Laurent Dauthuille

Laurent Dauthuille (February 20 1924 – July 10 1971) was a French boxer who competed from the 1940s to the 1950s. Born in France, he later embarked on a new chapter in his life, moving to Montreal, Canada. It was here that he gained the nickname "The Tarzan of Buzenval." Dauthuille's first 28 fights occurred in France, except for a draw against Luc van Dam in Amsterdam in August 1946.

Throughout his career, Dauthuille defeated notable fighters such as Jake LaMotta, Steve Belloise, Tony Janiro, Eugene Hairston, Norman Hayes, Johnny Greco, Paddy Young, Bobby Dawson, Tuzo Portuguez, Luc van Dam, and Robert Charron. However, it was his unanimous decision victory over Jake LaMotta in February 1949 at The Forum in Montreal that truly marked a turning point in his career, earning him a world title shot.

On September 13, 1950, Dauthuille faced his biggest challenge yet, as he challenged LaMotta for the world middleweight championship. He was ahead on all scorecards going into the final round, a testament to his skill and determination. However, a late flurry of punches from LaMotta, delivered with just 13 seconds left in the fight, turned the tide and knocked out Dauthuille. This bout was named Ring Magazine's Fight of the Year for 1950, a testament to the intensity and drama of the match.

Although Dauthuille fought 15 more times after his title shot, he never competed for a world championship again, despite a previous victory over LaMotta and a close points loss to Kid Gavilan nine months before the title fight.