Primo Carnera

Primo Carnera (; 26 October 1906 – 29 June 1967) was the first Italian Heavyweight Champion boxer, holding the title from 1933 to 1934. Nicknamed the Ambling Alp, he was best known for his immense size and status as one of the most physically imposing heavyweights in boxing history. At 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall and weighing more than 275 pounds (125 kg), Carnera became the World Heavyweight Champion after defeating Jack 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 the Great Depression. Later active as a professional wrestler and film actor, he appeared alongside Max Baer and Jack Dempsey in the Oscar nominated film The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933). Primo's life is crudely mirrored in the Humphrey Bogart film The Harder They Fall (1956). He sued the producers for invasion of privacy but was unsuccessful.

Personal life

Primo Carnera was born in Sequals, then in the Province of Udine, now in the Province of Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia at the north-easternmost corner of Italy.

On 13 March 1939, Carnera married Giuseppina Kovačič (1913–1980), a post office clerk from Gorizia. In 1953, they received dual US and Italian citizenship. They settled in Los Angeles, where Carnera opened a restaurant and a liquor store. They had two children, Umberto and Giovanna Maria. Umberto became a medical doctor. Carnera died in 1967 at age 60 in his native town of Sequals, Italy. He died from a combination of liver disease and complications from diabetes.

Professional boxing career Overview Upon arrival in America, Carnera was first touted as being tall, and thus the tallest heavyweight in history, but later reporting lists him as low as tall. He fought at over . Often listed as 6 feet 6½ inches to draw comparison to Jess Willard's record breaking height, Carnera was known to be slightly shorter but around heavier and was the heaviest champion in boxing history until Nikolai Valuev in 2005.

The average height in Italy was approximately and in the United States , Heavyweights at the time were and up. After Carnera's bout with Ernie Schaaf the New York Boxing Commission considered a proposal that Carnera would only be sanctioned to fight opponents and up, which would have limited him to 10 known opponents.

Early Career / Mob influence and suspicious matches According to boxing historian Herbert Goldman (managing editor of The Ring 1978–1987), Carnera was "very much mob controlled." His contract was purchased by mobster Owney Madden after Carnera's arrival in New York in 1930. Abe Attell was brought in to train Carnera. Attell had been caught up in the Black Sox Scandal. However Attell was acquitted when he successfully convinced the jury that he was the wrong Abe Attell.

Carnera met his first serious heavyweight contender, Young Stribling, in 1929, and won when Stribling fouled him. In a rematch, he fouled Stribling. Each scored a victory by disqualification. Commenting on the unsatisfactory conclusion of the two matches, sportswriter Robert 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."

Carnera was immediately a draw in the United States. 18,500 saw his American debut against Big Boy Peterson at Madison Square Garden. 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."

A week later in Chicago against Elzear Rioux the fight lasted only 47 seconds and Rioux was down 6 times. Bob Soderman of the Chicago 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 $1,000 (~$20,000 in 2025) and revoked his license. In the aftermath of the fight, the Missouri Boxing Commission suspended Trafton but laid no blame on Carnera.

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. 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.

In May 1930 the National Boxing Association, which represented 13 states of the US, suspended Carnera. This banned Carnera from the biggest boxing venues in New York and New Jersey at least temporarily.

His June 1930 match against George Godfrey in Philadelphia was controversial before it began. Seconds were forbidden from throwing in the towel. Godfrey was disqualified for a low blow in the fifth round when he was clearly getting the better of Carnera. In the aftermath, Godfrey lost his boxing license and half his purse, Carnera was cleared. Chief Justice of the United States Earl Warren, at the time district attorney of Alameda County, California, became suspicious of boxing at the time Primo Carnera fought George Godfrey. There was no law against prize-fight fixing in Oakland at that time, and Earl Warren saw that one was passed.

TIME, in a 5 October 1931 cover story on Carnera before he won the heavyweight title, commented on his odd career:

Contender In November 1930 he traveled to Spain and defeated Spanish contender Paulino Uzcudun in front of 75,000-90,000 spectators at Barcelona Olympic Stadium winning by split decision. It was a record boxing crowd in Spain at the time. Carnera came up short in a decision against future heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey before 30,000 fans at Ebbets Field. He followed that with a winning streak that included victories over King Levinsky, Pierre Charles, Don McCorkindale, and Hans Schönrath. He suffered a surprise loss to Larry Gains in front of 70,000 at White City Stadium. It was a record crowd for boxing in Britain at the time.

