Greatest French Boxer of all time?

[greenpudding]

Interested to know who people regard as the best French boxer ever? Cerdan or Carpentier ? or somebody else? think i'd have to go for Cerdan the man seem almost god like

[ClivePatrickLyons]

Marcel Cerdan was probably their [French] best....... even though its debatable France just doesn't seem to be blessed with GREAT boxer's

[scartissue]

Aside from Cerdan and Carpentier I could name off the top of my head some outstanding talent in

-Marcel Thil
-Andre Lenglet
-Pierre Langlois
-Charles Humez
-Robert Villemain
-Laurent Dauthille
-Eugene Criqui
-Ray Famechon
-Theo Medina
-Valentin Angelmann
-Victor Perez
-Emile (Spider) Pladner

Also a featherweight whom I can't think of at this time who fought Jem Driscoll. Also, a lot more like Laurent Boudani, Rufino Angulo, Chris Tiozzo, Jean Claude Bouttier, Gratien Tonna and oodles more that I can't think of right now. They may not be making some all-time great lists, but they were great in their own right and represent France well.

[Crease]

Marcel Cerdan springs to mind immediately. And secondly I thought of Laurent Dauthuille, which surprised me because I have been very critical of him in the past.

[stevedoc]

the stecca brothers loris and maurizio were good of the more moderd fighters and of course sambu kalumbay

[scartissue]

Wrong country.

[stevedoc]

Wrong country.

lol ...i must of miss read it of course their italian

[scartissue]

The featherweight I was trying to remember who fought Driscoll was Charles Ledoux. Add to the list.

[cfang]

Cerdan is number 1 for sure. Great fighter and all time top ten middle I think.

[SteveO]

Georges Carpentier

[elmersalsa]

Georges Carpentier

He got to be number one of France. He won title belts IN ALL LEVELS OF COMPETITION. He was French welterweight, European welterweight, middleweight, light-heavyweight, heavyweight and The Light-Heavyweight Champion of the Whole Entire World!... Plus, his longevity in the sport of boxing says a lot. How many guys that started their careers at welter, or maybe below that, can claim that they fought for the World Heavyweight Championship? Not too many.

[Jpreisser]

On resume, Carpentier tops Cerdan; on film, it is the other way around. Personally, I'd take Cerdan.

[elmersalsa]

On resume, Carpentier tops Cerdan; on film, it is the other way around. Personally, I'd take Cerdan.

It's fair. The great Marcel Cerdan was a complete fighter. The body shots he gave champion Tony Zale was something to see. Both, Cerdan and Georges Carpentier, are top 100 p4p greats in my view

Another good Frenchman was Eugene Criqui

[greenpudding]

I forgot about Eugene Criqui, good call

[Old bones Ian]

Although born in Iran Mahar Monshipour deserves a mention in this list of greatest French boxers, he was an exciting puncher. I remember him coming over here and upsetting Michael Alldis , he then went on to win EBU and WBA titles.

[dr_devious]

Whilst not in the same league as Cerdan, Jean Marc Mormeck is probably the best French fighter in recent years

[littlepug]

Wasn't farid benichou French ? quite liked him, gutsy little fighter

[dr_devious]

Think it was Fabrice Benichou, he was good back in the day

[Ambling Alp II]

I think Cerdan was the best. He was truly a great fighter.
In the late 1940s/early 1950s there were some really good French middleweights.

Besides Cerdan, there was Laurent Dauthille and Robert Villemain. Both of them beat Jake LaMotta.

In a rematch with LaMotta (this time for the middleweight title) Dauthille was was seconds away from winning the title when LaMotta knocked him out in the 15th round.
This is a fight in which you would think would get a lot more attention.

[evrenb]

Cerdan was French??

[Caractacus]

Cerdan was French??

Yes he was. Do you have a problem with that or something?

[Teddy's Toupee]

Cerdan was French??

Yes he was. Do you have a problem with that or something?

He was born in Algeria

[elmersalsa]

Cerdan was French??

Yes he was. Do you have a problem with that or something?

He was born in Algeria

I think Algeria is a French colony until this day. Footballer great Zenadine Zidane was also born in Algeria, or Morocco, something like that

[klompton]

Thil was better than Cerdan or Carpentier. He would have made both quit.

[Teddy's Toupee]

Algeria hasn't been a French colony since 1962. Zidane was born in Marseille, France.