Gratien Tonna

Biography

Gratien Tonna personified Marseilles' tough boxing tradition, emerging from his Tunisian birthplace to become one of France's most imposing middleweights of the 1970s. The 5'9½" orthodox fighter, born to a Maltese father and first cousin to future WBC flyweight champion Charlie Magri, transitioned from street fighting to organized boxing when a Tunis gym owner recognized his raw potential.

Arriving in Marseilles in 1967 with minimal education, Tonna's fighting ability offered his clearest path forward. His professional career, spanning 1970-1985, opened explosively with 13 consecutive knockouts within five rounds. This power-punching style, combined with remarkable durability, established him as a fan favorite and earned him significant purses.

Tonna's championship trajectory included the French middleweight title (1974-1979) and European championship, secured by outpointing Kevin Finnegan in May 1975. His most significant victory came in September 1977, stopping future world champion Alan Minter on cuts in eight rounds during a European title defense. His world title opportunities - against Rodrigo Valdes (WBC, 1974) and Carlos Monzon (WBA, 1975) - ended in controversy and knockout respectively.

His final record of 46-11 (37 KOs) included two distinct phases - his prime years through 1980 and an ill-advised 1984-85 comeback prompted by financial necessity, ending with consecutive first-round losses. Post-boxing, Tonna's life reflected Marseilles' harsh realities - surviving an  attempted shooting and serving two years of a reduced ten-year sentence for vehicular homicide of a police officer.

A 2019 profile found him living near his daughter's bar, having exchanged his once wealthy lifestyle for living in a mobile home. Notably, despite his aggressive fighting style, he refused to train boxers, unable to watch young fighters absorb punishment. His only expressed regret centered on the disputed ending of the Valdes title fight, which still troubled him decades later.