Across the ocean, a shocked France and Morocco were plunged into mourning for their fallen hero. Again, tens of thousands of admirers came to see Cerdan, only this time it was for his funeral procession in Casablanca. Sugar compared the loss of Cerdan in the French-speaking world to the loss of John Kennedy in the US, at least in terms of its emotional impact.
‘I just watched the news reel of his funeral,’ said Bouisset, who also is working on the story about the anniversary. ‘Again, thousands and thousands of people were in the streets to follow him to the cemetery. They were in shock. He died at his peak, when everyone was waiting for the rematch with LaMotta.
‘A national hero died. I’m not sure any other French sportsman ever had the same kind of funeral.’
Sugar remembers a French-born man who lived in his Washington DC neighborhood openly weeping over the news of Cerdan’s death. The young man understood that a famous boxer had been lost but didn’t fully grasp how much Cerdan meant to his people. Now, 60 years later, he does.
‘I thought he was just another European fighter, like Max Schmeling,’ Sugar said. ‘He meant so much to so many over there, there. He was symbolic of their nationalism, maybe even more so than (Charles) DeGaulle at that time. He resurrected their belief in the republic, in their Frenchdom, if you will.
‘I think like Marlene Deitrich in the case of Germany, Cerdan was the standard bearer of freedom for France.’
And, apparently, his legend endures. The French film Edith et Marcel was a depiction of their romance. And La Vie en Rose, a biography of Piaf that included scenes with Cerdan, was a huge success. Marcel Cerdan junior, once a boxer himself, portrayed his father.
However, according to Bouisset, Cerdan’s legend goes beyond the rekindling of memories as a result of popular films. French people have never forgotten him.
‘The young people in France, people between 20 and 30, they don’t know the French boxers that are boxing today,’ Bouisset said. ‘They don’t know the boxers before World War II. I’m sure they do know Marcel Cerdan. Everyone can say he was a boxer and a good one, he had a love affair with Edith Piaf and he died in plane crash. And they know he was someone special. The Ring online article
[8.6] DICK TIGER 82-60(27)-19-3: Boxing News online -
On This Day: Dick Tiger passes away aged just 42: A true gentleman outside of the ring, but an aggressive warrior inside it, Dick Tiger represented his native Nigeria with pride and honour. A supporter of the Biafran cause in his homeland, Richard Ihetu, as he was born, started boxing professionally at the age of 23.
Whilst fighting in his mother country, Tiger amassed a near perfect record inside the squared circle, picking up the Nigerian middleweight strap along the way. His ferocious counterpunching style brought him great success, as he drew his challengers in before unloading heavy shots.
After 15 wins in 16 contests in Africa, Dick relocated to Liverpool, to be trained by Peter Benencko. However, despite his obvious talents, the stocky middleweight initially found it difficult to adjust to the fighting technique of his British opponents. He lost his first four bouts in the country (all on points), before settling in and stringing together some victories, including a stoppage win over future World middleweight boss Terry Downes.
Following an Empire middleweight title victory over Pat McAteer (W KO 9), Tiger fought another five contests in England before heading over the Atlantic to campaign in America. He picked up highly creditable wins over respected contenders such as Gene Armstrong, Joey Giardello, Holly Mims and Hank Casey. However, it was a sixth round knockout of Floro Fernandez in January 1962 that caught the attention of the US public.
By now a successful and popular figure in the States, Dick earned a shot at Utah’s Gene Fullmer, with the winner being recognised as the WBA world middleweight champion. The powerful African bombarded Fullmer with damagingly accurate blows for 15 rounds, securing him a convincing victory.
The pair fought twice more in the next year, with Tiger retaining his belt on a draw and then stopping Gene in seven in their rubber match for the vacant World Middleweight strap in Ibadan, Nigeria.
Old foe Joey Giardello dethroned Dick in December 1963, although he regained the world crown just under two years later. World welterweight king Emile Griffin then put in a fantastic performance to wrest the middleweight belt from Tiger’s grasp, which convinced the Amaigbo man that he would fair better at light-heavyweight.
In his first appearance at the new weight, the 37-year-old Tiger outscored Jose Torres over 15 rounds to become the new World Light-Heavy ruler. He outpointed Torres again in a rematch and successfully defended the title against Roger Rouse (W RSF12), before the much younger and taller Bob Foster became the first man to knock Tiger out in May 1968.
After defeating Nino Benvenuti on points and losing to Emile Griffith once again, the two-weight world champion called time on his career in 1971.
