Georges Carpentier was a French boxer, actor and World War I pilot. A precocious pugilist, Carpentier fought in numerous categories. He fought mainly as a light heavyweight and heavyweight in a career lasting from 1908 to 1926. A French professional champion on several occasions, he became the European heavyweight champion before the First World War. A sergeant aviator during the Great War, he was wounded before returning to civilian life. He then discovered rugby union, playing as a winger.
Boxing in the 1920s was an exceptionally popular international sport. Many fights during this era, some 20 years away or so from the television era, were social events with many thousands in attendance, both men and women.
Billy Papke was an American boxer who held the World Middleweight Championship from September 7 to November 26, 1908. In 1910-12, he also took the Australian and British versions of the World Middleweight Championship, though American boxing historians generally take less note of these titles. With a solid and efficient punch, 70 percent of his better publicized career wins by decision were from knockouts, and roughly 40% of his reported fights were as well. Papke was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2001. Sportswriter Nat Fleischer, original owner of "Ring" Magazine, ranked Papke as the seventh best middleweight of all time. Announcer Charley Rose ranked him as the tenth greatest middleweight in boxing history. He was elected to the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1972.
William Thomas Wells, better known as Bombardier Billy Wells, was an English heavyweight boxer. Fighting under the name "Bombardier Billy Wells", he was British and British Empire Champion from 1911 until 1919, defending his title fourteen times. In 1911 he became the first Heavyweight to win the Lonsdale Belt, which had been introduced for British champions at all weights in 1909. Phil Grant held his Lonsdale belt when he was in the TA.
Frank Klaus was an American boxer from 1904 to 1918. Known as the Braddock Bearcat, Klaus claimed the vacant World Middleweight Championship in 1913 and was elected to the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1974.
Jack Bloomfield was an English light heavyweight professional boxer, whose birth name was Sol Blumenfeld, and who was also known as "Basking" Jack Bloomfield during his career. He took part in the first ever boxing event to be held at Wembley Stadium. He lived in Islington, London.
Pat O'Keeffe, was a professional English boxer who became the British champion in both the welterweight and middleweight weight classes. His professional career spanned the years between 1902 and 1918. In 1914 he made an unsuccessful bid for the European heavyweight belt, losing to Georges Carpentier. Between 1907 and 1910 he left Britain and continued his boxing career in the United States, and then Australia. On the outbreak of World War I he joined the British Army to work as a Physical Training Instructor (PTI) and Recruiting Sergeant for the 1st Surrey Rifles. He won the Lonsdale Belt outright when he defeated Bandsman Blake at the National Sporting Club (N.S.C) on 28 January 1918, becoming British Middleweight Champion.
Petty officer Matthew 'Nutty' Curran was an Irish professional heavyweight boxer, from 1900 to 1930. His fighting name, "Nutty", was derived from the English slang term for someone who is mentally unbalanced. Curran won the Irish heavyweight title, British Empire heavyweight title, and vied for the British Boxing Board of Control British heavyweight title. British heavyweight title bouts featuring Curran were neither recognized by the National Sporting Club (NSC) at the time, nor retroactively by the British Boxing Board of Control, because the bouts did not take place on National Sporting Club premises. His professional fighting weight varied throughout his career from 178 lb. (81 kg) to 199 lb. (90.3 kg).
Fred Storbeck born in Pretoria was a South African Boer blacksmith, and amateur and professional heavyweight boxer of the 1910s, and 1920s, who won the South African heavyweight title, and British Empire heavyweight title.
Philip Scott Suffling, born in Paddington, London, was an English professional heavyweight boxer of the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s, who won the National Sporting Club (NSC) British heavyweight title, British Empire heavyweight title, and European Boxing Union (EBU) heavyweight title, his professional fighting weight varied from 195.25 lb to 218 lb.
Benjamin Foord was a South African professional mixed class boxer of the 1930s and 1940s, who won the South African heavyweight title, British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoFC) British heavyweight title, and British Empire heavyweight title, his professional fighting weight varied from 170 lb, i.e. Light heavyweight to 216 lb, i.e. Heavyweight. Foord died on 29 September 1942, aged 29 years, due to accidental shooting.
Tom Berry was an English professional light-heavy and heavyweight boxer active from the 1910s to the 1930s. He won the National Sporting Club (NSC) subsequently known as the British Boxing Board of Control, the British Light Heavyweight title and the British Empire Light Heavyweight title.
Roland Todd born in Marylebone London was an English professional middle/light heavyweight boxer of the 1910s, and 1920s, who won the National Sporting Club (NSC) British middleweight title, British Empire middleweight title, and European Boxing Union (EBU) middleweight title.
Reginald Meen was a British boxer, who won the British heavyweight title in 1931.
James Moir, better known as Gunner Moir and sometimes as "Ex Gunner" James Moir, was an English heavyweight boxer. He was British champion from 1906 to 1909 and challenged Tommy Burns for the world title. After retiring from boxing he took up acting, appearing in several films in the 1930s.
Richard Smith was a British light heavyweight and heavyweight boxer who was British light heavyweight champion between 1914 and 1916 and again in 1918. He fought under the name Dick Smith.
Harry Isaacs, better known as Harry Reeve, was a British middleweight and cruiserweight boxer who was British Cruiserweight champion in 1916. At the time, the cruiserweight division was referred to as light heavyweight.
Noel Hugh "Boy" McCormick was a British boxer who won the British light heavyweight title in 1919, holding the title until 1922.
Thomas Gummer (1894–1982) was a British middleweight and heavyweight boxer who won the British middleweight title in 1920 and went on to fight for the European title.
Émile Pladner was a French boxer who was flyweight champion of France, Europe, and the world, and bantamweight champion of France and Europe.
