Originally posted by edgarg
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Georges Carpentier held every title of France, and I think perhaps (but not sure) of Europe (when the next step from a European title was to a World title) from, FLYWEIGHT to HEAVYWEIGHT ending up at just over middleweight avoirdupois.
It was of Carpentier that the famous story was told about his fight with Bombardier Billy Wells the British Champ, in England. that "when the bell rang for the 1st rd, this fat man in a ringside seat dropped his programme...when he straightened up, the fight was already over. And incidentally, when you see the intro to an old British Gaumont movie where there is a man in a lionskin hitting a HUGE hanging metal gong with a club, that's Bombardier Wells.
Carpentier also KO'd ATG Ted Kid Lewis with one punch, in the 1st rd, when Lewis turned to the ref to complain. Of course Lewis was a welter and Carpentier was a heavy middle but it was for the European (or World) lt. heavy Title.
When he came over to fight Jack Dempsey, he was only 160 odd lbs and the promoters (I think it was Tex Rickard) were faking all the pictures taken together so that he would look big enough. He carried extra weight at the weigh in also.
No, Carpentier was one of the better ATG's in my opinion.
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