 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
Nicknames |
|
| Nationality |
|
| Born | (1906-10-26)26 October 1906 Sequals, Italy |
| Died | 29 June 1967(1967-06-29) (aged 60) Sequals, Italy |
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) |
| Weight | 270 lb (122 kg) |
| Boxing career | |
| Weight class | |
| Reach | 85 in (216 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 103;[1] with the inclusion ofnewspaper decisions |
| Wins | 88 (official); 89 (unofficial) |
| Win by KO | 72 |
| Losses | 14 |
Primo Carnera (Italian pronunciation:[ˈpriːmokarˈnɛːra];[2] 26 October 1906 – 29 June 1967)The Ambling Alp was the first ItalianHeavyweight Champion boxer, holding the title from 1933 to 1934. He was best known for his immense size and status as one of the most physically imposing heavyweights in boxing history. At 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) tall and weighing more than 275 pounds (125 kg), Carnera became the World Heavyweight Champion after defeatingJack Sharkey by knockout.
Carnera was a major box-office attraction during the 1930s, regularly drawing large crowds due to his sheer size and spectacle. He set many attendance records during the height of theGreat Depression. Later active as aprofessional wrestler and filmactor. Appearing alongsideMax Baer andJack Dempsey in theOscar nominated filmThe Prizefighter and the Lady (1933). Primo's life is crudely mirrored in theHumphrey Bogart filmThe Harder They Fall (1956). He sued the producers forinvasion of privacy but was unsuccessful.[3]
Primo Carnera was born inSequals, then in theProvince of Udine, now in theProvince of Pordenone,Friuli-Venezia Giulia at the north-easternmost corner of Italy.[4]
On 13 March 1939, Carnera married Giuseppina Kovačič (1913–1980), a post office clerk fromGorizia.[5] In 1953, they received dual citizenship. They settled inLos Angeles, where Carnera opened a restaurant and a liquor store. They had two children, Umberto and Giovanna Maria. Umberto became a medical doctor.[6] Carnera died in 1967 at age 60 in his native town of Sequals, Italy. He died from a combination ofliver disease and complications from diabetes.[7]
Upon arrival in America, Carnera was first touted as being 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) tall, and thus the tallest heavyweight in history, but later reporting lists him as low as 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) tall.[8] He fought at over 275 pounds (125 kg).[9] Often listed as 6 feet 6½ inches to draw comparison toJess Willard's record breaking height, Carnera was known to be slightly shorter but around 40 lb (18 kg) heavier and was the heaviest champion in boxing history untilNikolai Valuev in 2005.[10]
The average height in Italy was approximately 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) and in the United States 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m),[11] Heavyweights at the time were 175 pounds (79 kg) and up. After Carnera killedErnie Schaaf theNew York Boxing Commission considered a proposal that Carnera would only be sanctioned to fight opponents 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 220 pounds (100 kg) and up, which would have limited him to 10 known opponents.[12]
According to boxing historian Herbert Goldman (managing editor ofThe Ring 1978–1987), Carnera was "very much mob controlled."[13] His contract was purchased by mobsterOwney Madden after Carnera's arrival in New York in 1930.Abe Attell was brought in to train Carnera. Attell had been caught up in theBlack Sox Scandal. However Attell was acquitted when he successfully convinced the jury that he was the wrong Abe Attell.[14]
Carnera met his first serious heavyweight contender,Young Stribling, in 1929, and won when Stribling fouled him. In a rematch, he fouled Stribling. Each scoring a victory by disqualification. Commenting on the unsatisfactory conclusion of the two matches, sportswriterRobert Edgren commented "Stribling seems to be playing Carnera the way he has played a lot of palukas and stable mates at different towns in "the sticks" in this country. Always the return engagement."[15]
Carnera was immediately a draw in the United States. 18,500 saw him fight Big Boy Peterson atMadison Square Garden.[16] Carnera won easily in the 1st round.The New York Times noted the absence of betting on the outcome causing skepticism prior to the match. Peterson was counted out while punching himself in the jaw. "Whether to make sure he was knocked out or in an effort to restore his jarred senses could not be ascertained."[17]
A week later against Elzear Rioux the fight lasted only 47 seconds and Rioux was down 6 times. Bob Soderman of theChicago Tribune reported, "Rioux didn't do much fighting..being too intent on doing what he had been hired to do; that is, making sure he fell to the canvas at the slightest provocation." After an investigation, the Illinois Boxing Commission cleared Carnera but fined Rioux $1000 and revoked his license.[1]
In March, 1930, Primo Carnera facedGeorge Trafton in Kansas City. Trafton was knocked out by Carnera in the first round of their fight.[18] In the aftermath of the fight, the Missouri Boxing Commission suspended Trafton but laid no blame on Carnera.[19]
His April 1930 fight against California club fighter Bombo Chevalier ended when one of Chevalier's seconds, Bob Perry, threw in the towel, although it appeared that Chevalier was in no worse condition than Carnera. The match was found to be fixed, Carnera's purse was initially withheld.[20] Chevalier's manager stated "the towel should not have been thrown in." In an investigation, Chevalier said he had been approached earlier about a "fake fight," but had declined. No one had expected the towel to be thrown in.[1] Chevalier also stated that Perry had rubbed him with a sponge that caused his eyes and nose to burn.[21]
In May 1930 theNational Boxing Association suspended Carnera.[22]
His June 1930 match againstGeorge Godfrey was controversial before it began. Seconds were forbidden from throwing in the towel.[23] Godfrey was disqualified in the fifth round when he was clearly getting the better of Carnera.[24][25] In the aftermath, Godfrey lost his boxing license and half his purse, Carnera was cleared.[26]
TIME, in a 5 October 1931 cover story on Carnera before he won the heavyweight title, commented on his odd career:[27]
Since his arrival in the US, backed by a group of prosperous but shady entrepreneurs, Carnera's career has been less glorious than fantastic. His first opponents—Big Boy Peterson, Elzear Rioux, Cowboy Owens—were known to be incompetent but their feeble opposition to Carnera suggested that they had been bribed to lose. Suspicion concerning the Monster's abilities became almost universal when another adversary, Bombo Chevalier, stated that one of his own seconds had threatened to kill him unless he lost to Carnera. Against the huge, lazy, amiable George Godfrey (249 lb), he won on a foul. But only one of 33 US opponents has defeated Monster Carnera—fat, slovenly Jimmy Maloney, whom Sharkey beat five years ago. In a return fight, at Miami last March, Carnera managed to outpoint Maloney.
