Gogea Mitu
Encyclopedia
Gogea Mitu was a Romania
n boxer
and one of the tallest Romanians of all time (behind Ghiţă Mureşan
). Gogea Mitu is also listed by the Guinness Book of World Records
as the tallest professional boxer
.
in 1912, the first of eleven children, his mother being only 16 when she delivered him. Mitu became world famous because of his enormous stature, at the age of 20 he was 2.19 metres (7.2 ft) tall, had a weight of 183 kilograms (403.4 lb) and had a foot size of 38 centimetres (15 in). Because of these characteristics he was very sought after by doctors
and scientist
s who wanted to know the reason for his gigantism
and by people who wanted to profit from his stature. It was said that he was highly intelligent; despite not going to school, he learned to read by himself at the age of three, as he had the stature of a five — six year old child. By age 17 he had become so famous that a circus
owner from Prague
offered him a job, to be presented as a human rarity. He also presented shows at the Globus Circus in Monaco
. His circus career was brief, but very fortuitous, because he was spotted by the successful Italian
boxer and talent scout Umberto Lancia, who taught Mitu how to box and later became his manager
. Gogea Mitu went to Paris
to attend the famous Paris School for Boxing and after graduating he started his boxing career. He also had a brother named Tudorel, who had the same gigantism as Gogea, but he died at the age of seven when he was 1.8 metres (5.9 ft) tall.
Gogea Mitu had a back width of 1.05 metres (3.4 ft) and for lunch he used to consume 1 kilograms (2.2 lb) of bread
, 25 eggs
, 1 kilograms (2.2 lb) of fried chicken
, two litres of milk
, 1 kilograms (2.2 lb) of sweets
, a litre of ţuică
and half a litre of wine
. His suits
were made out of 7.5 metres (24.6 ft) of fabric
and his bed was 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) long and 2 metres (6.6 ft) wide.
in Bucharest
and his opponent was the experienced Italian boxer Severio Gizzo. Mitu won by knockout
in round three. His second fight was against former Romania
n heavyweight
champion Dumitru Pavelescu, which Mitu won again by knockout in the first round. The only losses in his fighting career were against the former Italian world champion Primo Carnera
and the American
boxer George Godfrey. After these matches his manager Umberto Lancia directed him to more important tournaments in Europe
(in Prague
and Paris
) where Mitu fought the German
—French
boxer Bergam and the fight ended in a draw. This was Mitu's last fight as a professional boxer
.
to Bucharest
by train, he caught a cold and his manager suggested that before going home to Mârşani, he should remain in Bucharest
for a few days to get better, but his condition got so bad that he was taken to Filantropia Hospital, where he eventually died of tuberculosis
in 1936.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n boxer
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...
and one of the tallest Romanians of all time (behind Ghiţă Mureşan
Gheorghe Muresan
Gheorghe Dumitru Mureşan, , also known as Ghiţă or George, is a retired Romanian professional basketball player. At 7 ft 7 in , he is one of the tallest players in NBA history, along with Sudanese player Manute Bol, who was also 7 ft 7 in. Both Mureşan's parents are of average size, and,...
). Gogea Mitu is also listed by the Guinness Book of World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
as the tallest professional boxer
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...
.
Biography
He was born in Mârşani, near CraiovaCraiova
Craiova , Romania's 6th largest city and capital of Dolj County, is situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximately equal distances from the Southern Carpathians and the River Danube . Craiova is the chief...
in 1912, the first of eleven children, his mother being only 16 when she delivered him. Mitu became world famous because of his enormous stature, at the age of 20 he was 2.19 metres (7.2 ft) tall, had a weight of 183 kilograms (403.4 lb) and had a foot size of 38 centimetres (15 in). Because of these characteristics he was very sought after by doctors
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s who wanted to know the reason for his gigantism
Gigantism
Gigantism, also known as giantism , is a condition characterized by excessive growth and height significantly above average...
and by people who wanted to profit from his stature. It was said that he was highly intelligent; despite not going to school, he learned to read by himself at the age of three, as he had the stature of a five — six year old child. By age 17 he had become so famous that a circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
owner from Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
offered him a job, to be presented as a human rarity. He also presented shows at the Globus Circus in Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
. His circus career was brief, but very fortuitous, because he was spotted by the successful Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
boxer and talent scout Umberto Lancia, who taught Mitu how to box and later became his manager
Talent manager
A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry...
. Gogea Mitu went to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to attend the famous Paris School for Boxing and after graduating he started his boxing career. He also had a brother named Tudorel, who had the same gigantism as Gogea, but he died at the age of seven when he was 1.8 metres (5.9 ft) tall.
Gogea Mitu had a back width of 1.05 metres (3.4 ft) and for lunch he used to consume 1 kilograms (2.2 lb) of bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
, 25 eggs
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
, 1 kilograms (2.2 lb) of fried chicken
Fried chicken
Fried chicken is a dish consisting of chicken pieces usually from broiler chickens which have been floured or battered and then pan fried, deep fried, or pressure fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or crust to the exterior...
, two litres of milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
, 1 kilograms (2.2 lb) of sweets
SweetS
was a Japanese idol group. Put together through auditions, the group debuted in 2003 on the avex trax label. Although the group met minor success, they disbanded after three years with the release of a final single in June 2006....
, a litre of ţuică
Tuica
Ţuică is a traditional Romanian spirit of somewhere in between 45%-60% alcohol by volume. It is usually made from plums.Ţuică is the official name for the drink when it is prepared only from plums...
and half a litre of wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
. His suits
Suit (clothing)
In clothing, a suit is a set of garments made from the same cloth, consisting of at least a jacket and trousers. Lounge suits are the most common style of Western suit, originating in the United Kingdom as country wear...
were made out of 7.5 metres (24.6 ft) of fabric
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
and his bed was 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) long and 2 metres (6.6 ft) wide.
Boxing career
His first boxing match took place on the Venus StadiumVenus Bucuresti
Venus București was a Romanian football club based in Bucharest, nicknamed Negrii due to their all black shirts. Before being dissolved by the Communist authorities, Venus was the most successful football club in Romania, winning eight Liga I championships.The club's colours were black and white,...
in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
and his opponent was the experienced Italian boxer Severio Gizzo. Mitu won by knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
in round three. His second fight was against former Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
champion Dumitru Pavelescu, which Mitu won again by knockout in the first round. The only losses in his fighting career were against the former Italian world champion Primo Carnera
Primo Carnera
Primo Carnera was an Italian boxer, nicknamed the Ambling Alp, who became the world heavyweight champion.-Biography:...
and the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
boxer George Godfrey. After these matches his manager Umberto Lancia directed him to more important tournaments in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) where Mitu fought the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
—French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
boxer Bergam and the fight ended in a draw. This was Mitu's last fight as a professional boxer
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
.
Death
Returning from ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
by train, he caught a cold and his manager suggested that before going home to Mârşani, he should remain in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
for a few days to get better, but his condition got so bad that he was taken to Filantropia Hospital, where he eventually died of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in 1936.