeous George and Argentina Rocca.

[dempseyfire]

Max Baer was just under 6'3 but had a massive frame; like Lennox Lewis and Sonny Liston he had an 84'' reach.

[hurlock]

So what was Baer ?? 6-2 6-3 ??
Carnet a is only 2-3 inches no more bigger then him.
I'd go with 6-4 6-5 max for carnera.
He was extremely thick set & would of looked humongous

[JC]

Foreman's another guy who gave the impression of being taller than he actually was because of his huge frame.

[BoxBuzz]

Jack did offer his chin up as a gift.......But he had to do it several times before the big mook recognized it was Christmas.

[evrenb]

Jack did offer his chin up as a gift.......But he had to do it several times before the big mook recognized it was Christmas.

Lol...you crack me up! Very true...i say he was 6ft 6 based on pics i have seen..