Fair or not. Accusations of fixed fights would follow Carnera for the rest of his career.
In November 1930 he traveled to Spain and defeated Spanish contenderPaulino Uzcudun in front of 75,000-90,000 spectators atBarcelona Olympic Stadium winning by split decision. A record boxing crowd in Spain at the time.[28] Carnera came up short in a decision against future heavyweight championJack Sharkey before 30,000 fans atEbbets Field. Followed that with a win streak that included victories overKing Levinsky,Pierre Charles,Don McCorkindale, andHans Schönrath. He suffered a surprise loss toLarry Gains in front of 70,000 atWhite City Stadium. A record crowd for boxing in Britain at the time.[29]
In February 1933, Carnera fought contenderErnie Schaaf in a bout that would earn him a heavyweight title shot if he won. Schaff entered as a slight favorite.[30] The bout was held atMadison Square Garden in New York City.
Primo won by KO in round 13. Schaaf left the ring unconscious and died four days later.[31] An autopsy revealed that Schaaf hadmeningitis, a swelling of the brain, and was still recovering from a severe case ofinfluenza which had briefly hospitalized him during his training camp.[32][33]
Despite Carnera’s knockout of Ernie Schaaf, and Schaaf’s documented poor health before the bout, one narrative portrays Schaaf as never having recovered from a knockout byMax Baer six months earlier. A framing echoed inCinderella Man (2005), “Max Baer's killed two men in the ring.” AndThe Harder They Fall (1956), in which Max Baer, essentially playing himself, is upset about not getting credit, "Your joker tapped him. I did the work and he gets the glory. I don't like it."
In June 1933 Carnera faced the now world heavyweight championJack Sharkey at theMadison Square Garden Bowl inQueens, New York in front of 40,000. Sharkey had won a decision over Carnera 2 years before, and this seemed to be a safe title defense. At first it seemed like a repeat of their first encounter, before Carnera knocked out Sharkey in round six with "a terrific right hand uppercut to the chin that almost decapitated Sharkey and brought Carnera the title."[34]
He successfully defended his title againstPaulino Uzcudun in front of 55,000-70,000 spectators inRome, in what was the first heavyweight title fight in Italy.[35] Then he defended againstTommy Loughran in what was the greatest weight disparity between fighters in a championship fight in history at the time, 84 pounds (38 kg).
During his championship reign, he starred opposite his next opponentMax Baer in theOscar nominated filmThe Prizefighter and the Lady (1933). In the film, Baer and Carnera's characters fight for the heavyweight title. The two sparred together during filming (reportedly over a dozen rounds), giving Baer extra time to figure out Carnera's fighting style.[36]
In their 1934 bout Baer wore aStar of David on his trunks, underscoring Carnera’s perceived ties toFascist Italy. Carnera had performed thefascist salute for his home crowd during his first title defense, which had includedBenito Mussolini in attendance. Now in his 3rd title defense, back at the familiar Madison Square Garden Bowl. This time in front of 56,000. Carnera was knocked down 3 times in each of the first 2 rounds, but managed to hang around until in the 11th round when referee Arthur Donovon stopped the fight. Down 11 times total. Carnera fractured his right ankle in the defeat.[37]
A statue of the defeated Carnera won thePrix de Rome First Prize in 1934. L'Athlète vaincu by Albert Bouquillon.[38]
After a successful South American tour that took him to Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, Primo was ready for his next big test, a youngJoe Louis. In 1935Mussolini's Italy waspreparing to invadeEthiopia, the last and only independent nation in Africa still ruled by native Africans. Newspapers hyped the political tensions. Joe Louis said, "they put a heavy weight on my twenty year old shoulders. Now, not only did I have to beat the man, but I had to beat him for a cause."[39] AtYankee Stadium in front of 60,000 Louis won by KO in round 6.Maya Angelou writes about this fight inI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Two shocking defeats in 1936 by Leroy Haynes left Primo in the hospital for 3 weeks with temporary paralysis in his left leg, caused bythrombosis, a sprained back, and a damaged kidney.[40] In 1937 Carnera, now adiabetic, had to have the kidney removed, which forced him into retirement. After 8 years of retirement he briefly returned to boxing in 1945 with three losses againstLuigi Musina.[5] Carnera's record was 88 wins and 14 losses.
A later World (Middleweight) ChampionNino Benvenuti,said "When I was a kid Primo was a legend for me. I saw him as the unbeatable giant in the fairy tales... they used to say he wasn't skillful. That's false. He had one of the best jabs I've ever seen for a boxer of that size."[41]
Carnera was the third European to hold the world heavyweight championship afterBob Fitzsimmons andMax Schmeling. He would be the last untilIngemar Johanssonclaimed the title againstFloyd Patterson in 1959, over a quarter of a century later.
Carnera was also the first boxer to win the European Heavyweight title and subsequently become World Heavyweight champion.
Carnera's 1933 title defense againstTommy Loughran held the record for the greatest weight differential between two combatants in a world title fight (86 lb or 39 kg)[42] for 73 years until the reign ofNikolai Valuev, who owns the current record for the105+1⁄2 lb (47.9 kg) weight advantage he held in his 2006 defense againstMonte Barrett.
Valuev also broke Carnera's record of 270 lb (120 kg) to become the heaviest world champion in history, weighing as high as 328 lb (149 kg) during his reign. Carnera still ranks as the fourth-heaviest, behind Valuev,Tyson Fury andAndy Ruiz Jr., over 90 years after he held the title.[10]
Carnera's 1933 title defense againstPaulino Uzcudun in Italy was the first heavyweight title fight to be held in Europe sinceJack Johnson's title defence againstFrank Moran in Paris in 1913. It would be the last such occasion untilMuhammad Ali defended the title againstHenry Cooper in London in 1966. Carnera-Uzcudun was the first World Heavyweight championship fight to be contested between two Europeans. It would be another sixty years, whenLennox Lewis defended theWBC heavyweight title against fellow-EnglishmanFrank Bruno in 1993, that this would occur again.