He sadly died of cancer only six months later in his treasured Biafra. Boxing News online article 14 December 2018
[8.6] GENE FULLMER 64-55(24)-6-3: Encyclopaedia Britannica online - Bert Randolph Sugar -
Gene Fullmer, American boxer (born July 21 1931 West Jordan, Utah – died April 27, 2015, Taylorsville, Utah), battered his way into the world middleweight championship twice (1957, 1959–62), besting Sugar Ray Robinson to win the crown the first time. Fullmer had a brawling style of boxing and was known for his near imperviousness to his opponents’ attacks. In the 1957 title fight at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Robinson was favoured to win, but Fullmer prevailed by unanimous decision. In a storied rematch four months later in Chicago, Robinson knocked Fullmer out with a fifth-round blow that became known as ‘the perfect punch.’ The National Boxing Association later stripped Robinson of the middleweight crown because of his failure to defend it, and in 1959 Fullmer faced Carmen Basilio for the title. Fullmer stopped his opponent in the 14th round and thus regained the championship. He made seven successful defenses of the title, including a 1960 rematch with Basilio and two fights against Robinson, one of which ended in a draw and the other in a unanimous decision. Fullmer lost the title in 1962 to Dick Tiger of Nigeria. Fullmer started his professional career in 1951 and won his first 11 fights by knockout. He retired in 1963 with a record of 55 wins, 6 losses, and 3 draws. Fullmer was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. Encyclopaedia Britannica
He just was the worst looking fighter you’ve ever seen. It was his bull strength. A style nobody had ever seen, and he could be anything he liked if he could get inside and bully you. Bert Randolph Sugar
44) Sugar Ray Robinson Lost KO5: US Fight Commentary TV -
v Sugar Ray Robinson II 1 May 1957 Middleweight Chicago [r1] … Fullmer is playing a waiting game … Nice swinging right-hand counter [Robinson] … [r3] … A rare punch that he [Fullmer] threw at the head … [r4] … A good right hand shot to the jaw of Fullmer … [r5] … Sugar Ray drops Gene Fullmer! (Boxers: Robinson & Boxers: Fullmer) US fight commentary
54) Carmen Basilio TKO14: US Fight Commentary TV - Carmen Basilio - Gene Fullmer - Bert Randolph Sugar -
v Carmen Basilio I 28th August 1959 Daly City [r1] ... Fullmer said he had three plans of attack ... Fuller scoring very well ... Now it’s Carmen’s turn ... [r8] ... Two good punchers; two former champions ... Oh he staggers Basilio! [r14] ... The fight is over and Gene Fullmer is the champion on a TKO ... His strategy worked. US fight commentary
It was a rough tough fight. We fought head to head. I hadn’t fought in quite a while ... I was approaching the over-the-hill fame ... You got to fight every three or four months. Carmen Basilio, interview Ringside Rivalries
I blame my managers for that. They were so busy betting on horses and the races and all that they didn’t have time to book me for fights. Carmen Basilio
I could have finished the fight. Carmen Basilio
He was a good fighter. No doubt about that. Carmen Basilio
We’ve been great friends all the time. Carmen Basilio
He is the toughest guy I ever fought bar none. Gene Fullmer, post-fight interview
It was one hell of a battle. Bert Randolph Sugar
Gene Fuller and Carmen Basilio are two throw-back fighters who went at each other. Bert Randolph Sugar
57) Carmen Basilio Ret 12: Bert Randolph Sugar -
v Carmen Basilio II Middleweight: Again look at this: these are two guys who are just beating the bejabbers out of each other. I mean you want to see fighting, this is fighting. Look, the referee is stepping in; Carmen is less than happy about this. He is about ready to clock the referee. Because I don’t know why they stopped it so prematurely. Bert Randolph Sugar
[8.6] TONY ZALE 87-67(45)-18-2: Harry Carpenter - US Fight Commentary TV - Ringside TV - Encyclopaedia Britannica online -
He was always known throughout his career as the man of steel. Harry Carpenter
v Graziano III: June 10th 1948 Newark New Jersey KO3 [r1] ... Rocky Graziano is down. A flash knockdown, he is up without a count ... [r2] Zale comes out with a sizzling right to the jaw ... [r3] ... A left hook to the jaw and Zale is on him with a flurry of punches ... He is knocked out and Tony Zale has regained the Middleweight championship of the world. US fight commentary
The man of steel could absorb blows as well as deliver them. Covering a twenty-one month period from 1946 to 1928 the two middleweights went at each other in three of the most memorable Middleweight fights ever staged. Ringside TV