Primo Carnera

Primo Carnera was born on October 26, 1906, in Sequals, Friuli, Italy. Born into severe poverty, he worked as a stonecutter and circus strongman before turning to professional boxing in Paris in 1928. Standing nearly 6 feet 6 inches and weighing over 260 pounds, his astonishing physical power and heavyweight reach made him an overnight international sensation across Europe and the United States.

On June 29, 1933, before a roaring crowd at Madison Square Garden Bowl in Long Island City, Carnera knocked out Jack Sharkey in the sixth round with a devastating right uppercut to become the World Heavyweight Champion. He successfully defended his crown against Paolino Uzcudun and Tommy Loughran before losing the title in 1934 to Max Baer in one of the most brutal bouts in boxing history. Carnera subsequently transitioned into professional wrestling, becoming one of wrestling's biggest box-office attractions in the 1940s and 1950s. Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, Carnera remains a legendary figure in Italian sporting lore.