Carnera's 72 career knockouts is the most of any world heavyweight champion (IBU, NBA, NYSAC).[43]
In 1946 he became aprofessional wrestler and was immediately a huge success at the box office. For several years he was one of the top draws in wrestling. Carnera continued to be an attraction into the 1960s. Max Baer attended at least one of Carnera's wrestling matches.[44]
Carnera won his debut against Jules Strongbow inWilmington, California on 20 August 1946. Two days later, he defeated Tommy O'Toole at theGrand Olympic Auditorium before 10,000 fans.[45] On 23 October 1946, Carnera won his 41st consecutive wrestling match by defeatingJules Strongbow.[46] On 19 November 1946, Carnera beat Harry Kruskamp to remain undefeated at 65–0–0. Primo Carnera went 120 straight wrestling matches undefeated (119–0–1) before suffering his first loss toYvon Robert inMontreal, Quebec, Canada, on 20 August 1947. Carnera's greatest victory took place on 7 December 1947 when he defeated former world heavyweight championEd "Strangler" Lewis.
In May 1948, Carnera took a 143–1–1 record against world heavyweight championLou Thesz. Thesz defeated Carnera in a world title defense.
He retired from wrestling in 1962.
During his tenure as world champion he played a fictional version of himself in the 1933 filmThe Prizefighter and the Lady starringMyrna Loy featuring fellow boxers Max Baer and Jack Dempsey. He plays the heavyweight champion in a title fight with Baer.[47]
Carnera had a bit part in the 1949 movieMighty Joe Young.[47] He played himself in the tug-of-war scene with the giant gorilla.
He also played a bully boy wrestler inCarol Reed'sA Kid for Two Farthings (1955). Set in London'sPetticoat Lane Market, the film pits Carnera's character against a local bodybuilder who is to marry another character named Sonia, played byDiana Dors.
Primo appeared in at least ten Italian films between 1939 and 1943,[48] as well as several in the 1950s, likePrince Valiant,[49] in the role of Sligon. His last screen role was as the giantAntaeus alongsideSteve Reeves inHercules Unchained (US title, filmed in Italy, 1959, original titleErcole e la regina di Lidia).[50]
Requiem for a Heavyweight,Rod Serling's 1956Emmy Award-winning teleplay forPlayhouse 90 directed byRalph Nelson (who also won an Emmy), focused on down-and-out former heavyweight boxer Harlan "Mountain" McClintock. The travails of McClintock, who was played byJack Palance (Sean Connery played the part on British television andAnthony Quinn essayed the role in the 1962 film), was thought by many boxing fans to resemble Carnera's life.[51]
In 1947, fighting aficionadoBudd Schulberg wroteThe Harder They Fall, a novel about a giant boxer whose fights are all fixed. It was adapted intoMark Robson's 1956 film, which starredHumphrey Bogart andRod Steiger. The towel throwing controversy against Bombo Chevalier is briefly depicted. A highlight was the appearance ofMax Baer, playing a fighter the mob could not fix who destroys the giant in his first fair fight. Critics drew parallels with the real-life Baer-Carnera fight two decades before. In response, Carnera unsuccessfully sued the film's company.
Carnera played himself in the 1949 movieMighty Joe Young.
Carnera was played by Matthew G. Taylor in the 2005 filmCinderella Man, a film about the life of fellow boxerJames J. Braddock.
In 2008, the actor Andrea Iaia played Carnera in the Italian biographical filmCarnera: The Walking Mountain, directed by Renzo Martinelli.
In 2013, Emporio Elaborazioni Meccaniche named a motorbike, the 1983 BMW R80RT Carnera, in honor of Carnera.[52]
In 1947,Carnera, an Italiancomic book series sporting a fictional version of Primo Carnera, was produced.[53] In 1953, it was translated into German.[54] Afacsimile version was published in 2010.[55]
Another popular Italian comic character,Dick Fulmine, was graphically inspired by Carnera.[53]
Carnera is mentioned byBertie Wooster in the 1934 novelRight Ho, Jeeves, byP.G. Wodehouse on p. 234.
In his 1933 collection of short storiesMulliner Nights, Wodehouse described one character as follows: "He was built on large lines, and seemed to fill the room to overflowing. In physique he was not unlike what Primo Carnera would have been if Carnera hadn't stunted his growth by smoking cigarettes when a boy."[56]
Carrera's fight with Walter Neusel is described inOne-storied America by Soviet authors Ilf and Petrov (1937).
Carnera is mentioned by Julian “Digger” Burroughs in the 1982 novelLucifer’s Weekend, byWarren Murphy on p. 81.[57]
Carnera is mentioned in the 1937 novel, The Far Distant Oxus, by Katharine Hull and Pamela Whitlock, during Bridget's dream where their servant was a cross between 'their waterboy out east and Carnera' on p. 274.
Carnera is mentioned in the 1939 pulp fiction story seriesAvenger#1 Justice Inc, byKenneth Robeson on page 59, as an example of a "giant" as the author attempts to describe the physical stature of Algernon Smith - one of Richard Benjamin's future crime fighting allies.
Carnera is mentioned inCambalache, a 1934 tango song byEnrique Santos Discépolo that was featured in the musical drama filmThe Soul of the Accordion.
TheYeasayer songAmbling Alp, from their 2010 albumOdd Blood references Carnera by his nickname in the title and second verse. Both Carnera and German boxerMax Schmeling are referenced for their bouts with AmericanJoe Louis.
All information in this section is derived fromBoxRec,[1] unless otherwise stated.
| 103 fights | 88 wins | 14 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 72 | 5 |
| By decision | 14 | 7 |
| By disqualification | 2 | 2 |
| Newspaper decisions/draws | 1 | |
Allnewspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column.
