Marcel Thil (29 May 1904 – 14 August 1968) was a French boxer and middleweight world champion. Statistical boxing website BoxRec rates Thil as the second-best European boxer ever across all weight divisions, after Joe Calzaghe. All-Time Pound-for-Pound Rankings (Europe). BoxRec.com. Retrieved on 2020-05-16.

Early life Thil was born in Saint-Dizier, a commune in the Haute-Marne department in north-eastern France. He started boxing at a very young age and turned professional at the age of 16. Thil was a journeyman boxer for a number of years but as he gained experience and matured to his optimal power, he developed strength in both hands and began to win regularly by knockout (KO).

Career Thil won the French middleweight boxing championship in 1928 and captured the Europe title the following year. After losing his European championship in 1930, Thil won his next 15 fights and then defeated Gorilla Jones by a controversial 11th-round disqualification to capture the National Boxing Association (NBA) world middleweight championship and the vacant International Boxing Union (IBU) world middleweight championship on June 11, 1932, in Paris, France. With his championship victory, Thil became the toast of Paris. He was a major celebrity and a good friend of the celebrated actor Jean Gabin.

Thil successfully defended the title on July 4, 1932, with a 15-round unanimous decision against Len Harvey, but then went more than a year without a title defense. Thil was stripped by the NBA for failing to make a title defense by August 15, 1933, but he remained the IBU champion.

On May 22, 1933, Thil won against German Jewish refugee Eric Seelig, former holder of the German middleweight and light heavyweight championships, at the Palais de Sports in Paris, in a twelve-round points decision. By a few accounts, the bout was for the world title, but the boxers were overweight according to Le Petit Parisien. On January 29, 1934, Seelig fought Marcel Thil again in Paris, losing in a twelve-round points decision.

In addition to defending the IBU middleweight championship, Thil moved up a weight class to win the European light-heavyweight title in 1934. He would successfully defend the title once.

After successfully defending the IBU and Ring Magazine middleweight titles 11 times, Thil fought Fred Apostoli in a non-title bout on September 23, 1937, in New York City. It was a non-title affair because the New York State Athletic Commission, which recognized Freddie Steele as the world middleweight champion, said they would sanction the fight only if Thil agreed not to put his championship on the line. Apostoli won by a 10th-round technical knockout (TKO). The fight was stopped due to a severe cut over the right eye of Thil, who was ahead on points at the time of the stoppage. Shortly after the loss, the 33-year-old Thil retired from boxing vacating his titles.Fred Apostoli: Boxing Bellhop. The Boxing Register. Retrieved on 2014-09-27.

Later life and death Thil remained active in the world of boxing as an adviser and cornerman and was named honorary president of the Dieppe Boxing Club. He made a living with a company in Reims until he retired to a home in Cannes on the French Riviera.

Thil died at his home in Cannes on August 14, 1968, at the age of 64. Over the last couple years of his life, he was involved in two car accidents, from which he never fully recovered. Thil is buried in the Grand Jas Cemetery.Death Takes Marcel Thil. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved on 2014-09-27.

Honors Marcel Thil was posthumously inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame at Canastota, New York in 2005. In France, a street was named in his honor in his birthplace of Saint-Dizier, and both a street and a sports stadium carry his name in the city of Reims.

