The Most Famous
BOXERS from France
This page contains a list of the greatest French Boxers. The pantheon dataset contains 326 Boxers, 9 of which were born in France. This makes France the birth place of the 10th most number of Boxers behind Uzbekistan and Mexico.
Top 9
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary French Boxers of all time. This list of famous French Boxers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Georges Carpentier (1894 - 1975)
With an HPI of 50.32, Georges Carpentier is the most famous French Boxer. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages on wikipedia.
Georges Carpentier (French pronunciation: [ʒɔʁʒ kaʁ.pɑ̃ˈtje]; 12 January 1894 – 28 October 1975) 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. On his return to the ring in 1919, "le grand Georges" ("the great Georges" in English) he was celebrated as a symbol of a sporting powerhouse France, via performances in Great Britain and the United States of America. His knockout victory over Battling Levinsky on 12 October 1920 in Jersey City in the United States earned him the title of world champion. A defeat by Jack Dempsey the following year nevertheless strengthened his legend and brought him worldwide fame. This defeat marked the decline of his career, punctuated by the controversial loss of his titles to Battling Siki. Nicknamed the "Orchid Man", he stood 5 feet 11+1⁄2 inches (182 cm) and his fighting weight ranged from 147 to 175 pounds (67 to 79 kg). Later notable performances included a defeat by Gene Tunney. Carpentier ended his career in 1926, but remained a leading figure in French boxing. Appointed ambassador for French sport abroad after the Second World War, in which he took part in the French Air Force, Carpentier died of a heart attack in 1975. A decade after his death, the Parisian Sports Arena in the 13th arrondissement of Paris was renamed Halle Georges-Carpentier after him. Along with Marcel Cerdan, he remains one of France's best boxers.
2. Jean Despeaux (1915 - 1989)
With an HPI of 45.69, Jean Despeaux is the 2nd most famous French Boxer. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Jean Despeaux (22 October 1915 – 25 May 1989) was a French boxer who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1936 he won the gold medal in the middleweight class after winning the final against Henry Tiller. He also acted in a handful of films, including Maurice Tourneur's La Main du diable (1943), in which he played a boxer.
3. Paul Fritsch (1901 - 1970)
With an HPI of 44.17, Paul Fritsch is the 3rd most famous French Boxer. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Paul Fritsch (25 February 1901 – 22 September 1970) was a French featherweight professional boxer who competed in the early 1920s. In 1920 he became the first French boxer to win an Olympic title, defeating teammate Jean Gachet in the final, despite losing to Gachet at the national championships before the Olympics. After more than 300 amateur bouts, Fritsch turned professional in 1921. He fought approximately 100 more bouts, but never won a major title. He retired from boxing in 1929 due to a retinal detachment and became a car salesman.
4. Roger Michelot (1912 - 1993)
With an HPI of 42.66, Roger Michelot is the 4th most famous French Boxer. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Roger Michelot (8 June 1912 in Saint-Dizier, Haute-Marne – 19 March 1993) was a French boxer who competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics and the 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1936 he won the gold medal in the light heavyweight class after winning the final against Richard Vogt. Born in Saint-Dizier, Haute-Marne he also competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
5. Alexis Vastine (1986 - 2015)
With an HPI of 33.04, Alexis Vastine is the 5th most famous French Boxer. His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.
Alexis Vastine (17 November 1986 – 9 March 2015) was a French boxer who won a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the Light Welterweight division. He also competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics, where he was eliminated in the quarterfinals in a controversial decision. He died in the Villa Castelli helicopter collision during the filming of French TV reality show Dropped for the TF1 network.
6. Tony Yoka (1992 - )
With an HPI of 32.58, Tony Yoka is the 6th most famous French Boxer. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Anthony Victor James Yoka (born 28 April 1992) is a French professional boxer. As an amateur, he won a bronze medal at the 2015 European Games; and gold at the 2015 World Championships and 2016 Olympics.
7. Jérôme Thomas (1979 - )
With an HPI of 26.96, Jérôme Thomas is the 7th most famous French Boxer. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Jérôme Cedric Thomas (born 20 January 1979) is a French former boxer, he competed in the flyweight (– 51 kg) division as an amateur and as a bantamweight as a professional.
8. Sofiane Oumiha (1994 - )
With an HPI of 26.77, Sofiane Oumiha is the 8th most famous French Boxer. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Sofiane Oumiha (born 23 December 1994) is a French lightweight boxer. He won silver medals at the 2015 European Games and at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
9. Daouda Sow (1983 - )
With an HPI of 22.12, Daouda Sow is the 9th most famous French Boxer. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Daouda Sow (born 19 January 1983 in Roubaix) is an amateur boxer from France. He competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the lightweight division. Sow signed with the AIBA professional league, called AIBA Pro Boxing (APB), which launched in autumn of 2013.
Pantheon has 9 people classified as boxers born between 1894 and 1994. Of these 9, 4 (44.44%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living boxers include Tony Yoka, Jérôme Thomas, and Sofiane Oumiha. The most famous deceased boxers include Georges Carpentier, Jean Despeaux, and Paul Fritsch.
Living Boxers
Go to all Rankings
Tony Yoka
1992 - Present
HPI: 32.58
Jérôme Thomas
1979 - Present
HPI: 26.96
Sofiane Oumiha
1994 - Present
HPI: 26.77
Daouda Sow
1983 - Present
HPI: 22.12
Deceased Boxers
Go to all RankingsGeorges Carpentier
1894 - 1975
HPI: 50.32
Jean Despeaux
1915 - 1989
HPI: 45.69
Paul Fritsch
1901 - 1970
HPI: 44.17
Roger Michelot
1912 - 1993
HPI: 42.66
Alexis Vastine
1986 - 2015
HPI: 33.04
Which Boxers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 5 most globally memorable Boxers since 1700.
