BoxRec

The following is taken from a series of articles published in May 1921 which give considerable detail on George Carpentier and as a matter of interest were all accompanied by some really good cartoon drawings which a very good and a particular pleasure for me as I collect such things.


Fifteen years ago Georges Carpentier, at the age of 12, was a pit
boy in a ,coal mine in Lens,France. That little obscure mining
town had been the scene of his childhood play days and of his
early schooling.

He was born of poor parents and as soon as he was old enough,
Joined his father, a miner, in daily trips to the insides of the
earth. The youth's weekly earnings went to help keep the wolf
from the Carpentier door.

In those days Georges was a timid-appearing, fair, haired youth,
with an appearance far from that of a lad who would indulge in
anything that required muscle and brawn. He was generally looked
upon as a fireside mother's boy. Working in darkness all day
long, away from sunshine and open air, didn't appear to Georges.
He wanted to do something else.

With that thought ever on his mind, he occasionally went, after
working hours to a boxing school that had been opened in the town
by Prof. Francois Descamps. Like many other youngsters he
watched fighters work. Finally hebecame well known as one of the
youngsters: in. the town, and wasnow and then allowed to slip on
a pair of gloves himself and mix in the sparring battles.

One night he gave a much bigger fellow a good drubbing: Descamps
witnessed the bout and was much impressed with the fair haired
kid's showing. Georges was encouraged to come to the
school more regularly. Eventually the professor had a hunch
there was something that goes tomake a real battlers in the kid – at
least a lot of nerve.

Descamps took the matter up with Carpentiers parents.He wanted
to take their son under his wing and train him. At first there
was much objection, but Descamps' persistency won out and
Georges left his pit boy task for all time.

From then on the youngster was at the gym almost day and
night. Rough edges were trained off of him and he was stacked up
against the best fighters in Descamps' lot in short notice.
.Descamps' mother in-law took an interest in the boy from the start.

Outside battles with a money angle to them, however, were few
and far between, and money talked mighty loud with Descamps
and his youthful pupil.

Hence they went on little tours and Carpentier staged exhibition
bouts in cafes at night. Let Georges tell you about it himself:

"First we staged a fight; then followed with an acrobatic turn.
As a grand finale I allowed myself to be sent into a trance by
Descamps and did “thought reading”

Then Carpentier smile and says “Bunkum”

But bunkum or not the money rolled in and this
To say the least was pleasing to master and pupil.
Finally Carpentier first real bout came in the later
Part of 1907 against Bourgeois. George trimmed him
In four rounds and followed this with another four round
Win over Wetink.

Carpentier was battling as a flyweight being just 13 and
Far from developed.his third bout saw him get a drubbing
From Mazoir a much touted battler in four rounds.

The year 1908 took him into the ring with men who had
gained real reputations.

The next story carries Carpentier through his first knockout
And one of the toughest battles he has ever fought.

In his first year Georges Carpentier had occasion for very
little test of endurance He had developed a flashy, dancing
style of battling and seldom found it necessary to stay in the
ring longer than four rounds. His nasty right mitt usually found an
opening early in the bout

Early in 1908,.after scoring –his first real knockout, against Moinereau
a countryman, in, three rounds, he was matched to meet a jockey by
the name of Salmon.

This fighter had earned a reputation through cleaning up on all
of the flyweight scrappers in the territory. Carpentier was several
years younger than Salmon and many pounds lighter. Fight fans
were amused at such a match.

"What chance did the little slender fellow have?”.

His Longest Fight

At any rate the bout was staged scheduled as a 20-round affair.
It took Carpentier through his longest fight, thus far, and cleared
up all suspicion that he would run out of wind,. in a long contest;
because of his peppiness from the first bell.

Georges stuck it out 18 rounds And quit then, only after his
backers- tossed a towel in the ring. Salmon had knocked him down
many times and had all the argument this was the second with Salmon.
Carpentier had –won the first on a foul, but was not satisfied with that
sort of a win . He- himself insisted on the second scrap.

Got Cheese Money

In spite of defeat in the 18- Round there was a bright side
for Carpentier and Descampas George drew down about &8 for
his share of the proceeds and this came in handy for crackers and
cheese. Little money rattled in their jeans in those days. They
were going from camp to camp on foot picking up grub change
as they went along.

In the closing days of that year Carpentier won a six-round battle
with Lepine, a much-touted boxer, and fought 6 and 20-round draws
with Legrand, another fighter who stood high 'in fistic circles.

He had now passed the 13 year mark and remarkable development
had taken place. His weight held him in the flyweight class however.