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 103 | Loss | 88–14(1) | Luigi Musina | UD | 10 | 19 May 1946 | Gorizia, Italy | |
| 102 | Loss | 88–13(1) | Luigi Musina | PTS | 8 | 19 Mar 1946 | Trieste, Italy | |
| 101 | Loss | 88–12(1) | Luigi Musina | TKO | 7 (8) | 21 Nov 1945 | Milan, Italy | |
| 100 | Win | 88–11(1) | Sam Gardner | KO | 1 (4) | 25 Sep 1945 | San Sabba Stadium,Trieste, Italy | |
| 99 | Win | 87–11(1) | Michel Blevens | KO | 3 (4) | 22 Jul 1945 | Moretti Stadium,Udine, Italy | |
| 98 | Win | 86–11(1) | Josip Zupan | KO | 2 (10) | 4 Dec 1937 | Budapest Zirkus,Budapest, Hungary | |
| 97 | Loss | 85–11(1) | Albert Di Meglio | PTS | 10 | 18 Nov 1937 | Salle Wagram, Paris, France | |
| 96 | Loss | 85–10(1) | Leroy Haynes | TKO | 9 (10),0:40 | 27 May 1936 | Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |
| 95 | Loss | 85–9(1) | Leroy Haynes | TKO | 3 (10),0:53 | 16 Mar 1936 | Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 94 | Win | 85–8(1) | Isidoro Gastanaga | TKO | 5 (10) | 6 Mar 1936 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 93 | Win | 84–8(1) | Big Boy Brackey | TKO | 4 (10),1:06 | 9 Dec 1935 | Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
| 92 | Win | 83–8(1) | Ford Smith | UD | 10 | 25 Nov 1935 | Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 91 | Win | 82–8(1) | Walter Neusel | TKO | 4 (10),2:23 | 1 Nov 1935 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 90 | Loss | 81–8(1) | Joe Louis | TKO | 6 (15),2:32 | 25 Jun 1935 | Yankee Stadium,Bronx, New York, U.S. | |
| 89 | Win | 81–7(1) | Ray Impelletiere | TKO | 9 (10),0:38 | 15 Mar 1935 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 88 | Win | 80–7(1) | Erwin Klausner | KO | 6 (12) | 22 Jan 1935 | Estádio das Laranjeiras,Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| 87 | Win | 79–7(1) | Seal Harris | KO | 7 (10) | 13 Jan 1935 | Estádio da Floresta,São Paulo, Brazil | |
| 86 | Win | 78–7(1) | Victorio Campolo | PTS | 12 | 1 Dec 1934 | Club Atletico Independiente,Buenos Aires, Argentina | |
| 85 | Loss | 77–7(1) | Max Baer | TKO | 11 (15),2:16 | 14 Jun 1934 | Madison Square Garden Bowl, Queens, New York, U.S. | Lost NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 84 | Win | 77–6(1) | Tommy Loughran | UD | 15 | 1 Mar 1934 | Madison Square Garden Stadium, Miami, Florida, U.S. | Retained NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 83 | Win | 76–6(1) | Paulino Uzcudun | UD | 15 | 22 Oct 1933 | Piazza di Siena,Rome, Italy | RetainedThe Ring heavyweight title; Won inauguralIBU world heavyweight title; WonIBU European heavyweight title |
| 82 | Win | 75–6(1) | Jack Sharkey | KO | 6 (15),2:27 | 29 Jun 1933 | Madison Square Garden Bowl,Queens, New York, U.S. | Won NYSAC,NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 81 | Win | 74–6(1) | Ernie Schaaf | KO | 13 (15),0:51 | 10 Feb 1933 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Schaaf died from injuries sustained in the fight.[58] |
| 80 | Win | 73–6(1) | Young Spence | KO | 1 (10) | 30 Dec 1932 | Fair Park Arena,Dallas, Texas, U.S. | |
| 79 | Win | 72–6(1) | James Merriott | KO | 1 (10) | 20 Dec 1932 | City Auditorium,Galveston, Texas, U.S. | |
| 78 | Win | 71–6(1) | Joe Rice | KO | 2 (10) | 19 Dec 1932 | Northside Coliseum,Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. | |
| 77 | Win | 70–6(1) | KO Christner | KO | 4 (10) | 15 Dec 1932 | City Auditorium, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. | |
| 76 | Win | 69–6(1) | Big Boy Peterson | TKO | 2 (10) | 13 Dec 1932 | Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 75 | Win | 68–6(1) | King Levinsky | SD | 10 | 9 Dec 1932 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 74 | Win | 67–6(1) | John Schwake | KO | 7 (10),2:16 | 2 Dec 1932 | St. Louis Coliseum, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 73 | Win | 66–6(1) | José Santa | TKO | 6 (10) | 18 Nov 1932 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 72 | Win | 65–6(1) | Les Kennedy | KO | 3 (10) | 4 Nov 1932 | Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 71 | Win | 64–6(1) | Jack Taylor | KO | 2 (10),1:59 | 17 Oct 1932 | Jefferson County Armory,Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | |
| 70 | Win | 63–6(1) | Gene Stanton | KO | 6 (10) | 13 Oct 1932 | 114th Infantry Armory,Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 69 | Win | 62–6(1) | Ted Sandwina | KO | 4 (10) | 7 Oct 1932 | Benjamin Field Arena,Tampa, Florida, U.S. | |
| 68 | Win | 61–6(1) | Art Lasky | NWS | 10 | 1 Sep 1932 | St. Paul Auditorium,St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. | |
| 67 | Win | 61–6 | Jack Gagnon | KO | 1 (10),1:35 | 19 Aug 1932 | Mark's Stadium,North Tiverton, Rhode Island, U.S. | |
| 66 | Loss | 60–6 | Stanley Poreda | PTS | 10 | 16 Aug 1932 | Dreamland Park, Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 65 | Win | 60–5 | Hans Birkie | UD | 10 | 2 Aug 1932 | Queensboro Stadium,Long Island City, New York, U.S | |
| 64 | Win | 59–5 | Jerry Pavelec | TKO | 5 (10),0:51 | 28 Jul 1932 | Playgrounds Stadium,West New York, New Jersey, U.S | |
| 63 | Win | 58–5 | Jack Gross | TKO | 7 (10),2:50 | 20 Jul 1932 | Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |
| 62 | Loss | 57–5 | Larry Gains | PTS | 10 | 30 May 1932 | White City Stadium, London, England | |