In February 1933, Carnera fought contender Ernie Schaaf in a bout that would earn him a heavyweight title shot if he won. Schaaf entered as a slight favorite. The bout was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Primo won by KO in round 13. Schaaf left the ring unconscious and died four days later. An autopsy revealed that Schaaf had meningitis, a swelling of the brain, and was still recovering from a severe case of influenza which had briefly hospitalized him during his training camp.

World Heavyweight Champion In June 1933 Carnera faced the now world heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey at the Madison Square Garden Bowl in Queens, New York in front of 40,000. Sharkey had won a decision over Carnera two years before, and this seemed to be a safe title defense. At first it mirrored their first encounter with Sharkey ahead on points early, 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."

He successfully defended his title against Paulino Uzcudun in front of 55,000-70,000 spectators in Rome, what was the first heavyweight title fight in Italy. Then he defended against Tommy Loughran in what was the greatest weight disparity between fighters in a championship fight in history at the time.

During his championship reign, he starred opposite his next opponent Max Baer in the Oscar-nominated film The 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.

In their 1934 bout Baer wore a Star of David on his trunks, underscoring Carnera’s perceived ties to Fascist Italy. Carnera had performed the fascist salute for his home crowd during his first title defense, which had included Benito Mussolini in attendance. Now he was 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 two rounds, but managed to hang around until in the 11th round when referee Arthur Donovon stopped the fight. He was knocked down 11 times in total, and fractured his right ankle in the defeat.

A statue of the defeated Carnera won the Prix de Rome First Prize in 1934, "L'Athlète Vaincu," by Albert Bouquillon.

After championship After a successful South American tour that took him to Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, Primo was ready for his next big test, a young Joe Louis. In 1935 Mussolini's Italy was preparing to invade Ethiopia, 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." At Yankee Stadium in front of 60,000 Louis won by KO in round six. Maya Angelou writes about this fight in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Two defeats in 1936 by Leroy Haynes left Primo in the hospital for three weeks with temporary paralysis in his left leg, caused by thrombosis, a sprained back, and a damaged kidney. In 1937 Carnera, now a diabetic, had to have the kidney removed, which forced him into retirement. After eight years of retirement he briefly returned to boxing in 1945 with three losses against Luigi Musina. Carnera's record was 88 wins and 14 losses.

Legacy in boxing A later World (Middleweight) Champion Nino 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."

Carnera was the third European to hold the world heavyweight championship after Bob Fitzsimmons and Max Schmeling. He would be the last until Ingemar Johansson claimed the title against Floyd 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 against Tommy Loughran held the record for the greatest weight differential between two combatants in a world title fight for 73 years until the reign of Nikolai Valuev, who owns the current record for the weight advantage he held in his 2006 defense against Monte Barrett.

Valuev also broke Carnera's record of to become the heaviest world champion in history, weighing as high as during his reign. Carnera still ranks as the fourth-heaviest, behind Valuev, Tyson Fury and Andy Ruiz Jr., over 90 years after he held the title.

Carnera's 1933 title defense against Paulino Uzcudun in Italy was the first heavyweight title fight to be held in Europe since Jack Johnson's title defence against Frank Moran in Paris in 1913. It would be the last such occasion until Muhammad Ali defended the title against Henry Cooper in London in 1966. Carnera-Uzcudun was the first World Heavyweight championship fight to be contested between two Europeans. It was another 60 years before this occurred again, when Lennox Lewis defended the WBC heavyweight title against fellow-Englishman Frank Bruno in 1993.

Professional wrestling career In 1946 he became a professional 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.

Carnera won his debut against Jules Strongbow in Wilmington, California on 20 August 1946. Two days later, he defeated Tommy O'Toole at the Grand Olympic Auditorium before 10,000 fans. On 23 October 1946, Carnera won his 41st consecutive wrestling match by defeating Jules Strongbow. 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 to Yvon Robert in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on 20 August 1947. Carnera's greatest victory took place on 7 December 1947 when he defeated former world heavyweight champion Ed "Strangler" Lewis.

In May 1948, Carnera took a 143–1–1 record against world heavyweight champion Lou Thesz. Thesz defeated Carnera in a world title defense.

In 1956, he won the WWA Tag Tema titles with Bobo Brazil.

He retired from wrestling in 1962.

In 2019, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019.

Acting career

During his tenure as world champion he played a fictional version of himself in the 1933 film The Prizefighter and the Lady starring Myrna Loy featuring fellow boxers Max Baer and Jack Dempsey. He plays the heavyweight champion in a title fight with Baer.