Early in 1909 Georges turned The tables on his previous two time
opponent, getting a decision over Salmon in 10 rounds .shortly after
this he matched with Glorin, the demon of the day in France. For five
rounds Carpentier looked a winner. Then a sudden blow was slipped
over and he went down and out. It was the first time he had taken
the count

thanks for that. There are six articles in total which are all full of detail which i found an interesting insight into the times.

Thanks for the articles!

I have always been interested in the career of Carpentier and I think he is one of the more underrated fighters in boxing history!

Are you going to post the other articles?

hello again mate - busy today. yes i am just finishing the next on as it happens.and hope to complete the whole set today all being well. when they are all done i am going to put them on the wiki - wish they would change the name it sounds like an illness.

part 3

on the second meeting between Carpentier and Paul Til, there was much speculation as to what would happen. The first scrap, over the 20-round route, had been a draw. This time the go was for 10 rounds. Would Carpentier speed up, In the shorter route? That's just what be did, and won the decision.

Georges was fast taking on weight and flirting with the feather division. Just previous to graduating he disposed ol Pickard and Lampin, via the K. O. route and won on a foul from Young Warner. It was the second time he had darkened the lamps of Lampin.

Georges Takes Lacing

Few battles came during the featherweight days. One of the first was a setback, at the hands of Buck Shine ,an English fighter. Carpentier took a good licking in 8 rounds.

Following in short order came another defeat when he clashed with Young Snowball, another Englishman. Paul Til, still a topnotcher, then made a bid for a third match with Georges. The two fought to a draw in 15 rounds. Fighting men whom he had already clashed with, was one of the best little things Carpentier did in the early days.

He was always willing to give a man. another chance. Young Warner followed Til's attempted comeback. He had lost to Georges, in their first mix, on a foul, and contended another battle would see him winner. Carpentier was willing and the two journeyed to Cambrai for a 10-round go. In the seventh frame the question of superiority was settled when Warner was knocked out into dreamland.

Wins over Percy Wilson,in 10 rounds; Geo. Gaillard, in .6 rounds; Cuny, in 8 rounds; Jack Daniels in 10 rounds and Demien ( Demlin) a Belgian star, in 10 rounds followed. And in the meantime Georges knocked out Jim Campbell in 5 frames and battled Jean Andony to a 10-round draw.

That finished the featherweight career. Georges was growing rapidly and when he next stepped into the ring it was as a lightweight Ed Brochet was one of the first battlers to connect -with him in this class. He connected, in the 7th round, with Carpentier'a right, and went down in a heap.

In those days George Randall was stepping SOME in the British pugilistic world. He was thought a fitting man to hand the fair haired French- speed boy a cleaning. Randall eyed Carpentier's record and set sail for Paris to conquer.

Two bouts resulted. In the first Randall lost on a decision to 10 rounds and in the second he was knocked out in half that time

Daniels Licked Again

Then Carpentier drew a blank from one of his own countrymen. Henri Piet had all the best of a ten round argument. This gave Jack Daniels, British fighter, new heart and he requested a second go with Georges. Once more a 10-round go found Daniels on the wrong end of a decision.

England then bid once more by sending Young Nipper across the pond to fight Carpentier. This Britisher was a tough bird and before the fight his chances looked mighty good. After the fight, it was a different story. Carpentier got the decision in 8 frames.

Georges then moved into the welterweight class and won three straight 10-round bouts from Jack Meekins, Sid Stagg and Geo. Colbourne, all Englishmen. He than was matched to meethis first American opponent

In the next story Carpentier wins the welterweight crown, of France and makes his first trip to London.

nice little bit about Georges is that brendan Ingle stole a story off him to give to Naz.

The one about first coming across Naz outside a school when he was being picked on by a gang of other kids...and Naz proceded to bash all of the bullies up...so brendan, seeing what a good fighter the youngster was invited him to train at his gym....that same story was told almost 50yrs earlier about Carpentier by Descamps

thats a good mate and how you remember that link is amazing 10 out of 10 for that one.

only one left in the series


Part 4

George Carpentier with a long string of victories over English fighters, had not yet clashed with an American opponent up to the early part of 1921.

Frank Loughrey, of Pittsburgh at this time was creating quite a stir across the pond, and Georges was signed to battle him in Paris. The bout went the full 15 rounds but Carpentier had all the best of it.

Success had been so kind to Georges, in bouts with his countrymen, that but one fighter stood between him and the welterweight championship of France. This battler, Robert Eustache, had cleaned up on all of the topnotch scrappers, and the welter crown rested on his head.

Wins Championship.

The scrap was arranged and Carpentier won a decision and, the championship in 16 rounds.

