S5 Ep10: Primo Carnera, Boxing Champion and Gentle Giant

On June 29, 1933, at the Garden Bowl in Long Island City, New York, an imposing six foot six Italian boxer named Primo Carnera knocked out a smaller but highly skilled and more experienced Jack Sharkey to become the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.

Primo was born in 1906 in a small village in the northeastern corner of Italy. A large baby at birth, Primo continued to grow at an alarming rate and by the time he was a teenager, towered over his family and all the other residents of his village! Eventually, he was asked to leave his home because his parents could no longer afford to provide the food necessary to satisfy his ravenous appetite.

After setting out on his own, Primo worked odd jobs and after a while found work as a circus strong man in France, where he was able to earn a living, eat well and grow even bigger and stronger.

While performing as a circus strong man, twenty two year-old Primo was discovered by a boxing promoter named Leon See who had been told of Carnera’s enormous size and incredible strength. Thus began Primo Carnera’s professional boxing career which would take him across Europe and to the United States, where he would earn the nickname “The Ambling Alp” and would go on to win the World Heavyweight Boxing title a little less than five years after his first professional fight. He would also accumulate a record setting seventy two wins by knockout!

In this episode of Your History Your Story, we will be speaking with Primo Carnera’s granddaughter Anne Hibbetts. Anne will share family stories about her grandfather’s life, including his early years as a hungry teenager, his incredible boxing career which included bouts against such greats as Jack Sharkey, Max Baer and Joe Louis, and his acting career which included small parts in movies such as “The Prizefighter and the Lady” and “Mighty Joe Young” in which he had a tug of war scene with the giant gorilla.

In this heart-felt interview, Anne will explain that despite her grandfather’s enormous size, physical strength, and knock-out punch, he was really a gentle giant who loved his family and treated others with gentleness and kindness, She will also explain, that despite allegations of mob involvement in the outcomes of some of Primo’s fights, he was rightfully deserving of the World Heavyweight title that he received.

Photo(s): Courtesy of Anne Hibbetts

Music: “With Loved Ones” Jay Man