Carnera had a bit part in the 1949 movie Mighty Joe Young. He played himself in the tug-of-war scene with the giant gorilla.

He also played a bully boy wrestler in Carol Reed's A Kid for Two Farthings (1955). Set in London's Petticoat Lane Market, the film pits Carnera's character against a local bodybuilder who is to marry another character named Sonia, played by Diana Dors.

Primo appeared in at least ten Italian films between 1939 and 1943, as well as several in the 1950s, like Prince Valiant, in the role of Sligon. His last screen role was as the giant Antaeus alongside Steve Reeves in Hercules Unchained (US title, filmed in Italy, 1959, original title Ercole e la regina di Lidia).

Depictions in popular culture

In film Requiem for a Heavyweight, Rod Serling's 1956 Emmy Award-winning teleplay for Playhouse 90 directed by Ralph Nelson (who also won an Emmy), focused on down-and-out former heavyweight boxer Harlan "Mountain" McClintock. The travails of McClintock, who was played by Jack Palance (Sean Connery played the part on British television and Anthony Quinn essayed the role in the 1962 film), was thought by many boxing fans to resemble Carnera's life.

In 1947, fighting aficionado Budd Schulberg wrote The Harder They Fall, a novel about a giant boxer whose fights are all fixed. It was adapted into Mark Robson's 1956 film, which starred Humphrey Bogart and Rod Steiger. The towel throwing controversy against Bombo Chevalier is briefly depicted. A highlight was the appearance of Max 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 movie Mighty Joe Young.

Carnera was played by Matthew G. Taylor in the 2005 film Cinderella Man, a film about the life of fellow boxer James J. Braddock.

In 2008, the actor Andrea Iaia played Carnera in the Italian biographical film Carnera: The Walking Mountain, directed by Renzo Martinelli.

In 2013, Emporio Elaborazioni Meccaniche named a motorbike, the 1983 BMW R80RT Carnera, in honor of Carnera.

In comics In 1947, Carnera, an Italian comic book series sporting a fictional version of Primo Carnera, was produced. In 1953, it was translated into German. A facsimile version was published in 2010.

Another popular Italian comic character, Dick Fulmine, was graphically inspired by Carnera.

Carrera's fight with Walter Neusel is described in One-storied America by Soviet authors Ilf and Petrov (1937).

Carnera is mentioned by Julian “Digger” Burroughs in the 1982 novel Lucifer’s Weekend, by Warren Murphy on p. 81.

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 series Avenger #1 Justice Inc, by Kenneth 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.

In music Carnera is mentioned in Cambalache, a 1934 tango song by Enrique Santos Discépolo that was featured in the musical drama film The Soul of the Accordion.

The Yeasayer song Ambling Alp, from their 2010 album Odd Blood references Carnera by his nickname in the title and second verse. Both Carnera and German boxer Max Schmeling are referenced for their bouts with American Joe Louis.

In wrestling Wrestler Big Guido used the names Primo Carnera, Primo Carnera III, Primo Carnera Jr., Primo Carnero in some of his bouts. He stands at 6'9". .

Professional boxing record All information in this section is derived from BoxRec, 80 Win 73–6

