Who helped Primo Carnera to develop as a boxer? Who was his main boxing coach? Who helped him during his training camps as his sparring partners? Let's try to find out and summarize the boxing team behind Primo.
A lot of people helped Carnera develop as a boxer throughout his career such as Paul Journee, Leon See (Cie), Abe Attell, Walter Friedman, Bill Duffy, Tommy Burns, Mannie Seamon, and Billy DeFoe. Paul Journee discovered Carnera and was his first trainer. Journee introduced Carnera to Leon See, who was his trainer and manager when he competed. Before Carnera came to America See was Carnera's main trainer and taught him the basics of boxing, conditioning, and diet. Once Carnera came to America Abe Attell was brought in and helped Carnera develop his jab, but clashed with See and was eventually fired. Duffy later replaced Attell with Mannie Seamon and Billy Defoe, who were responsible for preparing Carnera for his title fight with Sharkey. Here is a piece in 1930 with Leon See talking about Carnera's start as a boxer. If there is any blame or glory attached to the discovery of the "Man Mountain" that Colossus of Clout, Primo Carnera, who boxes in the Arena nest Tuesday night, it belongs to one Paul Journee. You don't remember Paul? You will, if you visited Georges Carpentier's camp on Long Island, when he was training for the Dempsey fight. Journee was one of Georges' sparring partners. Also, he fought several engagements in this country. That established Paul in the American vision. He breaks into the Carnera picture very much later, less than two years ago to be exact. But Leon Cie, promoter de boxe internationale, and managaer of Carnera, will tell you about it. Mr. Cie is broadcasting. "You of course know that I am an international boxing promoter? Yes, I am called the 'Father of European boxing.' It is true, yes I have been the editeur of the magazine known as 'La Boxe.' Yes, I have brought many famous fighters Americaine to France - Jack Johnson when he was champion, Frank Moran, Sam Langford and Sam McVey, Papke, Klaus, Willie Lewis, Honey Mellody, Dixie Keed - and so many others." How Cie Got Carnera. "Naturally when I hear of a new man of promise I look him up. Paul Journee, who operated a gymnasium in Bordeau, two years ago wrote me that he had a marvelous fighter - a man who one day would be the greatest battler of all time." "How much does he weight?" I asked Paul. "About 300,' Journee replied. "Too much - too big to be good. He will step on his own toes," I told Paul. "Well, come down and see my man - perhaps you will change your mind.' "I went. I will never forget my first impression of the man as he approached me up a dusty path, his enormous feet, shod in sandals, he plop-plopped his gigantic feet down. His trousers were too short and he was poorly clad. He looked like a throwback to the days of Giants and abysmal brutes." "But as soon as he stripped and got into action I saw what a marvelous physique he owned and I determined to try to make something out of him." "He was in fair condition at that time and actually weighed 300 pounds." "He told me his story about like this: He was born in Sequals, nine miles from Venice, in 1906. At 11 he had to go to work because his father, a mosaic worker, had too many mouths to feed. Both his parents, he said were more than six feet tall, which is far above the average height of Italian peoples. All his relations on his mother's side were large and an uncle was 6 feet 4 inches tall." Looked Like a Man at 11. "At 11 or 12 Carnera was as large as a full-grown man and able to fend for himself. He left home and drifted, taking up any and all kinds of work. When Journee picked him up 10 years later, he was working as a Carpenter. He was under-nourished. His principal food had been bread. He made too little money to buy made-to-order clothing and as a result his trousers and coat were too short. His bare wrists projected several inches beyond the end of his coat sleeves and his legs were equally exposed." "An amazing transformation has taken place in him today, in 18 months, as you can see. We soon shaped him up in body, took off about 25 pounds of fat and developed his athletic lines. He took very rapidly to wrestling and likes that sport immensely. It aided in his development, too." "And then we began to teach him boxing. For a boy without opportunities, he proved a remarkable pupil. Although he has fought a total of about 50 rounds in his life, he really is beginning to show skill." "His natural intelligence is remarkable and he wears his new clothes as well a men educated to fine apparel. He is keen-witted and good-humored and frequently enjoys repartee with the onlooking crowd. He has had about 20 fights in his life, all but two of which he won quickly. He was beaten twice, but both times on fouls." "He progressed so rapidly that he was given a main event - his third fight." "He does not like to face small opponents, as he thinks it unsportsmanlike to take advantage. The first question he asks when told he has been matched is, 'How big is he and what does he weigh?" "Eat? Yes, he eats plenty. Weighing around 300 pounds when not in strict training, he naturally would eat twice as much as the average athlete weighing 150 pounds. He like everything to eat and I have never seen him push anything away from him. He is still just a gigantic boy and we hope some day to make of him a fighter who will be remembered for all time." https://imgur.com/Ml5Y70c
I really think Carnera fights like Vitali Klitchsko. People on this site just don't want to admit it because it is akin to admitting Jack Sharkey might have beaten Vitali Klitchsko
Seems like @Jackomano must be on a chummy first-name basis to call him Billy. This content is protected
Carnera was a big stiff ex circus strongman. Klitchskos yes shared body size with him but they were tremendous athletes that had developed great boxing skill 2 things Primo had neither of.