Through all the training for his many fights, Mme. Vanhibroucq, Manager Descamps mother-in-law, had been Carpentier's guardian angel. She watched over him, and always in Georges younger days, saw that her handsome "son" was not bothered by the young girls. "I do not blame the girls," she says, "Georges is so handsome,clever and famous. But I scare them off."

Shortly after copping the welter crown Georges licked two more English battlers. Jack Goldswain in 4 rounds, and Arthur Evernden, in 15 rounds, and was then matched with Dixie Kid, an American negro fighter.

When "the battle” was staged on August 29, 1911,Jack had not had a fight in over a month. He was
not in tiptop condition and the Kid handed him a beating in five rounds.

Georges then made his first trip to London. He startled English fight fans by trimming Sid Burns In 15 rounds and following closely with a win over Young Joseph, In 10 rounds.

Two more battles, a knockout over Theodore Gray in nine 'rounds and a win over Harry Lewis in. 20 rounds wound up the year.

The year 1912 started off with knockouts over Battling LaCroix and Jim Sullivan. Georges had, In the meantime, taken on weightthat put him In the middle class. This lead to a go with George Gunther, Australian champ, who had cleaned up all other, opponents In this division. It was a tough battle, for 20 .rounds, and Georges drew the decision. The glory heaped on him by this performance was greatly added to when he licked Hubert Roe, ex-heavyweight champ of France and stood well with the populace, as a scrapper. Carpentier went the full 20 rounds to gain a decision and then took on, two-more Americans.

Klaus Wins on Foul.

The first, Frank Klaus Pittsburg "Bearcat," gave the little Frenchman a terrible mauling. Georges also slipped, in some telling punches and when Klaus was declared winner on a foul, In the 19th round, both battlers were I a bad way. The second, Billy Papke had trimmed Marcel Moreau, Carpentier's main French rival, and Georges challenged him. The Yankee slipped over a wicked punch to Carpentier's left eye, in the 17th round, and Manager Descamps withdrew Georges from the battle, giving Papke the decision.

Still putting on weight, Georges slipped into the light heavyweight division and was next matched with Moreau.

Part 5

All question as to Georges Carpentier’s right to the claim of champion of France was settled, when he won from Marcel Moreau in eight rounds, and later won from Albert Lurie, official heavyweight champion.

Bouts had been paying the French team, Carpentier-Descamp well, and Georges became a real idol of his country, while his manager reaped a financial harvest.

Six knockouts in a row were next added to the long string of Wins Carpentier had accumulated. Bandsman Rice, Cyclone Smith and George Gunther fell in order, in l, 2, 3 and 14 rounds.

Jars England's Pride

Bombardier Wells, English heavyweight, then took the count in four frames and Albert Lurie and Ashley Williams, both Frenchmen, toppled in three and four frames respectively. The Wells defeat was a blow to
England's fistic pride. A youngster several inches shorter and many pounds lighter ,had trimmed one of its leading battlers.

In the meantime Jeff Smith, an American, had run up a list of wins In Paris. Georges took him on and won in 20 rounds. This battle was followed with a knockout, and a second knockout of Wells, in one round. That was the last battle of 1913.

Throughout Carpentier's fighting career there had been gossip of Descamp and Georges working the "hypnotic eye" on opponents. It traced back to the early days when the two played master and pupil In
"thought reading" performances.

George Explains

In connection with this Georges says: "Descamps takes away from me, by his very influence all my cares and troubles when I am scheduled to fight, leaving me to enter the ring With only a fighting mind.

"He subtly convince me that he is actually fighting at the same time I am. and fighting for me."So much for the "hypnotic eye."

It was Carpentier's wallops that were carrying him to victories.

His first battle in 1914 resulted in a knockout of Pat 'Keefe , in two rounds. George Mitchell, Hubert Roe and Phillipe Robinson alsowent out over the sleep route. Gunboat Smith, topnotch American scrapper, then journeyed to Paris and lost to Carpentier in the sixth round, on a foul. Another foul gave Georges a win over Kid Jackson in four rounds.

Then Joe Jeannette, prize American negro husky, crossed the pond and handed the French wlz a lacing
in 15 rounds.

Served as Aviator

This ended Georges pre-war battles except for a few exhibition bouts. When France ,went to war with Germany ,Georges- enlisted in the aviation branch. He was twice decorated. During the fighting days he gave many boxing exhibitions for American troops in France.

The fighting game had piled up a. fortune for Carpentier. He bad even purchased an interest in the mines at Lens In which he worked as a boy. This fortune of a million francs was lost .through the war and Georges re-entered the ring, after peace came, to rebuild it,

The next story carried Carpentier to -the championship of Europe

Part 6

That Georges Carpentier had kept his fighting trim during his war time days was evidenced by his knockout of Dick Smith, on his return to the ring in 1919. Smith lasted but eight rounds.