| 61 | Win | 57–4 | Hans Schönrath | TKO | 3 (10) | 15 May 1932 | Stadio San Siro, Milan, Italy | |
| 60 | Win | 56–4 | Maurice Griselle | TKO | 10 (10) | 30 Apr 1932 | Palais des Sports, Paris, France | |
| 59 | Win | 55–4 | Don McCorkindale | PTS | 10 | 7 Apr 1932 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England | |
| 58 | Win | 54–4 | George Cook | KO | 4 (10) | 23 Mar 1932 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England | |
| 57 | Win | 53–4 | Pierre Charles | PTS | 10 | 29 Feb 1932 | Palais des Sports, Paris, France | |
| 56 | Win | 52–4 | Ernst Gühring | TKO | 5 (10) | 5 Feb 1932 | Berlin Sportpalast, Berlin, Germany | |
| 55 | Win | 51–4 | Moise Bouquillon | TKO | 2 (10) | 25 Jan 1932 | Palais des Sports, Paris, France | |
| 54 | Win | 50–4 | Victorio Campolo | KO | 2 (15),1:27 | 27 Nov 1931 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 53 | Win | 49–4 | King Levinsky | UD | 10 | 19 Nov 1931 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 52 | Loss | 48–4 | Jack Sharkey | UD | 15 | 12 Oct 1931 | Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | For ABA Heavyweight title |
| 51 | Win | 48–3 | Armando De Carolis | KO | 2 (10),1:08 | 6 Aug 1931 | Shellpot Park,Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. | |
| 50 | Win | 47–3 | Roberto Roberti | TKO | 3 (10),2:25 | 4 Aug 1931 | Dreamland Park, Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 49 | Win | 46–3 | Knute Hansen | KO | 1 (10),2:10 | 24 Jul 1931 | Edgerton Park Arena,Rochester, New York, U.S. | |
| 48 | Win | 45–3 | Bud Gorman | KO | 2 (10),2:35 | 30 Jun 1931 | Arena Gardens,Toronto, Ontario Canada | |
| 47 | Win | 44–3 | Umberto Torriani | KO | 2 (10),0:43 | 26 Jun 1931 | Broadway Auditorium,Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
| 46 | Win | 43–3 | Pat Redmond | KO | 1 (10),2:24 | 15 Jun 1931 | Ebbets Field,Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |
| 45 | Win | 42–3 | Jim Maloney | PTS | 10 | 5 Mar 1931 | Madison Square Garden Stadium,Miami, Florida, U.S. | |
| 44 | Win | 41–3 | Reggie Meen | TKO | 2 (6) | 18 Dec 1930 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England | |
| 43 | Win | 40–3 | Paulino Uzcudun | SD | 10 | 30 Nov 1930 | Estadio Olímpico de Montjuïc,Barcelona, Spain | |
| 42 | Loss | 39–3 | Jim Maloney | PTS | 10 | 7 Oct 1930 | Boston Garden,Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 41 | Win | 39–2 | Jack Gross | KO | 4 (10) | 17 Sep 1930 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 40 | Win | 38–2 | Pat McCarthy | TKO | 2 (10),1:16 | 8 Sep 1930 | Newark Velodrome,Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 39 | Win | 37–2 | Riccardo Bertazzolo | TKO | 3 (15) | 30 Aug 1930 | Atlantic City Auditorium,Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 38 | Win | 36–2 | George Cook | KO | 2 (10),1:44 | 29 Jul 1930 | Taylor Bowl,Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 37 | Win | 35–2 | Bearcat Wright | KO | 4 (10),1:13 | 17 Jul 1930 | League Park,Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. | |
| 36 | Win | 34–2 | George Godfrey | DQ | 5 (10),1:13 | 23 Jun 1930 | Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 35 | Win | 33–2 | KO Christner | KO | 4 (10),1:20 | 5 Jun 1930 | Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum,Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 34 | Win | 32–2 | Sam Baker | KO | 1 (10) | 22 Apr 1930 | Portland Ice Hippodrome,Portland, Oregon, U.S. | |
| 33 | Win | 31–2 | Leon Chevalier | TKO | 6 (10) | 14 Apr 1930 | Oakland Baseball Park,Emeryville, California, U.S. | |
| 32 | Win | 30–2 | Neil Clisby | KO | 2 (10),0:40 | 8 Apr 1930 | Olympic Auditorium,Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
| 31 | Win | 29–2 | Jack McAuliffe II | KO | 1 (10),2:18 | 28 Mar 1930 | Stockyards Stadium,Denver, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 30 | Win | 28–2 | George Trafton | KO | 1 (10),0:54 | 26 Mar 1930 | Convention Hall,Kansas City, Kansas, U.S. | |
| 29 | Win | 27–2 | Frank Zaveta | KO | 1 (10),1:51 | 20 Mar 1930 | Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. | |
| 28 | Win | 26–2 | Chuck Wiggins | KO | 2 (10) | 17 Mar 1930 | St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 27 | Win | 25–2 | Sully Montgomery | KO | 2 (10),1:15 | 11 Mar 1930 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | |
| 26 | Win | 24–2 | Roy Clark | KO | 6 (10),2:38 | 3 Mar 1930 | Philadelphia Arena,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 25 | Win | 23–2 | Farmer Lodge | KO | 2 (10),1:22 | 24 Feb 1930 | Heinemann Park,New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 24 | Win | 22–2 | Johnny Erickson | KO | 2 (10),1:45 | 17 Feb 1930 | Coliseum,Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
| 23 | Win | 21–2 | Jim Sigman | KO | 1 (8),1:35 | 14 Feb 1930 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 22 | Win | 20–2 | Buster Martin | KO | 2 (10),0:56 | 11 Feb 1930 | St. Louis Arena,St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 21 | Win | 19–2 | Cowboy Billy Owens | KO | 2 (10),2:22 | 6 Feb 1930 | 113th Regiment Armory,Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 20 | Win | 18–2 | Elzear Rioux | KO | 1 (10),0:47 | 31 Jan 1930 | Chicago Stadium,Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 19 | Win | 17–2 | Big Boy Peterson | KO | 1 (10),1:10 | 24 Jan 1930 | Madison Square Garden,New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 18 | Win | 16–2 | Franz Diener | TKO | 6 (15) | 17 Dec 1929 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England | |