Professional boxing record

ResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateLocationNotes136LossFred ApostoliTKO10 (15)Sep 23, 1937135Win106–19–10Lou BrouillardDQ6 (15)Feb 15, 1937134Win105–19–10Lou BrouillardDQ4 (15)Jan 20, 1936133Win104–19–10Lou BrouillardUD12Nov 25, 1935132Win103–19–10Al DiamondPTS10Oct 28, 1935131Win102–19–10Kid TuneroUD15Jul 13, 1935130Win101–19–10Carmelo CandelUD15Jun 28, 1935129Win100–19–10Ignacio AraUD15Jun 1, 1935128Win99–19–10Vilda JaksTKO14 (15)May 4, 1935127Win98–19–10Jock McAvoyUD15Jan 14, 1935126Win97–19–10Tino RolandoPTS10Nov 12, 1934125Draw96–19–10Carmelo CandelPTS15Oct 15, 1934124Win96–19–9Clemente MeroniPTS10Aug 5, 1934123Win95–19–9Rene De VosPTS10Jul 15, 1934122Win94–19–9Oddone PiazzaPTS10Jun 27, 1934121Win93–19–9Adolf WittTKO8 (15)Jun 11, 1934120Win92–19–9Gustave RothMD15May 3, 1934119Win91–19–9Jose Martinez de AlfaraDQ13 (15)Mar 26, 1934118Win90–19–9Ignacio AraUD15Feb 26, 1934117Win89–19–9Eric SeeligPTS12Jan 29, 1934116Win88–19–9Kid TuneroUD15Oct 2, 1933115Win87–19–9Jack EtiennePTS10Sep 15, 1933114Win86–19–9Eric SeeligPTS12May 22, 1933113Win85–19–9Louis VauclardTKO6 (?)Mar 8, 1933112Win84–19–9Jack EtiennePTS10Feb 25, 1933111Loss83–19–9Kid TuneroUD12Jan 16, 1933110Win83–18–9Charles Van HaeckeKO2 (10)Dec 25, 1932109Win82–18–9Charles Van HaeckeTKO5 (?)Dec 9, 1932108Win81–18–9Ignacio AraPTS10Dec 5, 1932107Win80–18–9Len JohnsonRTD8 (10)Oct 31, 1932106Win79–18–9Len HarveyPTS15Jul 4, 1932105Win78–18–9Gorilla JonesDQ11 (15)Jun 11, 1932104Win77–18–9Jack HoodTKO7 (12)Mar 21, 1932103Win76–18–9Jimmy TaranteUD10Feb 22, 1932102Win75–18–9Franz BojaKO1 (10)Jan 20, 1932101Win74–18–9Amedee DubusTKO4 (10)Dec 12, 1931100Win73–18–9Pietro ToscaniDQ3 (10)Dec 1, 193199Win72–18–9Jack Kid CaseyPTS10Nov 9, 193198Win71–18–9Hermann KlintzTKO4 (10)Oct 26, 193197Win70–18–9Tom BenjaminKO8 (10)Sep 24, 193196Win69–18–9Gheorghe AxiotiPTS10Sep 5, 193195Win68–18–9Vince DundeeUD12Jul 10, 193194Win67–18–9Felix SportielloTKO8 (10)Jun 18, 193193Win66–18–9Emile LebrizeTKO5 (12)Apr 15, 193192Win65–18–9Alexis MarinUD12Feb 14, 193191Win64–18–9Andre DhainautKO9 (12)Jan 11, 193190Win63–18–9Pierre GandonPTS12Dec 10, 193089Loss62–18–9Mario BosisioPTS15Nov 23, 193088Win62–17–9Motzi SpakowKO7 (12)Nov 1, 193087Win61–17–9Emile RomerioPTS10Sep 6, 193086Win60–17–9Ali SadekTKO6 (?)Jul 27, 193085Win59–17–9Alfred PegazzanoPTS15Mar 12, 193084Win58–17–9Alexis MarinPTS12Jan 29, 193083Win57–17–9Eugene CorsinTKO4 (?)Jan 18, 193082Win56–17–9Charles KrauchiTKO6 (?)Dec 27, 192981Loss55–17–9Fred ShawPTS15Nov 5, 192980Win55–16–9Alfred PegazzanoPTS12Oct 16, 192979Win54–16–9Alexis MarinTKO4 (10)May 15, 192978Win53–16–9Leone JacovacciPTS15Mar 27, 192977Win52–16–9Yvan LaffineurKO2 (12)Mar 12, 192976Win51–16–9Yvan LaffineurPTS12Jan 8, 192975Win50–16–9Billy FarmerKO1 (10)Dec 5, 192874Win49–16–9Orlando LeopardiTKO3 (?)Nov 17, 192873Win48–16–9Joe BloomfieldKO2 (12)Nov 2, 192872Win47–16–9Marcel ThuruTKO1 (10)Oct 12, 192871Win46–16–9Pierre GandonKO5 (10)Sep 19, 192870Win45–16–9Ted MooreTKO7 (?)Sep 3, 192869Win44–16–9Guardsman George WestKO5 (15)Jul 23, 192868Win43–16–9Orlando LeopardiPTS12Jul 9, 192867Win42–16–9Laurie RaiteriTKO8 (?)Jun 10, 192866Win41–16–9Andy NewtonTKO10 (20)May 21, 192865Win40–16–9Daniel ArnaudKO2 (?)Apr 21, 192864Loss39–16–9Len HarveyPTS15Dec 12, 192763Loss39–15–9Jack HoodPTS15Nov 28, 192762Draw39–14–9Guardsman George WestPTS15Nov 2, 192761Loss39–14–8Leone JacovacciKO10 (?)Oct 28, 192760Loss39–13–8Joe BloomfieldPTS12Oct 3, 192759Win39–12–8Bob YoussefPTS10Sep 19, 192758Win38–12–8Joe BloomfieldPTS15Aug 29, 192757Win37–12–8Marcel ForgeonKO7 (10)Jul 28, 192756Loss36–12–8Billy FarmerPTS15Jun 13, 192755Win36–11–8Andy NewtonRTD9 (?)May 3, 192754Draw35–11–8Maurice ForgeonPTS10Feb 13, 192753Win35–11–7Battling MatharPTS10Feb 5, 192752Win34–11–7Emile ChristyPTS10Jan 25, 192751Win33–11–7Antonio GabiolaTKO9 (10)Dec 21, 192650Draw32–11–7Guillermo ArnauPTS10Nov 23, 192649Loss32–11–6Leone JacovacciPTS10Nov 18, 192648Loss32–10–6Raoul DumondinPTS10Nov 6, 192647Draw32–9–6Jean ForrPTS10Oct 23, 192646Win32–9–5Kid NomoPTS10Oct 17, 192645Win31–9–5Young TravetKO6 (?)Aug 22, 192644Loss30–9–5Kid NitramPTS10Aug 8, 192643Loss30–8–5Tomas ThomasPTS10Jul 15, 192642Win30–7–5Young TravetTKO1 (10)Jun 6, 192641Win29–7–5Louis CitonyPTS8Apr 12, 192640Loss28–7–5Gaston LafontPTS10Apr 8, 192639Win28–6–5Eugene FleuritPTS8Mar 1, 192638Draw27–6–5Maurice ForgeonPTS8Feb 14, 192637Loss27–6–4Gaston LafontPTS10Feb 12, 192636Win27–5–4Maurice ForgeonPTS10Feb 9, 192635Draw26–5–4Enrico VittorioPTS10Jan 31, 192634Win26–5–3Theo DussartPTS10Jan 9, 192633Win25–5–3Raymond KlaussTKO1 (10)Nov 6, 192532Win24–5–3Pierre LambinetPTS10Oct 20, 192531Win23–5–3Jean AndreTKO3 (?)Oct 7, 192530Win22–5–3Jean FillionKO2 (?)Aug 31, 192529Win21–5–3Georges MorganKO2 (?)Aug 1, 192528Win20–5–3Enrico VittorioPTS10Jul 27, 192527Win19–5–3Daniel DaneyPTS8Jun 1, 192526Win18–5–3Max PlouvierKO3 (?)May 25, 192525Win17–5–3Paul SiterreKO6 (10)Apr 26, 192524Loss16–5–3Maurice ForgeonTKO7 (?)Apr 8, 192523Win16–4–3Eugene FleuritKO2 (?)Feb 10, 192522Win15–4–3Albert MichaudKO3 (?)Nov 1, 192421Win14–4–3Henri CreKO? (?)Sep 1, 192420Loss13–4–3Gaston LafontPTS10Jul 1, 192419Win13–3–3Saint MarcelliKO4 (?)Jun 1, 192418Win12–3–3Saint MarcelliPTS6May 25, 192417Win11–3–3Henri BenoitPTS6May 24, 192416Win10–3–3TabartPTS8Apr 27, 192415Win9–3–3ChambonTKO7 (?)Apr 1, 192414Win8–3–3ChambonPTS8Mar 7, 192413Win7–3–3Feodor NikolaeffPTS8Feb 15, 192412Draw6–3–3Joe BattPTS8Feb 1, 192411Win6–3–2Edouard MauconduitPTS8Dec 24, 192310Loss5–3–2Eugene AlonzoPTS8Nov 7, 19239Loss5–2–2Eugene AlonzoPTS6Oct 7, 19238Win5–1–2MotschTKO3 (6)Sep 16, 19237Win4–1–2Enrico VittorioPTS6Jul 15, 19236Win3–1–2Edouard MauconduitTKO4 (?)May 1, 19235Win2–1–2Louis Le BihanPTS8Mar 1, 19234Loss1–1–2Pierre MilesicPTS6Jan 1, 19233Draw1–0–2PiersonPTS4Oct 7, 19222Win1–0–1Andre FranotTKO2 (4)May 25, 19221Draw0–0–1PiersonPTS4May 7, 1922

References

External links

International Boxing Hall of Fame