KO 1 (10) 30 Dec 1932

79 Win 72–6

KO 1 (10) 20 Dec 1932

78 Win 71–6

KO 2 (10) 19 Dec 1932

77 Win 70–6

KO 4 (10) 15 Dec 1932

76 Win 69–6

TKO 2 (10) 13 Dec 1932

75 Win 68–6

SD 10 9 Dec 1932

74 Win 67–6

KO 7 (10), 2 Dec 1932

73 Win 66–6

TKO 6 (10) 18 Nov 1932

72 Win 65–6

KO 3 (10) 4 Nov 1932

71 Win 64–6

KO 2 (10), 17 Oct 1932

70 Win 63–6

KO 6 (10) 13 Oct 1932

69 Win 62–6

KO 4 (10) 7 Oct 1932

68

61–6

10 1 Sep 1932

67 Win 61–6

KO 1 (10), 19 Aug 1932

66 Loss 60–6

PTS 10 16 Aug 1932

65 Win 60–5

UD 10 2 Aug 1932

64 Win 59–5

TKO 5 (10), 28 Jul 1932

63 Win 58–5

TKO 7 (10), 20 Jul 1932

62 Loss 57–5

PTS 10 30 May 1932

61 Win 57–4

TKO 3 (10) 15 May 1932

60 Win 56–4

TKO 10 (10) 30 Apr 1932

59 Win 55–4

PTS 10 7 Apr 1932

58 Win 54–4

KO 4 (10) 23 Mar 1932

57 Win 53–4

PTS 10 29 Feb 1932

56 Win 52–4

TKO 5 (10) 5 Feb 1932

55 Win 51–4

TKO 2 (10) 25 Jan 1932

54 Win 50–4

KO 2 (15), 27 Nov 1931

53 Win 49–4

UD 10 19 Nov 1931

52 Loss 48–4

15 12 Oct 1931

51 Win 48–3

KO 2 (10), 6 Aug 1931

50 Win 47–3

TKO 3 (10), 4 Aug 1931

49 Win 46–3

KO 1 (10), 24 Jul 1931

48 Win 45–3

KO 2 (10), 30 Jun 1931

47 Win 44–3

KO 2 (10), 26 Jun 1931

46 Win 43–3

KO 1 (10), 15 Jun 1931

45 Win 42–3

PTS 10 5 Mar 1931

44 Win 41–3

TKO 2 (6) 18 Dec 1930

43 Win 40–3

10 30 Nov 1930

42 Loss 39–3

PTS 10 7 Oct 1930

41 Win 39–2

KO 4 (10) 17 Sep 1930

40 Win 38–2

TKO 2 (10), 8 Sep 1930

39 Win 37–2

TKO 3 (15) 30 Aug 1930

38 Win 36–2

KO 2 (10), 29 Jul 1930

37 Win 35–2

KO 4 (10), 17 Jul 1930

36 Win 34–2

DQ 5 (10), 23 Jun 1930

35 Win 33–2

KO 4 (10), 5 Jun 1930

34 Win 32–2

KO 1 (10) 22 Apr 1930

33 Win 31–2

TKO 6 (10) 14 Apr 1930

32 Win 30–2

KO 2 (10), 8 Apr 1930

31 Win 29–2

KO 1 (10), 28 Mar 1930

30 Win 28–2

KO 1 (10), 26 Mar 1930

29 Win 27–2

KO 1 (10), 20 Mar 1930

28 Win 26–2

KO 2 (10) 17 Mar 1930

27 Win 25–2

KO 2 (10), 11 Mar 1930

26 Win 24–2

KO 6 (10), 3 Mar 1930

25 Win 23–2

KO 2 (10), 24 Feb 1930

24 Win 22–2

KO 2 (10), 17 Feb 1930

23 Win 21–2

KO 1 (8), 14 Feb 1930

22 Win 20–2

KO 2 (10), 11 Feb 1930

21 Win 19–2

KO 2 (10), 6 Feb 1930

20 Win 18–2

KO 1 (10), 31 Jan 1930

19 Win 17–2

KO 1 (10), 24 Jan 1930

18 Win 16–2

TKO 6 (15) 17 Dec 1929

17 Loss 15–2

DQ 7 (10) 7 Dec 1929

16 Win 15–1

DQ 4 (15) 18 Nov 1929

15 Win 14–1

TKO 1 (8) 17 Oct 1929

14 Win 13–1

KO 3 (10) 18 Sep 1929

13 Win 12–1

KO 1 (10) 30 Aug 1929

12 Win 11–1

TKO 4 (10) 25 Aug 1929

11 Win 10–1

UD 10 14 Aug 1929

10 Win 9–1

TKO 6 (10) 26 Jun 1929

9 Win 8–1

TKO 3 (10) 30 May 1929

8 Win 7–1

10 22 May 1929

7 Loss 6–1

1 (10) 28 Apr 1929

6 Win 6–0

TKO 5 (8) 18 Jan 1929

5 Win 5–0

KO 3 (10) 1 Dec 1928

4 Win 4–0

10 25 Nov 1928

3 Win 3–0

TKO 4 (10) 30 Oct 1928

2 Win 2–0

3 (10) 25 Sep 1928

1 Win 1–0

2 (10) 12 Sep 1928

Unofficial record

Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw column.

Championships and accomplishments

Boxing International Boxing Union IBU Heavyweight Championship (22 October 1933 – 21 June 1935; vacated) National Boxing Association NBA World Heavyweight Championship (29 June 1933 – 14 June 1934) New York State Athletic Commission NYSAC World Heavyweight Championship (29 June 1933 – 14 June 1934) The Ring magazine The Ring Heavyweight Champion (29 June 1933 – 14 June 1934) Undisputed Heavyweight Champion (29 June 1933 – 14 June 1934)

Professional wrestling NWA Hollywood Wrestling NWA International Television Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bobo Brazil NWA San Francisco NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time) – with Sandor Szabo WWE WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2019)