| 17 | Loss | 15–2 | Young Stribling | DQ | 7 (10) | 7 Dec 1929 | Vélodrome d'Hiver, Paris, France | |
| 16 | Win | 15–1 | Young Stribling | DQ | 4 (15) | 18 Nov 1929 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England | |
| 15 | Win | 14–1 | Jack Stanley | TKO | 1 (8) | 17 Oct 1929 | Royal Albert Hall,London, England | |
| 14 | Win | 13–1 | Hermann Jaspers | KO | 3 (10) | 18 Sep 1929 | Salle Wagram, Paris, France | |
| 13 | Win | 12–1 | Feodor Nikolaeff | KO | 1 (10) | 30 Aug 1929 | Garage de Normandie,Dieppe, France | |
| 12 | Win | 11–1 | Joe Thomas | TKO | 4 (10) | 25 Aug 1929 | Arènes du Rond-Point du Prado,Marseille, France | |
| 11 | Win | 10–1 | Jose Lete | UD | 10 | 14 Aug 1929 | Estadio Municipal de Atocha,San Sebastián, Spain | |
| 10 | Win | 9–1 | Jack Humbeeck | TKO | 6 (10) | 26 Jun 1929 | Salle Wagram, Paris, France | |
| 9 | Win | 8–1 | Marcel Nilles | TKO | 3 (10) | 30 May 1929 | Cirque de Paris, Paris, France | |
| 8 | Win | 7–1 | Moise Bouquillon | PTS | 10 | 22 May 1929 | Salle Wagram, Paris, France | |
| 7 | Loss | 6–1 | Franz Diener | DQ | 1 (10) | 28 Apr 1929 | Messehalle,Leipzig, Germany | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Ernst Roesemann | TKO | 5 (8) | 18 Jan 1929 | Berlin Sportpalast,Berlin, Germany | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Constant Barrick | KO | 3 (10) | 1 Dec 1928 | Vélodrome d'Hiver, Paris, France | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Epifanio Islas | UD | 10 | 25 Nov 1928 | Palazzo dello Sport,Milan, Italy | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Salvatore Ruggirello | TKO | 4 (10) | 30 Oct 1928 | Cirque de Paris, Paris, France | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Joe Thomas | KO | 3 (10) | 25 Sep 1928 | Cirque de Paris, Paris, France | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Leon Sebilo | TKO | 2 (10) | 12 Sep 1928 | Salle Wagram,Paris, France |
| 103 fights | 89 wins | 14 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 72 | 5 |
| By decision | 15 | 7 |
| By disqualification | 2 | 2 |
Record with the inclusion ofnewspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw column.
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 103 | Loss | 89–14 | Luigi Musina | UD | 10 | 19 May 1946 | Gorizia, Italy | |
| 102 | Loss | 89–13 | Luigi Musina | PTS | 8 | 19 Mar 1946 | Trieste, Italy | |
| 101 | Loss | 89–12 | Luigi Musina | TKO | 7 (8) | 21 Nov 1945 | Milan, Italy | |
| 100 | Win | 89–11 | Sam Gardner | KO | 1 (4) | 25 Sep 1945 | San Sabba Stadium,Trieste, Italy | |
| 99 | Win | 88–11 | Michel Blevens | KO | 3 (4) | 22 Jul 1945 | Moretti Stadium,Udine, Italy | |
| 98 | Win | 87–11 | Josip Zupan | KO | 2 (10) | 4 Dec 1937 | Budapest Zirkus,Budapest, Hungary | |
| 97 | Loss | 86–11 | Albert Di Meglio | PTS | 10 | 18 Nov 1937 | Salle Wagram, Paris, France | |
| 96 | Loss | 86–10 | Leroy Haynes | TKO | 9 (10),0:40 | 27 May 1936 | Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |
| 95 | Loss | 86–9 | Leroy Haynes | TKO | 3 (10),0:53 | 16 Mar 1936 | Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 94 | Win | 86–8 | Isidoro Gastanaga | TKO | 5 (10) | 6 Mar 1936 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 93 | Win | 85–8 | Big Boy Brackey | TKO | 4 (10),1:06 | 9 Dec 1935 | Broadway Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
| 92 | Win | 84–8 | Ford Smith | UD | 10 | 25 Nov 1935 | Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 91 | Win | 83–8 | Walter Neusel | TKO | 4 (10),2:23 | 1 Nov 1935 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 90 | Loss | 82–8 | Joe Louis | TKO | 6 (15),2:32 | 25 Jun 1935 | Yankee Stadium,Bronx, New York, U.S. | |
| 89 | Win | 82–7 | Ray Impelletiere | TKO | 9 (10),0:38 | 15 Mar 1935 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 88 | Win | 81–7 | Erwin Klausner | KO | 6 (12) | 22 Jan 1935 | Estádio das Laranjeiras,Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| 87 | Win | 80–7 | Seal Harris | KO | 7 (10) | 13 Jan 1935 | Estádio da Floresta,São Paulo, Brazil | |
| 86 | Win | 79–7 | Victorio Campolo | PTS | 12 | 1 Dec 1934 | Club Atletico Independiente,Buenos Aires, Argentina | |
| 85 | Loss | 78–7 | Max Baer | TKO | 11 (15),2:16 | 14 Jun 1934 | Madison Square Garden Bowl, Queens, New York, U.S. | Lost NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 84 | Win | 78–6 | Tommy Loughran | UD | 15 | 1 Mar 1934 | Madison Square Garden Stadium, Miami, Florida, U.S. | Retained NYSAC, NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 83 | Win | 77–6 | Paulino Uzcudun | UD | 15 | 22 Oct 1933 | Piazza di Siena,Rome, Italy | RetainedThe Ring heavyweight title; Won inauguralIBU world heavyweight title; WonIBU European heavyweight title |
| 82 | Win | 76–6 | Jack Sharkey | KO | 6 (15),2:27 | 29 Jun 1933 | Madison Square Garden Bowl,Queens, New York, U.S. | Won NYSAC,NBA, andThe Ring heavyweight titles |
| 81 | Win | 75–6 | Ernie Schaaf | KO | 13 (15),0:51 | 10 Feb 1933 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Schaaf died from injuries sustained in the fight.[58] |
| 80 | Win | 74–6 | Young Spence | KO | 1 (10) | 30 Dec 1932 | Fair Park Arena,Dallas, Texas, U.S. | |
