The Old Tin Shed - Sydney Stadium: August 2011

Eugene Criqui - he came, he saw, he conquered

Sid Godfrey on the left, Criqui on the right

Sydney Stadium became a Mecca for boxers from all over the world. One of the finest boxers to grace our shores was the great French featherweight world champion, Eugene Criqui. During a career that spanned eighteen years from 1910-1928, Criqui won 99 fights, losing only 17 along the way.

In 1920 and 1921, Criqui fought several times at The Old Tin Shed, beating such fine boxers as Vince Blackburn, Jackie Green, Bert Spargo, Sid Godfrey, Cabanella Dencio. and the plucky little boxer from the Philippines, Silvino Jamito.

· It was claimed his “steel” jaw, which was reconstructed after injury, made him impervious to punches on the chin.
· Famous fight with Sid Godfrey at the Stadium.
· Fought Bert Spargo, knocking him out in the 16th round. At that stage, Spargo was well ahead on points
· Epic contest with Cabanella Dencio.

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The early days of boxing at the old Sydney Stadium in Rushcutters Bay, is a project I first started working on in 1994! This blog will evolve slowly, and articles will be added in no particular order - I like tothink of it as rummaging through old cardboard boxes in an antique shop, never knowing whay you may find.

Although much has been written about Sydney Stadium, a large proportion of the 1,000 plus pages of handwritten notes, (only pencil was allowed in the Manuscript room at the State Library!) and photocopies of old articles and recollections, are from long defunct newspapers and boxing devotees sadly no longer with us.

Perhaps my opening sentence is a bit misleading. My original idea was - and still is - not to focus on the actual fights, but rather the numerous wonderful and colorful characters involved. It is about people rather than actual blow by blow descriptions - about times gone by and the impact, "The Old Tin Shed" had on Sydney's social, corporate and political life.

Here you will read about people you probably not have heard of before - but they all had lives and often wonderful tales to tell. There is sadness, triumph and inspiration.

Boxing fans will probably already know a lot about the boxers and the stadium , but I think I can honestly say, there will also be much that is new to them.

Nor will I focus entirely on Australian boxers. Overseas boxers such as the Prince Lochinvar of boxing, Jimmy Clabby and many other American, French and British boxers, played a vital role in the history of a stadium that until 1970, was an integral part of Sydney and its people.

Mike Hitchen