Alphonse Halimi
Encyclopedia
Alphonse Halimi was a French boxer
. He was nicknamed "la Petite Terreur."
Time wrote of him: "Alphonse went to work with a street fighter
's will. A grown-up guttersnipe from the back alleys of Algeria
. He worked like a heavyweight, swung looping haymaker
s, careless of where they landed, confident that they hurt."
, the last of 13 children – only seven of whom reached adulthood. His father was a postal inspector
. At the age of 10, he ran away from home for the first time, living for long periods of time on the streets of a nation torn by war
. A tailor
named Dianoux, of Algiers
, took him under his wing and Halimi began to work as a tailor at the age of 12.
After he got involved in a fight on the streets of Algiers, Dianoux encouraged him to train at the Mouloudia gym
nasium. Halimi was an excellent swimmer
, but he chose boxing as his calling. He was Jewish, and sewed a star of David
on his red and green (the Mouloudia colors) training shorts. Halimi's hero was the Algerian-born Marcel Cerdan
, and he would carry a photo of his idol at the bottom of his suitcase from the beginning to the end of his career.
champion in 1953, 1954, and 1955. In 1955, he was champion of the Mediterranean Games
and turned professional. On April 1, 1957, at the Vélodrome d'hiver
in Paris, Halimi became world bantamweight champion by defeating the Italian deaf-mute
boxer Mario d'Agata
.
Special lights had been set specially for this fight, so that d'Agata, who could not hear the bell after each round, would be able to tell when each round was finished. These lights would flash the moment the bell rang. There was a storm
on the day of the fight, and lightning
struck one of the special lights in round three. d'Agata was struck by sparkles, suffering a burned neck and back. It was decided the fight would go on, and d'Agata tried to defy the odds for the remainder of the fight, but he lost the title by a fifteen-round decision.
On the June 4, 1957 he had a fight against Jimmy Carson it was not a title fight but he lost to jimmy carson by way of TKO and this was also his first professional defeat.
On November 6, 1957, at Wrigley Field
, Los Angeles, Halimi gained the unified title in the bantamweight category as well as $50,000. He defeated Raul Macias
(Ratón) before a crowd of 20,000 spectators who for the most part had favored Macias. Macias lost his belt by a 15 round split decision with scores of 144–141 for Macias and 148–141, 147–138 for Halimi. The fight's decision was controversial as many thought Macias had done enough to win it.
In 1960 in London, after defeating Freddie Gilroy
for the title of European Champion, he proclaimed: "Today, I have won vengeance for Joan of Arc
."
During this period, Halimi was adulated in France and in his town of origin. His personal life during this period was characterized by dubious friendships, excessive betting, and marital separation.
He lost his crown in 1959 to Jose Becerra
, at the Memorial Sports Arena
(Los Angeles). He became European champion, however, in July 1959, a title that he reconquered on June 26, 1962 when he defeated Piero Rollo at Tel Aviv
. It was the first professional boxing match organized in Israel
.
and owned a café on the Avenue du Château. He then worked as a trainer for the l'Institut National des Sports, the future INSEP. He did not enjoy a good reputation there and was asked to leave. He then became a swimming teacher in Vichy
and then at Meudon
. He resided at a retirement home in Saint-Ouen
towards the end of his life, and suffered from Alzheimer's. He died on November 12, 2006 from complications from pneumonia
and was interred at the Parisian cemetery of Pantin
on November 14.
Not until 1989, with the victory of Rene Jacquot
, would there be a French world champion of boxing.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. He was nicknamed "la Petite Terreur."
Time wrote of him: "Alphonse went to work with a street fighter
Street Fighter
, commonly abbreviated as SF, is a series of Fighting Games developed in Japan in which the players pit the video games' competitive fighters from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style, against one another...
's will. A grown-up guttersnipe from the back alleys of Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. He worked like a heavyweight, swung looping haymaker
Haymaker
Haymaker may refer to:* A type of punch, a wild swing with all of a person's might to knock out the opponent* Conditioner , a type of farm machine that treats hay to cause more rapid and even drying...
s, careless of where they landed, confident that they hurt."
