Marcel Cerdan
Titles: Middleweight Champion from 1948-1949
Record: 106-4-0 (66 K.O's)
Born: July 22, 1916 in Sidi Bel-Abbes, Algeria
Years active: 1934-1949
Nickname: None
Born in Algeria he Cerdan became one of the most popular fighters to put
on the gloves, and married the famous French singing legend Edith Piaf.
His popularity was incredible in France and managed to carry over
to the United States. Many European fighters couldn't match up to the
caliber of American fistic experts, but Cerdan held his own in this
department. Two of his four defeats came via disqualification, one was a
bitterly disputed decision and the last was via a injury. Also like Ali a
war interrupted his prime. Before his glory days at middleweight Cerdan
won French and European titles at welterweight before his move up in weight
where he repeated that feat and added the world title. His French title
was won by third round TKO over Assane Diouf and the European middleweight
title was won a equally impressive first round knockout of Leon Foquet.
Between the two wins Cerdan traveled to America for his debut and looked
good in beating rugged Georgie Abrams. Cerdan did loose his first challenge
at the European title when Belgian Cyrille Delannoit a defensive boxer
circled his way to a very controversial points victory over Cerdan. An
immediate hit in the USA where 20,000 people watched him win his title by
battering Tony Zale over 12 rounds, many Americans were upset when he lost
his crown to American Jake LaMotta after sustaining a shoulder injury
during the fight. Cerdan hurt his shoulder early in the fight yet fought
bravely for 6 more rounds. Most ringwise people of the day felt that if
Cerdan was up to par, he would win his crown back in the rematch. This was
never to be however Cerdan died tragically in an airplane crash at the age
of 33, Cerdan was on his way to New York to fight LaMotta in the rematch
for his world title.
Marcel Cerdan
Career record: 106 W, 4 L (61 K.O's)
1934
Nov 4 Marcel Bucchianeri Meknes, Morocco W 6
Nov 12 Benazra Meknes, Morocco KO 5
1935
Feb 16 Perez Tercero Casablanca, Morocco W 10
Apr 13 Privat Casablanca KO 5
Apr 13 Benazra Casablanca W 10
Jul 5 Mac Perez Casablanca KO 2
Jul 19 Joseph Sarfati Casablanca W 10
Aug 8 Mestre Casablanca W 10
Nov 23 Mac Perez Casablanca W 10
Dec 14 Mac Perez Casablanca W 10
1936
Mar 4 Antoine Abad Casablanca W 10
Apr 7 M. Hergane Casablanca W 10
Apr 11 Joseph Martinez Taza, Morocco KO 9
May 23 M. Ricardo Casablanca KO 5
May 27 Kid Abadie Casablanca KO 3
Jun 6 M. Castillanos Casablanca W 10
Jul 19 Joseph Sarfati Casablanca W 10
Aug 2 Al Francis Oran, Algeria KO 6
Oct 17 Primo Rubio Casablanca W 10
Nov 2 Aisa Attaf Casablanca KO 1
Nov 21 Jean Debeaumont Casablanca W 10
1937
Jan 16 Aisa Attaf Algiers, Algeria KO 8
Jan 30 Maurice Naudin Algiers, Algeria KO 3
Mar 2 Omar Kouidri Rabat, Morocco W 10
Apr 3 Omar Kouidri Algiers, Algeria W 10
Jul 3 Ali Omar Algiers, Algeria KO 5
Aug 2 Kid Marcel Oran, Algeria W 10
Sep 13 Eddy Rabak Casablanca KO 6
Oct 7 Louis Jampton Paris W 10
Oct 21 Jean Morin Paris W 10
Dec 18 Ifergane Rabat, Morocco W 10
1938
Jan 6 Charles Feodorowich Paris KO 2
Jan 13 Eddie Ran Paris KO 2
Jan 20 Jean Zides Paris KO 9
Feb 21 Omar Kouidri Casablanca W 12