| 79 | Win | 73–6 | James Merriott | KO | 1 (10) | 20 Dec 1932 | City Auditorium,Galveston, Texas, U.S. | |
| 78 | Win | 72–6 | Joe Rice | KO | 2 (10) | 19 Dec 1932 | Northside Coliseum,Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. | |
| 77 | Win | 71–6 | KO Christner | KO | 4 (10) | 15 Dec 1932 | City Auditorium, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. | |
| 76 | Win | 70–6 | Big Boy Peterson | TKO | 2 (10) | 13 Dec 1932 | Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 75 | Win | 69–6 | King Levinsky | SD | 10 | 9 Dec 1932 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 74 | Win | 68–6 | John Schwake | KO | 7 (10),2:16 | 2 Dec 1932 | St. Louis Coliseum, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 73 | Win | 67–6 | José Santa | TKO | 6 (10) | 18 Nov 1932 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 72 | Win | 66–6 | Les Kennedy | KO | 3 (10) | 4 Nov 1932 | Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 71 | Win | 65–6 | Jack Taylor | KO | 2 (10),1:59 | 17 Oct 1932 | Jefferson County Armory,Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | |
| 70 | Win | 64–6 | Gene Stanton | KO | 6 (10) | 13 Oct 1932 | 114th Infantry Armory,Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 69 | Win | 63–6 | Ted Sandwina | KO | 4 (10) | 7 Oct 1932 | Benjamin Field Arena,Tampa, Florida, U.S. | |
| 68 | Win | 62–6 | Art Lasky | NWS | 10 | 1 Sep 1932 | St. Paul Auditorium,St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. | |
| 67 | Win | 61–6 | Jack Gagnon | KO | 1 (10),1:35 | 19 Aug 1932 | Mark's Stadium,North Tiverton, Rhode Island, U.S. | |
| 66 | Loss | 60–6 | Stanley Poreda | PTS | 10 | 16 Aug 1932 | Dreamland Park, Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 65 | Win | 60–5 | Hans Birkie | UD | 10 | 2 Aug 1932 | Queensboro Stadium,Long Island City, New York, U.S | |
| 64 | Win | 59–5 | Jerry Pavelec | TKO | 5 (10),0:51 | 28 Jul 1932 | Playgrounds Stadium,West New York, New Jersey, U.S | |
| 63 | Win | 58–5 | Jack Gross | TKO | 7 (10),2:50 | 20 Jul 1932 | Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |
| 62 | Loss | 57–5 | Larry Gains | PTS | 10 | 30 May 1932 | White City Stadium, London, England | |
| 61 | Win | 57–4 | Hans Schönrath | TKO | 3 (10) | 15 May 1932 | Stadio San Siro, Milan, Italy | |
| 60 | Win | 56–4 | Maurice Griselle | TKO | 10 (10) | 30 Apr 1932 | Palais des Sports, Paris, France | |
| 59 | Win | 55–4 | Don McCorkindale | PTS | 10 | 7 Apr 1932 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England | |
| 58 | Win | 54–4 | George Cook | KO | 4 (10) | 23 Mar 1932 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England | |
| 57 | Win | 53–4 | Pierre Charles | PTS | 10 | 29 Feb 1932 | Palais des Sports, Paris, France | |
| 56 | Win | 52–4 | Ernst Gühring | TKO | 5 (10) | 5 Feb 1932 | Berlin Sportpalast, Berlin, Germany | |
| 55 | Win | 51–4 | Moise Bouquillon | TKO | 2 (10) | 25 Jan 1932 | Palais des Sports, Paris, France | |
| 54 | Win | 50–4 | Victorio Campolo | KO | 2 (15),1:27 | 27 Nov 1931 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 53 | Win | 49–4 | King Levinsky | UD | 10 | 19 Nov 1931 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 52 | Loss | 48–4 | Jack Sharkey | UD | 15 | 12 Oct 1931 | Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | For ABA heavyweight title |
| 51 | Win | 48–3 | Armando De Carolis | KO | 2 (10),1:08 | 6 Aug 1931 | Shellpot Park,Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. | |
| 50 | Win | 47–3 | Roberto Roberti | TKO | 3 (10),2:25 | 4 Aug 1931 | Dreamland Park, Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 49 | Win | 46–3 | Knute Hansen | KO | 1 (10),2:10 | 24 Jul 1931 | Edgerton Park Arena,Rochester, New York, U.S. | |
| 48 | Win | 45–3 | Bud Gorman | KO | 2 (10),2:35 | 30 Jun 1931 | Arena Gardens,Toronto, Ontario Canada | |
| 47 | Win | 44–3 | Umberto Torriani | KO | 2 (10),0:43 | 26 Jun 1931 | Broadway Auditorium,Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
| 46 | Win | 43–3 | Pat Redmond | KO | 1 (10),2:24 | 15 Jun 1931 | Ebbets Field,Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |
| 45 | Win | 42–3 | Jim Maloney | PTS | 10 | 5 Mar 1931 | Madison Square Garden Stadium,Miami, Florida, U.S. | |
| 44 | Win | 41–3 | Reggie Meen | TKO | 2 (6) | 18 Dec 1930 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England | |
| 43 | Win | 40–3 | Paulino Uzcudun | SD | 10 | 30 Nov 1930 | Estadio Olímpico de Montjuïc,Barcelona, Spain | |
| 42 | Loss | 39–3 | Jim Maloney | PTS | 10 | 7 Oct 1930 | Boston Garden,Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 41 | Win | 39–2 | Jack Gross | KO | 4 (10) | 17 Sep 1930 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 40 | Win | 38–2 | Pat McCarthy | TKO | 2 (10),1:16 | 8 Sep 1930 | Newark Velodrome,Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 39 | Win | 37–2 | Riccardo Bertazzolo | TKO | 3 (15) | 30 Aug 1930 | Atlantic City Auditorium,Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 38 | Win | 36–2 | George Cook | KO | 2 (10),1:44 | 29 Jul 1930 | Taylor Bowl,Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 37 | Win | 35–2 | Bearcat Wright | KO | 4 (10),1:13 | 17 Jul 1930 | League Park,Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. | |
