Collected as dead in a trench of Verdun in March 1915, Eugene Criqui becomes world champion lightweight eight years later by dethroning Johnny Kilbane New York. Gégène "broken face" takes his revenge against the fate that has transformed physically to make him a formidable puncher.
Eugene Criqui is a titi of Belleville, born August 15, 1893. He learned the trade of turner-fitter, rue de la Chapelle, while he discovers the noble art. Evening led by Professor Cuny, after noon at the factory, Criqui made his name by winning the Novice Tournament. He was seventeen, when he delivers his first professional fights in the ring of Wonderland directed by Theo Vienne and is quickly vibrate the public of the capital, particularly its first championship of France fly, February 14 1912,

Voirin, beating ten times.
Designer and king of evasion, the Parisian crosses the channel and surprised the British creators of boxing, beating Tom Smith in Birmingham. Yet he finds his master in the person of Charles Ledoux that causes a severe defeat on points, 11 July 1914, after having sent five times to the mat. Criqui ruminates his revance, but the career of one the Parisian public nicknamed "Gégène" should stop when the First World War is declared.
Mobilized the 54th Infantry Regiment at Compiegne, he went to the front Eparges, near Verdun. On the night of March 14, 1915, he is on duty in the trench of Calonne, when a bullet shattered his lower jaw before exiting through the neck. Several of his teeth are pulled out and his tongue is cut in half.
It is collected as sudden death and seven operations in a hospital in Lyon. The doctors pose a metal plate to consolidate its bruised jaw. But when it is finally on foot, Criqui has lost the use of the word. With the support of Dr. Sebencq
He finally found his voice after a long and hard work of rehabilitation.
Consequently, his desire to go back in the ring is stronger than anything. But Criqui "broken face", awarded the Croix de Guerre from the hands of Georges Clemenceau, knows that his chin has become a target that will not spare his opponents. "I then tried to develop my power, he says in the Official Boxing in 1947. I furnished the shoulders by training hard and I learned by helping me to hit shoulders, deltoids, kidneys and legs. "For him, there is more than a tactical strike faster and stronger first. A work force, Eugene Criqui is a terrible puncher. And his right wreaked havoc upon his return from combat, as noted by George Rubble, in the fourth round KO February 26, 1917.
From February 26, 1917 December 2, 1922, the "KO King" sign 53 wins in 55 fights (28 before the limit), captured the national title roosters taking revenge on Charles Ledoux, February 4, 1922 and becomes as popular as Georges Carpentier. The doors of the world championship pen open to him. On June 2, 1923 at the Polo Ground in New York, he faces Johnny Kilbane, Irish-American out of its reserve twenty months after his last successful defense of a world title he has held for eleven years. More mobile and better equipped, Criqui deals a final right hook to his opponent that falls in the sixth knocked back.
But the reign of the French lasts only 54 days. On July 26, on the same ring of the Polo Ground in New York, he gave up his crown to Johnny Dundee, who won the points after sleeping three times a Criqui whose right hand is broken. "Gégène" is therefore not the same when he suffered four consecutive defeats, including before Panama Al Brown and Gustave Humery. His career ended in March 1928, his record is 94 wins, including 40 before the limit in 115 battles. He was promoted to Officer of the Legion of Honor and ended his days in a blind home in Noisy-le-Grand, where it will turn off at the age of 84 years, 6 March 1977.

Recueilli comme mort dans une tranchée de Verdun en mars 1915, Eugène Criqui devient champion du monde des poids plume huit ans plus tard en détronant Johnny Kilbane à New-York. Gégène "gueule cassée" prend sa revanche contre le sort qui l'a transformé physiquement pour faire de lui un puncheur redoutable.
Eugène Criqui est un titi de Belleville, né le 15 août 1893. Il apprend le métier de tourneur-ajusteur, rue de la Chapelle, en même temps qu'il découvre le noble art. Entraîné le soir par le professeur Cuny, après avoir passé douze heures à l'usine, Criqui se fait un nom en remportant le Tournoi des Novices. Il a dix-sept ans, lorsqu'il livre ses premiers combats professionnels sur le ring du Wonderland dirigé par Théo Vienne et fait vite vibrer le public de la capitale, notamment lors de son premier titre de champion de France des mouche, le 14 février 1912,

