Battling Siki: A Tale of Ring Fixes, Race, and Murder in the 1920s

This is the story of the first African World Boxing Champion, Battling Siki.In the 1920's, a World Title was an honor reserved for the very few. Most fighters would toil at their craft for seventy five to eighty fights before even getting an opportunity to fight for a title. There were only eight weight classifications, and only one title holder per weight class. A world title meant instant fame, adoration and an opportunity for long lasting wealth.Battling Siki was a Sengelese National when he received a crack at the Frenchman Georges Carpentier's light-heavyweight title. Ostensibly, this fight was to be a fix in which the Frenchman was scripted to retain his title via knockout. However, Carpentier began firing some of his punches in earnest, angering Siki, who began punishing the Frenchman, until he knocked him out.Thus began an oddysey for Siki, who lost his title in a dubious decision, and came to America to earn his living.One of the beautiful things about boxing is how great fighters become trainers, and pass the lore on for generations and keep stories alive. Champions like Joe Gans and Archie Moore, and as of late, Buddy McGirt impart history to their protege's and keep the memory of boxings greats fresh.Here, the author actually lived in West Africa, and began his research there. This is a well researched, documented and chronicled book, and a subject in which the author has developed a great passion.I remember reading about Siki in a Ring magazine story as a teenager, and seeing a picture of a well built black man in a top hat with a cane strolling down a Manhattan boulevard. The story spoke of how the media conspired to turn his legacy into a joke.The author flushes out a story of a man who was a fierce warrior in the ring, and a happy-go-lucky man outside of it. Revisionist history has brought Siki to light in a different way as Light-Heavyweight champion as a man to be respected and revered. Had his career been managed differently, he may have been regarded in the second tier of the elite in the division, behind such greats as Gene Tunney, Billy Conn, Archie Moore, Bob Foster,Michael Spinks and Roy Jones (not necessarily in any order).This is a story any true boxing history fan should read for a more thorough understanding of boxing's dark side. Through it all, Siki's courage, and buoyance shines through.

An oftentimes flamboyant light-heavyweight boxer has waited years for a title shot. Of Senegalese heritage, he had his ring career interrupted by World War I, where he earned honors in a unit that was used mostly as fodder by the French generals. His opponent is also a decorated veteran and - if not for the war - may have been the "Great White Hope" in the apartheid-game to dethrone heavyweight great Jack Johnson.But the match has a twist from a proposed fix. The challenger, Battling Siki, is supposed to take a dive, actually suffering a "knockout" by falling to the canvas and thrusting his arms out as if he was crucified. Siki tries hard to fake the match, but pride takes over and he floors Georges Carpentier to win the title - the first world title by an African fighter - in a decision wracked with controversy and gamblers screaming about being double-crossed.Author Peter Benson takes the reader on a journey into alphabet-soup boxing organizations in Europe, American mob-backed fighters, trainers, promoters and sportswriters, a contender with ties to the KKK, overt racism, the art of the fix and the battle waged by a great athlete in a blood-sport that was not only in the ring.Within months after winning the title, Battling Siki loses a title defense in a decison to a white fighter in Dublin on St. Patrick's Day during the Irish Civil War and then traveled to the United States in pursuit of another world title match. And what he got was an inept manager, no trainer, many brutal fights and his indelible pride not letting him take a seat on the canvas. And because of that, Battling Siki was gunned down on a street in Hell's Kitchen in New York City.Benson brings to life a fighter who has had his life defined by the racist disinformation campaign that did not rest upon his death. It is not solely a boxing biography, though Benson's descriptions of several matches literally places the reader in the ring, feeling the shots and tasting the blood from the open cuts.Battling Siki fought many forces that were evil and though many may say he ultimately lost in the end, Benson shows a man who stared down these cowards and could only be cut down with bullets through his back.

I have bought dozens of boxing biographies in the past and can truly say that this is one of the best that I have ever read.The author does not waste time painting a picture of the era that is meant for novice boxing historians, he dives right into the subject material head first.I wish Peter Benson would write another book... Chuck Wiggins, Ad Wolgast and Tommy Morrison are all subjects begging for a book to be written about them.Peter, I sincerely thank you for this amazing piece of work.

Very well done ! I actually wasn't expecting this to be as good as it turned out to be . The author spent a great deal of time researching this boxers past and the entire period of the 1920's on more than one continent . The book is quite long, and I couldn't wait to pick it up every evening to read . Excellently written.

Decent read on the very interesting Battling Siki. Slow at times but otherwise a decent read.

Excellent research on a long-forgotten figure in the history of boxing -- and a social revolutionary in his own right. His life reads like a novel, yet changed France forever.

Like the author of this book I was also an avid boxing fan from an early age.My first boxing book bought for me at the age of 11.I remember the story of Battlin Siki well because he was a very colourfull character,and his controversial title fight with Georges Carpentier is easy to remember due to its strangeness Siki boxing timidly and being knocked down by what were descibed as taps before turning into tiger and demolishing Carpentier in round 6 .Or I thought I knew the story untill reading Mr Bensons excellent book.He tells a story not just about boxing but of the times they were living in.Mr Benson also gives an interesting view towards the end of the book as to why so many top boxers appeared to die in strange circumstances at still very young ages.After finishing the book I felt a great sadness and also anger at the way Siki had been treated in his life .The book reveals all is not what it seems not untill you delve deeper.

Amazing book.

This book is a good account of the fight career of Battling Siki, however it fails completely to give any insight into the life story and personality of the man himself.

I bought this a a present and the recipient was thrilled with its condition and content. I would not hesitate to recommend it.