| 36 | Win | 34–2 | George Godfrey | DQ | 5 (10),1:13 | 23 Jun 1930 | Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 35 | Win | 33–2 | KO Christner | KO | 4 (10),1:20 | 5 Jun 1930 | Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum,Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 34 | Win | 32–2 | Sam Baker | KO | 1 (10) | 22 Apr 1930 | Portland Ice Hippodrome,Portland, Oregon, U.S. | |
| 33 | Win | 31–2 | Leon Chevalier | TKO | 6 (10) | 14 Apr 1930 | Oakland Baseball Park,Emeryville, California, U.S. | |
| 32 | Win | 30–2 | Neil Clisby | KO | 2 (10),0:40 | 8 Apr 1930 | Olympic Auditorium,Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
| 31 | Win | 29–2 | Jack McAuliffe II | KO | 1 (10),2:18 | 28 Mar 1930 | Stockyards Stadium,Denver, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 30 | Win | 28–2 | George Trafton | KO | 1 (10),0:54 | 26 Mar 1930 | Convention Hall,Kansas City, Kansas, U.S. | |
| 29 | Win | 27–2 | Frank Zaveta | KO | 1 (10),1:51 | 20 Mar 1930 | Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. | |
| 28 | Win | 26–2 | Chuck Wiggins | KO | 2 (10) | 17 Mar 1930 | St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 27 | Win | 25–2 | Sully Montgomery | KO | 2 (10),1:15 | 11 Mar 1930 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | |
| 26 | Win | 24–2 | Roy Clark | KO | 6 (10),2:38 | 3 Mar 1930 | Philadelphia Arena,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 25 | Win | 23–2 | Farmer Lodge | KO | 2 (10),1:22 | 24 Feb 1930 | Heinemann Park,New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 24 | Win | 22–2 | Johnny Erickson | KO | 2 (10),1:45 | 17 Feb 1930 | Coliseum,Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
| 23 | Win | 21–2 | Jim Sigman | KO | 1 (8),1:35 | 14 Feb 1930 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 22 | Win | 20–2 | Buster Martin | KO | 2 (10),0:56 | 11 Feb 1930 | St. Louis Arena,St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 21 | Win | 19–2 | Cowboy Billy Owens | KO | 2 (10),2:22 | 6 Feb 1930 | 113th Regiment Armory,Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 20 | Win | 18–2 | Elzear Rioux | KO | 1 (10),0:47 | 31 Jan 1930 | Chicago Stadium,Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 19 | Win | 17–2 | Big Boy Peterson | KO | 1 (10),1:10 | 24 Jan 1930 | Madison Square Garden,New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 18 | Win | 16–2 | Franz Diener | TKO | 6 (15) | 17 Dec 1929 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England | |
| 17 | Loss | 15–2 | Young Stribling | DQ | 7 (10) | 7 Dec 1929 | Vélodrome d'Hiver, Paris, France | |
| 16 | Win | 15–1 | Young Stribling | DQ | 4 (15) | 18 Nov 1929 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England | |
| 15 | Win | 14–1 | Jack Stanley | TKO | 1 (8) | 17 Oct 1929 | Royal Albert Hall,London, England | |
| 14 | Win | 13–1 | Hermann Jaspers | KO | 3 (10) | 18 Sep 1929 | Salle Wagram, Paris, France | |
| 13 | Win | 12–1 | Feodor Nikolaeff | KO | 1 (10) | 30 Aug 1929 | Garage de Normandie,Dieppe, France | |
| 12 | Win | 11–1 | Joe Thomas | TKO | 4 (10) | 25 Aug 1929 | Arènes du Rond-Point du Prado,Marseille, France | |
| 11 | Win | 10–1 | Jose Lete | UD | 10 | 14 Aug 1929 | Estadio Municipal de Atocha,San Sebastián, Spain | |
| 10 | Win | 9–1 | Jack Humbeeck | TKO | 6 (10) | 26 Jun 1929 | Salle Wagram, Paris, France | |
| 9 | Win | 8–1 | Marcel Nilles | TKO | 3 (10) | 30 May 1929 | Cirque de Paris, Paris, France | |
| 8 | Win | 7–1 | Moise Bouquillon | PTS | 10 | 22 May 1929 | Salle Wagram, Paris, France | |
| 7 | Loss | 6–1 | Franz Diener | DQ | 1 (10) | 28 Apr 1929 | Messehalle,Leipzig, Germany | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Ernst Roesemann | TKO | 5 (8) | 18 Jan 1929 | Berlin Sportpalast,Berlin, Germany | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Constant Barrick | KO | 3 (10) | 1 Dec 1928 | Vélodrome d'Hiver, Paris, France | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Epifanio Islas | UD | 10 | 25 Nov 1928 | Palazzo dello Sport,Milan, Italy | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Salvatore Ruggirello | TKO | 4 (10) | 30 Oct 1928 | Cirque de Paris, Paris, France | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Joe Thomas | KO | 3 (10) | 25 Sep 1928 | Cirque de Paris, Paris, France | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Leon Sebilo | TKO | 2 (10) | 12 Sep 1928 | Salle Wagram,Paris, France |
On August 16th Primo was granted a California wrestling license and four days later he met and defeated Jules Strongbow in Wilmington, California. He would meet the Oklahoman at least 10 more times in the next several years. Two days later, Carnera defeated long-time wrestling legend Tommy O'Toole in front of 10,000 fans at Los Angeles in front of 10,000 fans at Los Angeles' Olympic Auditorium and his career was off and running.
Auch als Comicheld hatte Carnera "Karriere" gemacht: Von 1953 bis 1954 erschien im Walter Lehning Verlag, Hannover, mit insgesamt 46 Heften die (ursprünglich aus Italien stammende) Piccolo-Serie "CARNERA"
Die Carnera-Beilage in der "Sprechblase"
| Sporting positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World boxing titles | ||||
| Preceded by | NYSAC heavyweight champion June 29, 1933 – June 14, 1934 | Succeeded by | ||
| NBA heavyweight champion June 29, 1933 – June 14, 1934 | ||||
| The Ring heavyweight champion June 29, 1933 – June 14, 1934 | ||||
| Undisputed heavyweight champion June 29, 1933 – June 14, 1934 | ||||