en battant Voirin en dix reprises.
Styliste et roi de l'esquive, le Parisien traverse le channel et surprend les Britanniques, créateurs de la boxe, en battant Tom Smith à Birmingham. Il trouve pourtant son maître en la personne de Charles Ledoux qui lui inflige une dure défaite aux points, le 11 juillet 1914, après l'avoir envoyé cinq fois au tapis. Criqui rumine sa revance, mais la carrière de celui que le public parisien surnomme «Gégène» doit s'interrompre lorsque la première guerre mondiale est déclarée.
Mobilisé au 54e régiment d'infanterie à Compiègne, il monte au front aux Eparges, près de Verdun. La nuit du 14 mars 1915, il est de garde dans la tranchée de Calone, lorsqu'une balle fracasse sa mâchoire inférieure avant de ressortir par le cou. Plusieurs de ses dents sont arrachées et sa langue est tranchée en deux.
Il est recueilli comme mort et subit sept opérations dans un hopital de Lyon. Les médecins lui posent une plaque de métal pour consolider sa mâchoire meurtrie. Mais lorsqu'il est enfin sur pieds, Criqui a perdu l'usage de la parole. Grâce au soutien du docteur Sebencq
il retrouve enfin sa voix, après un long et dur travail de rééducation.
Dès lors, son envie de remonter sur un ring est plus forte que tout. Mais Criqui «gueule cassée», décoré de la Croix de Guerre des mains de Georges Clémenceau, sait que son menton est devenu une cible que ses adversaires n'épargneront pas. «J'ai alors cherché à développer ma puissance, déclare-t-il dans l'Officiel de la Boxe en 1947. Je me suis meublé les épaules par un entraînement assidu et j'ai appris à frapper en m'aidant des épaules, des deltoïdes, des reins et des jambes.» Pour lui, il n'existe plus qu'une tactique: frapper plus vite et plus fort le premier. A force de travail, Eugène Criqui devient un terrible puncheur. Et sa droite fait des ravages dès son combat de rentrée, comme le constate Georges Gravat, KO dans le 4e round le 26 février 1917.
Du 26 février 1917 au 2 décembre 1922, le «Roi du KO» signe 53 victoires en 55 combats (dont 28 avant la limite), s'empare du titre national des coqs en prenant sa revanche sur Charles Ledoux, le 4 février 1922 et devient aussi populaire que Georges Carpentier. Les portes du championnat du monde des plume s'ouvrent à lui. Le 2 juin 1923 au Polo Ground de New York, il fait face à Johnny Kilbane, l'Américain d'origine irlandaise sorti de sa réserve vingt mois après sa dernière défense victorieuse d'un titre mondial qu'il détient depuis onze ans. Plus mobile et mieux armé, Criqui assène un ultime crochet droit à son adversaire qui tombe KO dans la 6e reprise.
Mais le règne du Français ne dure que 54 jours. Le 26 juillet, sur le même ring du Polo Ground de New-York, il abandonne sa couronne à Johnny Dundee, vainqueur au points après avoir couché à trois reprises un Criqui dont la main droite est brisée. «Gégène» n'est dès lors plus le même lorsqu'il subit quatre défaites consécutives, notamment devant Panama Al Brown et Gustave Humery. Sa carrière se termine en mars 1928, son palmarès est de 94 victoires, dont 40 avant la limite, en 115 combats. Il est promu officier de la Légion d'Honneur et finit ses jours aveugle dans une maison de retraite de Noisy-le-Grand, où il s'éteind à l'âge de 84 ans, le 6 mars 1977.

The Bee, Danville , VA - 4 June 1923

CRIQUI NEW FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION; KNOCKED KILBANE
OUT IN SIXTH ROUND OF BOUT

A lithe-limbed panther like warrior of France, bearing the scars of the fight of fights, boxed and punched his way to dramatic victory and a world championship here today.

Eugene Criqui, who came back to the ring after his jaw had stopped a German bullet at Verdun seven years ago, rose to the greatest heights of his pugilistic career when he knocked out Johnny Kilbane, veteran American holder of the world's featherweight crown, in the sixth round of an International battle before a crowd estimated at 25,000 in the Polo grounds.

It was a battle of master ring men, Veterans of two continents, but in the end Criqui's greater stamina and ability carried him to triumph. Kilbane who had held the world title for 11 years had a shade the better of the defensive fighting, but at critical moments he was unable to stand the tide of Crlqui's cyclonic attack.

The finish came with sensational suddenness in the sixth round and when Kilbane's generalship appeared to have baffled Criqui's fiery onslaught. Time after time he had weathered a storm of rights and lefts to the head and body but Criqui was not to be denied. Starting from his corner in the sixth round with determination in his features he feinted, then whipped in a terrific left to the body that staggered the champion. Kilbane drew away, expecting another left, but Criqui shot in a right to the jaw and sent the American back on his heels and toppling to the canvass. At the count of six Kilbane tried to rise and succeeded in getting on one knee, but groggy and weak, he fell back as Referee Jack Appell tolled off the count of ten.

It was the second time in his long ring career that Kilbane had-been counted out.-In 1917, when at the height of this career as featherweight king he went out of his class to meets Benny Leonard, lightweight champion, and was knocked out in the third round.

Dramatic ringside scenes followed Criqui’s sudden triumph. The challenger himself, almost stunned by the quickness of, his victory was quickly seized by jubilant seconds. Freeing himself for a .moment, however, he rushed to the fallen title holder's corner and kissed Kilbane on each cheek.

