Thanks to RB Ive gotten a better look at this bloke recently. He was a bloody good fighter, had an excellent left hand whether he was hooking or jabbing. Anyone else seen much of him?
Im pretty sure I have an hour long film about him WaR... in a fight film series. Fighting who?? I dont know. Will let you know soon. You do know that Bernie Hall went the full 12 rounds with him ( as he also did with Freddie Dawson) and Norm Gent beat him over 12 whilst he toured Australia..??? I might be able to find some of this film if lucky.
Very good technician, tough, and had a big right hand. His main weakness was that he sometimes tended to be too "technical" and didn't step out of his shell to let the punches fly. He twice dropped his title to less skilled fighters who outhustled him at key moments in the fight, but in both cases he came back better adjusted and more determined, and whupped their asses. He was generally very good in return matches. Also ended the long reign of Ike Williams, a very underrated/underappreciated feat.
Wiiliams had to lose heaps of weight to fight Carter,and in a very short time. Carter's"losses were not as a result of not being adjusted properly, but of fighting" to orders",he was a mob fighter,and gravely misused. Nat Fleischer wrote an editorial on Carter's "penchant" for dropping decisions ,only to come back and win the rematch . Going as far as he dare ,without concrete proof Fleischer ,called it" A very nasty habit". How good Carter could have been, if he had allways fought to win ,we will never know,and for that reason he is extremely hard to rate.
If we rate Carter based on who he was, he should still rate pretty highly, even if he was inconsistent. There may very well be truth to the rumours about his connection to the mob and him losing fights on purpose, he does appear lethargic at times. He did a fine job breaking down the faster, skillful Araujo who seemed to be a puzzle no one could solve at the time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0BRuK-oLXk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unmwTo6NThs Carter taking the "Golden Boy" Art Aragon to school after dropping a decision to him previously: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twtKk3K0PaI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7aZrUABjGg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRaQt3aIyl8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce-K82ENqzs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUOlj8f6yCY Carter regains the title from Paddy DeMarco: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBXtiK7Wpnk Carter regains the title from Lauro Salas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khPbG7SqDBE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv9Z2m6P_-8
Nice to have my memory refreshed, its obvious Carter is a 'pro's pro', against the very quick handed Araujo he manages to turn his head and take the steam off a lot of those shots. Fighting the crowd pleasing Aragon he is patient and calculating. Carter does not exude that aura of menace that Williams possessed, but he has the requisites of a great craftsman, ala Napoles and Ortiz. What a shame he boxed in the era of fixes and cuffs, not only was he robbed of a lot of his purses ,[like Williams], he was robbed of his standing in the pantheon of Champions, he would be a hard nights work for ANY lightweight imo.Not excellent at most things ,but very, very good at all of them.
I reckon Carter was as good as Esteban De Jesus or Ken Buchanan - although that doesn't tell you much because I think I probably rate those two higher than normal. In other words, fighting for the #9 or 10 spot on a head-to-head list. Very much a Jersey Joe Walcott of the lightweight division, although not in method. Carter fought in that favourite Louis/Williams mode of boxer-puncher and had some of the tightest hooks I've ever seen.
Its really made me re-think about the lightweight divvy..To think I considered Jose Luis Castillo a top 15 Lightweight not long ago...I knew of Jimmy but didnt really know much about him until recently. Just show how strong a division this is when a fighter like Carter is able to be overlooked. At his best definitely one of the better lightweights Ive seen, no doubt at least on par with DeJesus and Kenny I agree Manassa.
Extremely underrated fighter, and very resilient. Carter was the first ever 3 time Lightweight champion. Carter recieved neither the publicity nor the accolades normally accorded to world title holders. Carter once said ''I know it sounds strange, but i don't care what they say about me. I win most of my fights'' Carter was a member of the Army Cops of engineers during WW II, Carter boxed while serving in England, France and the Pacific. He turned Pro in 46, and with a decision win over Clifton Bordies. The next year Carter faced two future Hall Of Famers in Joe Brown and Sandy Saddler and was beaten by Brown and drew with Saddler. Carter became very discouraged by his lack of progess but his manage named Willie Ketchum persuaded him to carry on. In his first crack at the Lightweight title, Carter fought Ike Williams, Williams had trouble making the weight adn Carter stopped him in 14. Carter would make two defences of the Title before losing it to Lauro Salas in 1952 in there rematch. Carter would take his title back off Salas the same year. After making three defences of his title, he lost it again to Paddy DeMarco in New York(1954). He would go on to defeat DeMarco in the rematch, to make him a 3 time Lightweight Champion. But only a year later, previous victim Wallace Smith would take it off him. After this Carter only fought on for 5 more years and never did regain the title. In retirement he worked for 15 years in a Ford assembly plant, then as a teachers aid. He died 9/21/94. And was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 2000