(Won French Welterweight TItle)
Mar 12 Charles Pernot Algiers, Algeria W 10
Mar 25 Lucien Krawsyck Paris W 10
Apr 13 Eddy Rabak Paris W 10
May 5 Anacleto Locatelli Paris W 12
May 20 Gustave Humery Paris KO 6
Jun 4 Jean Morin Algiers, Algeria W 10
Jul 3 Victor Deckmyn Oran, Algeria W 10
Sep 15 Al Baker Paris W 10
Oct 27 Amadeo Deyana Paris W 10
Nov 10 Alfredo Katter Paris KO 4
Nov 24 Omar Kouidri Paris W 12
(Retained French Welterweight Title)
1939
Jan 9 Harry Craster London L D.Q 5
Jan 21 Ercole Buratti Algiers, Algeria W 10
Feb 4 Al Baker Brussels, Belgium KO 7
Feb 20 Saverio Turiello Paris W 12
Mar 22 Felix Wouters Brussels, Belgium W 12
May 21 Roger Cadot Marseilles, France KO 6
Jun 3 Saverio Turiello Milan, Italy W 15
(Won European Welterweight Title)
Jun 18 Anacleto Locatelli Marseilles, France W 10
1940
Did not fight
1941
Jan 19 Young Raymond Algiers, Algeria KO 1
Jan 26 Young Raymond Casablanca KO 6
Feb 2 Victor Fortes Casablanca KO 7
Mar 9 Victor Janas Casablanca W 10
Apr 13 Victor Fortes Oran, Algeria KO 2
May 4 Omar Kouidri Oran, Algeraia KO 6
Jun 22 Francois Blanchard Marseilles, France KO 6
Jul 20 Joe Brun Oran, Algeria KO 2
Sep 13 Roland Coureau Algiers, Algeria KO 9
Dec 31 Robert Seidel Vichy, France KO 3
1942
Feb 21 Fred Flury Nice, France KO 7
Apr 26 Gustave Humery Paris KO 1
May 17 Fernand Viez Paris W 10
Jun 28 Gaspard de Ridder Paris KO 1
Jul 25 Victor Janas Algiers, Algeria KO 2
Aug 2 Ben Frely Marseilles, France KO 3
Aug 15 Victor Buttin Algiers, Algeria L D.Q 8
Sep 30 Jose Ferrer Paris KO 1
(Retained European Welterweight Title)
1943
Aug 8 John McCoy Oran, Algeria KO 2
Sep 12 Omar Kouidri Algiers, Algeria W 10
Oct 13 Larry Cisneros Oran, Algeria KO 6
Oct 31 Bulldog Milano Casablanca KO 2
Dec 26 James Toney Oran, Algeria KO 2
Dec 29 Larry Cisneros Algiers, Algeria KO 2
1944
Jan 30 Willie Sampson Casablanca KO 2
1945
Mar 9 Joe Brun Paris KO 7
May 13 Jean Despeaux Paris KO 5
Jun 3 Oscar Menozzi Marseilles, France KO 3
Jun 24 Edouard Tenet Croix de Berny, France W 10
Oct 19 Tommy Davies Paris KO 1
Nov 30 Assane Diouf Paris KO 3
(Won French Middleweight Title)
Dec 8 Victor Buttin St. Etienne, France KO 3
1946
Jan 13 Agustin Guedes Lisbon, Spain KO 1
Jan 18 Edouard Tenet Paris W 12
(Retained French Middleweight Title)
Feb 24 Jose Ferrer Barcelona, Spain KO 4
Apr 14 Joe Brun Nice, France KO 2
May 25 Robert Charron Paris W 12
Jul 7 Holman Williams Paris W 10
Oct 20 Jean Pankowiak Paris KO 5
Dec 6 Georgie Abrams New York W 10
1947
Feb 2 Leon Foquet Paris KO 1
(Won Vacant European Midleweight Title)
Feb 11 Bert Gilroy London KO 4
Mar 25 Harold Green New York KO 2
Oct 7 Billy Walker Montreal KO 1
Oct 31 Anton Raadik Chicago W 10
1948
Jan 26 Giovanni Manca Paris KO 2
(Retained European Middleweight Title)
Feb 9 Jean Walzack Paris KO 4
(Retained European Middleweight Title)
Mar 12 Lavern Roach New York KO 8
Mar 25 Lucien Krawsyck Paris W 10
May 23 Cyrille Delannoit Brussels, Belgium L 15
(Lost European Middleweight Title)
Jul 20 Cyrille Delannoit Brussels, Belgium W 15
(Regained European Middleweight Title)
Sep 21 Tony Zale Jersey City, NJ KO 12
(Wins World Middleweight Title)
1949
Mar 29 Dick Turpin London KO 7
Apr 8 Lucien Krawsyck Casablanca KO 4
Jun 16 Jake LaMotta Detroit KO by 10
(Loses World Middleweight Title)