Marcel Cerdan: A Look Back at the “Casablanca Clouter”

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Marcel Cerdan was a French hero and is considered by many experts to be among the very best Middleweights who ever lived. Legendary boxing writer Bert Sugar ranked the “Casablanca Clouter” #23 on his top 100 pound for pound all-time boxers list, ahead of such all-time greats as Carlos Monzon, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Jake LaMotta.

Cerdan was born on July 22, 1916 in Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria, which was then under French control. The “Casablanca Clouter” turned professional on November 10, 1934 winning a 6 round decision over Marcel Bucchianeri in Meknes, Morocco. The stocky Cerdan, standing at 5’8’’, was a dangerous puncher with solid boxing skills. He won his first 45 professional fights and captured the French Welterweight title with a 12 round decision over Omar Koidri in February 1938. The “Casablanca Clouter” lost for the first time in his career by disqualification to Harry Craster in January 1939. He responded by reeling off 23 consecutive victories and winning the European Welterweight title with a 6th round stoppage of Koidri in May 1941.

In August 1942, Cerdan lost for the second time in his career, again disqualified in the 8th round against Victor Buttin. The “Casablanca Clouter” would not lose for another 8 years, winning his next 39 fights. In November 1945, Cerdan captured the French Middleweight title with a 3rd round knockout victory over Assaine Diouf. In July 1946, Cerdan captured a 10 round unanimous decision victory over fellow legend and hall of famer Holman Williams, his biggest win to date. Five months later, in December 1946, the “Casablanca Clouter” made his debut on American soil, capturing a 10 round decision over Middleweight contender Georgie Abrams at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

In February 1947, Cerdan captured the European Middleweight title with a 1st round knockout victory over Leon Fouquet. In May 1948, he lost for the first time in almost six years dropping a disputed 15 round decision to Belgian contender Cyrille Delannoit. The “Casablanca Clouter” gained revenge less than two months later, in July 1948, winning the rematch by a 15 round decision.

This earned him a Middleweight title shot against the “Man of Steel” Tony Zale in September 1948. Cerdan came in as a 2-1 underdog according to the odds makers. In what Ring Magazine would later name as the “Fight of the Year”, these two all-time great Middleweights waged war over 11 brutal rounds. The “Man of Steel” was game but the “Casablanca Clouter” was just too strong and powerful, tagging Zale time and again with powerful left hooks and right crosses. The “Man of Steel” was exhausted by the 11th. Cerdan unleashed a vicious assault at the end of the round which left Zale defenseless along the ropes. One final left hook from the “Casablanca Clouter” sent the “Man of Steel” crumbling to his knees as the bell rang. Zale had to be carried back to his corner. He would not answer the bell for the 12th. Marcel Cerdan was now the Middleweight Champion of the World!

After two non-title victories, Cerdan defended his Middleweight championship against the “Bronx Bull” Jake Lamotta in June 1949. Cerdan severely injured his left shoulder when he fell to the canvas in the first round. From there, the “Casablanca Clouter” was essentially a one-armed fighter, barely able to use his left. Cerdan never backed down and tried to hold the “Bronx Bull” off with his right. However, no one-armed man, even one as good as the “Casablanca Clouter’, was good enough to hold off the animal that was Jake Lamotta. Eventually the pain in Cerdan’s shoulder became too much to bear and he was forced to retire in the corner after the 9th round. After a reign of just 9 short months, Marcel Cerdan had been dethroned as Middleweight Champion.

Cerdan signed to face Lamotta in a rematch but unfortunately fate would intervene. On October 28, 1949, Cerdan boarded a plan to New York to meet his lover, famous French singer Edith Piaf when tragically the plane he was on crashed into the Azores killing everyone on board including the “Casablanca Clouter”. His fans mourned his death and Piaf would never be the same. Over the ensuing years she was plagued with addictions to alcohol and morphine and died herself, tragically, of liver cancer at the young age of 47 in October 1963.

Over the course of a 14 year career, Cerdan had an outstanding record of 111-4, 65 KOs. His legendary record becomes even more impressive when one looks more closely at his four losses. The “Casablanca Clouter” lost two bouts by disqualification against clearly inferior opponents. His third loss to Delannoit was hotly disputed and Cerdan’s final loss, to Lamotta, was impacted by injury. One could argue the “Casablanca Clouter” was never cleanly beaten in a 115 bout career. Marcel Cerdan’s championship reign was brief and he didn’t face the breadth and depth of opposition that some other legends did. However, he certainly accomplished enough in his career to go down as an all-time great.