Boxing / Criqui / Leonard / Thil / Déro / France / USA - Lot 14

Boxing / Criqui / Leonard / Thil / Déro / France / USA Robert Décremps, alias DÉRO (1920-2000) Set of 3 caricatures: Eugène Criqui alias "Gégène la Gueule cassée", Benny Leonard, Marcel Thil India ink on paper, signed, captioned 50 x 39 cm 3 original illustrations for Pierre Cangioni's "La Fabuleuse Histoire de la Boxe" (1977). Eugène Criqui (1893-1977), transformed into a bomber, was a puncher who won 53 of his 99 victories (in 130 fights) by KO. The little boxer who oscillated between cock and feather became a puncher for a living; with his jaw shattered in the battle of Les Eparges (1915), he had to hit before he was hit. He won the world title in the USA. Benny Leonard (1896-1947) was an astonishing lightweight, the successor to Gans. World lightweight champion from 1917 to 1925, Benny won 183 times in 217 fights. He followed in the tradition of great Jewish boxers begun by Daniel Mendoza (1764-1836). Marcel Thil (1904-1968), the middleweight from Reims, was a rock. It took him 8 years to get his chance at the top, becoming World Champion in 1932 against Gorilla Jones. Marcel-le-roc defended this title for 5 years, before losing it to injury (10th round) in 1937 against Fred Apostoli.