Then the European championship bout, between Carpentier, king battler of France, and Joe Beckett, British champ, was pulled off in London, the latter part of December.

Cops Crown of Europe

Georges delivered a left to the chin and followed ,with a right,knocking Beckett out in the first round and annexing the title. He gained favor by carrying his defeated opponent to his corner, after the count of 10.

Talk of a world championship battle between Carpentier and Dempsey, titleholder in America, resulted from this victory.

In the meantime, early in 1920, Carpentier knocked out Blink McCloskey, in two rounds, and disposed of Grundhoven in the same length of time.

Early in March he was married in Paris, to Georgette Elsasser. Their honeymoon was spent in a trip to America. The French battling idol, and his bride, arrived in New York on March 23. Carpentier was flooded with money contracts which carried him into the movies and on a boxing exhibition hour of the United States.

After- a rousing welcome and much entertaining in New York, Georges starred in a movie and then hopped aboard the same special train that carried Governor Cox and King Albert, of Belgium around the U. S-, and went on a 70-day sparring trip, under the management of Jack Curley, well known American promoter.

Curley paid Carpentier $70.000 For this trip $1000a performance and when this was added to Georges' movie money he had over $100,000 in American money when he sailed back to France on July 10. A new member of the Carpentier family was expected and Georges and his wife wanted it to be born on French soil.

In the meantime a Carpentier- Levinsky Match was boomed and Georges returned to America On September 13, his wife remained in France.

The French champion trained at Jack Curley's place in Great Neck, L. I., and at Freddie Welsh's health farm at Summit, N. J, On October 12 he knocked Battling Levinsky out in the fourth round. It was a right to the Jaw that sent the American scrapper to the land of nod.

This battle was a lead-up to the big go with Jack Dempsey and as soon as articles were signed for the world's championship bout, Georges returned to his. Native land. He took with him $50,000 his share of the Levinsky go.


Georges is a Daddy

Back in France he went on a short exhibition tour and on the strength of being the man matched with Jack Dempsey cleaned up a small fortune

On December 15 a daughter arrived in the Carpentier home. Georges was a proud daddy and said “I’ll make a champion tennis player of her”

In the early part of 1921 Carpentier and his manager Descamps Went on another money making tour in Europe. On May 7 he sailed for America to train for the Worlds title bout with Jack Dempsey at Jersey City July 2nd.

read and appreciated.....

the complete set is on the wiki database and all the images which went with them.I have yet to link the images to the article but will do.

Most overrated fighter in history and does not deserve HOF recognition. His career was smoke and mirrors.

BoxBuzz wrote:read and appreciated.....

I second this, much abliged

thanks mate glad you found the info interesting to read. there are many articles available on him and clearly the visit to the US was covered very much so.

on face value the comment made by Klompton may seem odd but i have seen other reports of the time which did question the career. However they did not go so far as Klompton.

klompton wrote:Most overrated fighter in history and does not deserve HOF recognition. His career was smoke and mirrors.

can you clarify that a bit please as the comment "smoke and mirrors" is not a phrase i am familiar with. i aggee that there there is some question on his fights but not aware of much that would warrent what you state on this.

Carpentier had a very good career and certainly earned everything he got in the ring!!! Any man who can fight very successfully at bantamweight who also moved up to heavyweight, being very successful in every division...well...there are only a small handful of fighters in history who have been able to do that!!!

In fact...the list of wins below is a lot more impressive than some that are in the HOF, but what is most impressive was Carpentier's ability to move up multiple weights and continue to fight at a high level:

1909-11-24 Charles Ledoux W PTS 15
1911-05-20 Frank Loughrey W PTS 15
1911-06-23 Jack Goldswain W KO 4
1911-08-14 Arthur Evernden W PTS 15
1911-12-13 Harry Lewis W PTS 20
1912-04-04 George Gunther W PTS 20
1912-05-23 Willie Lewis W PTS 20
1913-01-08 Marcel Moreau W TKO 8
1913-02-12 Bandsman Dick Rice W KO 2
1913-03-17 George Gunther W PTS 15
1913-06-01 Bombadier Billy Wells W KO 4
1913-10-11 Jeff Smith W PTS 20
1913-12-08 Bombadier Billy Wells W KO 1
1914-01-19 Pat O'Keefe W KO 2
1914-07-16 Gunboat Smith W DQ 6
1919-12-04 Joe Beckett W KO 1
1920-10-12 Battling Levinsky W KO 4
1922-01-12 George Cook W KO 4
1922-05-11 Ted 'Kid' Lewis W KO 1
1923-10-01 Joe Beckett W KO 1

Some pretty impressive wins in there!!!