Early life
He was born in ConstantineConstantine, Algeria
Constantine is the capital of Constantine Province in north-eastern Algeria. It was the capital of the same-named French département until 1962. Slightly inland, it is about 80 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast, on the banks of Rhumel river...
, the last of 13 children – only seven of whom reached adulthood. His father was a postal inspector
Postal Inspector
Postal Inspector is a 1936 American film directed by Otto Brower.- Cast :*Ricardo Cortez as Inspector Bill Davis*Patricia Ellis as Connie Larrimore*Michael Loring as Charlie Davis*Bela Lugosi as Gregory Benez*Wallis Clark as Inspector Gil Pottle...
. At the age of 10, he ran away from home for the first time, living for long periods of time on the streets of a nation torn by war
Algerian War of Independence
The Algerian War was a conflict between France and Algerian independence movements from 1954 to 1962, which led to Algeria's gaining its independence from France...
. A tailor
Tailor
A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
named Dianoux, of Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, took him under his wing and Halimi began to work as a tailor at the age of 12.
After he got involved in a fight on the streets of Algiers, Dianoux encouraged him to train at the Mouloudia gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium. Halimi was an excellent swimmer
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, but he chose boxing as his calling. He was Jewish, and sewed a star of David
Star of David
The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles...
on his red and green (the Mouloudia colors) training shorts. Halimi's hero was the Algerian-born Marcel Cerdan
Marcel Cerdan
Marcellin "Marcel" Cerdan was a French pied noir world boxing champion who was considered by many boxing experts and fans to be France's greatest boxer, and beyond to be one of the best to have learned his craft in Africa...
, and he would carry a photo of his idol at the bottom of his suitcase from the beginning to the end of his career.
Boxing career
He won more than 100 matches before being noticed by a trainer and being asked to come to France. He became French amateur bantamweightBantamweight
Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...
champion in 1953, 1954, and 1955. In 1955, he was champion of the Mediterranean Games
1955 Mediterranean Games
The second Mediterranean Games were held in the Olympic Stadium and Palace of sport of Barcelona, from July 16 to 25, 1955. The stadium was built in 1929 and was especially renovated for the occasion. The symbol of an amphora filled with Mediterranean Sea water was then used for the first time.The...
and turned professional. On April 1, 1957, at the Vélodrome d'hiver
Vélodrome d'hiver
The Vélodrome d'Hiver , colloquially Vel' d'Hiv, was an indoor bicycle racing cycle track and stadium on rue Nélaton, not far from the Eiffel Tower in Paris. As well as track cycling, it was used for ice hockey, wrestling, boxing, roller-skating, circuses, spectaculars, and demonstrations...
in Paris, Halimi became world bantamweight champion by defeating the Italian deaf-mute
Deaf-mute
For "deafness", see hearing impairment. For "Deaf" as a cultural term, see Deaf culture. For "inability to speak", see muteness.Deaf-mute is a term which was used historically to identify a person who was both deaf and could not speak...
boxer Mario d'Agata
Mario D'Agata
Mario D'Agata was a former boxer who holds the distinction of being the first, and so far only, world boxing champion to be deaf. On April 4, 2009, D'Agata died at the age of 83....
.
Special lights had been set specially for this fight, so that d'Agata, who could not hear the bell after each round, would be able to tell when each round was finished. These lights would flash the moment the bell rang. There was a storm
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
on the day of the fight, and lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
struck one of the special lights in round three. d'Agata was struck by sparkles, suffering a burned neck and back. It was decided the fight would go on, and d'Agata tried to defy the odds for the remainder of the fight, but he lost the title by a fifteen-round decision.
On the June 4, 1957 he had a fight against Jimmy Carson it was not a title fight but he lost to jimmy carson by way of TKO and this was also his first professional defeat.