Then as the crowd enthusiastically acclaimed the new champion, Criqui was carried from the ring by his manager and several comrades in uniform, who had escorted him, to the ring before the bout to the strains of the "Marseillaise,"

It was several minutes before the way back to the dressing room could be cleared. The principals in the most picturesque international boxing event, since the Jack Dempsey-Georges Carpentier battle two year ago, Kilbane and Criqui were a marked contrast.

The champion, gray haired and 34 was all smiles as he climbed through the ropes and went through the preliminary ceremonies .Criqui however, apparently in finely drawn conditions was silent and unmoved, a look of determination and his face such as It might have worn before the zero hour as he waited in the front line at Verdun in 1916
.
From the first tap of the gong, Criqui’s rugged aggressiveness gave hint of what was to come. Kilbane fought off the Frenchman's rushes cooly and cautiously in the first two rounds, preferring to spar at long range. He clinched repeatedly as Criqui tore in and blocked most of the challenger's rushes from a comparatively slow pace, Criqui plunged and worried the champion with a into a faster clip in the third round series of jabs and hooks to the head and body. Often the challenger missed his swings but his defense left the champion few openings. Kilbane, who was apparently fighting well within himself took the aggressive for a short time in the fourth.


He stung the Frenchman with shots to the jaw but the chin that had stopped a bullet proved a durable target and the challenger bored in unchecked. Criqui brought blood from Kilbane’s Nose in the fifth and jolted the champion with hooks to the jaw. Plainly worried Kilbane fought back gamely but found an impregnable defense.

The sixth was over almost before it started. Criqui’s fiery attack this time was not to be denied. His two punch assault sent the title holder down after one minute and 54 seconds of the round had elapsed. Criqui's victory was, clean cut and decisive but experts tonight were agreed that Kilbane had shown far from the form that won the featherweight crown for him in 1912 in a twenty round battle with Abe Attell at Los Angeles.

Defensively, Kilbane retained much of his old time skill but his stamina and punching power were not the same. His foot work from the start showed his legs did not have the strength-to carry him through a grueling championship contest. They failed him when he tried to rise after that stunning punch on. the jaw.

Criqui, whose victory gives him the place in France's pugilistic hall of fame from formerly held by Carpentier, has one of the most picturesque careers In ring history. Now 29 years old, he started boxing nearly fifteen years ago in his school boy days. He did not attain much prominence, however, and when the war came he was among the first to go to the front. The bullet that tore away part of his jaw at Verdun nearly cost him his life, but he recovered after a remarkable operation in which the bone of a sheep was grafted in place of the shattered bone.

Undaunted he again turned to the prize ring and after several years of battling, won his way to the European featherweight championship knocking out his two foremost rivals, Arthur Wyns , Belgian title holder, and Billy Matthews, English claimant.

The crowd was a big disappointment to promoters, barely a third of big National League Baseball Park being filled. The-upper grandstand lesser priced seats under cover, as well as the ringside section on the field, were sparsely occupied .Prospects of a big financial loss as a result of the poor attendance faced promoters. It was said. Receipts were estimated at $80,000 by Matchmaker Tom O'Rourke, While it was understood Kilbane was to receive $100,000 and Criqui $30,000. In addition expenses for other fighters and promotion were said to be high.
FIGHT BY ROUNDS
ROUND ONE
They met in a clinch from which Criqui broke with a light left to the ribs. Criqui was on the offensive but Kilbane was elusive. Kilbane pecked Criqui nose with straight, lefts. Criqui fought coolly and worked for an opening in the champion's defense. Kilbane hooked a light left to. the jaw.

ROUND TWO
Criqui was cautioned against hitting low. Criqui sent a straight left to ribs and hooked lightly to jaw. Criqui worked hard but had trouble getting inside Kilbane's defense. They exchanged light lefts to the jaw at the bell.

ROUND THREE
They started heavily and each landed a right to jaw. Kilbane smilingly held off the Frenchman and countered his swings with left taps. Kilbane was fighting a purely defensive battle. Criqui
swung heavy rights and lefts to head.

ROUND FOUR
Criqui forced the fighting and they engaged in a lively exchange to the head, Kilbane sent a straight left the chin and Criqui returned with a right to the head. They traded swinging rights to the head. They sparred for a bit. Kilbane was defending himself with open gloves.

ROUND FIVE
Criqui crossed a right to the chin as they fell into a clinch. Criqui hooked right and left to body. Kilbane stopped after straight lefts to stomach and left hook to jaw. Criqui was boring through the champion's defence. Criqui's blows snapped like a flash, and Kilbane aware of the danger, grew serious in his fighting. Kilbane spat blood.

ROUND SIX
Kilbane sent a, stiff right to the jaw, Criqui countering with a left to stomach which sent Kilbane against the ropes

I read a lot of the book about Eugene Criqui an incredible destiny j'ai lu plein de le livre qui parle Eugène Criqui un destin incroyable

have you read My Fighting Life by Carpenier, its very good

not this book

section of the book oui

you can download it from this link

http://www.archive.org/details/myfightinglife00carpgoog

merci

i have full scan of the boxing news edition pages