On November 6, 1957, at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
, Los Angeles, Halimi gained the unified title in the bantamweight category as well as $50,000. He defeated Raul Macias
Raul Macias
Raúl Macías Guevara was a former Mexican boxer, actor, and boxing trainer. Born in the same Mexico City barrio as Rubén Olivares, Macías had always expressed pride at being Mexican...
(Ratón) before a crowd of 20,000 spectators who for the most part had favored Macias. Macias lost his belt by a 15 round split decision with scores of 144–141 for Macias and 148–141, 147–138 for Halimi. The fight's decision was controversial as many thought Macias had done enough to win it.
In 1960 in London, after defeating Freddie Gilroy
Freddie Gilroy
Frederick Gilroy, more commonly known as Freddie Gilroy, is a former boxer. Gilroy won a bronze medal for Ireland at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne at bantamweight.- Olympic results :...
for the title of European Champion, he proclaimed: "Today, I have won vengeance for Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
."
During this period, Halimi was adulated in France and in his town of origin. His personal life during this period was characterized by dubious friendships, excessive betting, and marital separation.
He lost his crown in 1959 to Jose Becerra
Jose Becerra
Jesus "Hit man" Becerra is a retired Mexican boxer. He became world champion in the bantamweight division.-Early life:...
, at the Memorial Sports Arena
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena is a multi-purpose arena, in the University Park neighborhood, of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park. It is located next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, just south of the campus of the University of Southern California.-History:The Los Angeles...
(Los Angeles). He became European champion, however, in July 1959, a title that he reconquered on June 26, 1962 when he defeated Piero Rollo at Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. It was the first professional boxing match organized in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Honors
- Halimi was awarded the Légion d'honneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
by Charles de GaulleCharles de GaulleCharles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
.
- Halimi, who was Jewish, was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of FameInternational Jewish Sports Hall of FameThe International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame was opened July 7, 1981, in Netanya, Israel. It honors Jewish athletes and their accomplishments from anywhere around the world....
in 1989.
Retirement and death
In the 1960s, he settled at VincennesVincennes
Vincennes is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.-History:...
and owned a café on the Avenue du Château. He then worked as a trainer for the l'Institut National des Sports, the future INSEP. He did not enjoy a good reputation there and was asked to leave. He then became a swimming teacher in Vichy
Vichy
Vichy is a commune in the department of Allier in Auvergne in central France. It belongs to the historic province of Bourbonnais.It is known as a spa and resort town and was the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1944.The town's inhabitants...
and then at Meudon
Meudon
Meudon is a municipality in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is in the département of Hauts-de-Seine. It is located from the center of Paris.-Geography:...
. He resided at a retirement home in Saint-Ouen
Saint-Ouen, Seine-Saint-Denis
Saint-Ouen is a commune in the Seine-Saint-Denis department. It is located in the northern suburbs of Paris, France 6.6 km from the centre of Paris....
towards the end of his life, and suffered from Alzheimer's. He died on November 12, 2006 from complications from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
and was interred at the Parisian cemetery of Pantin
Cimetière de Pantin
The Cimetière de Pantin in the town of Pantin in the suburbs of Paris, France opened on November 15, 1886 and is the largest cemetery in the city, occupying 1.07 km². Located in the north-eastern section of the city, Pantin is a garden style burial grounds with more than 8,000 trees and streets...
on November 14.
Not until 1989, with the victory of Rene Jacquot
Rene Jacquot
Rene Jacquot is a former professional boxer and world title holder.-Professional career:Jacquot turned professional in 1983 and captured the WBC Light Middleweight Title in 1989 with an upset win over Donald Curry. He lost the belt in his first defence to John Mugabi, via TKO in the first round...
, would there be a French world champion of boxing.
External links
- Alphonse Halimi 1932–2006 Alphonse Halimi at the French WikipediaFrench WikipediaThe French Wikipedia is the French language edition of Wikipedia, spelt Wikipédia. This edition was started in March 2001, and has about articles as of , making it the third-largest Wikipedia overall, after the English-language and German-language editions...
Décès d'Alphonse Halimi Halimi at Tunis (image)