It’s something of a cliché to label a commentator “the voice of” whatever sport they are most associated with, but few will argue that Harry Carpenter was the voice of boxing.
Carpenter passed away on Saturday but his legacy as a boxing commentator will remain fresh in the minds of fight fans everywhere. Every major bout staged from when he joined the BBC in 1949 up until he retired in 1994 had Carpenter’s unique stamp on it and some of his lines are as memorable as the action itself.
Of course many people will remember Carpenter for his somewhat comic relationship with Frank Bruno who’s “Know what I mean ‘Arry” catchphrase was a common utterance around the UK in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, and gained lasting fame after being spoofed on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. The two became something of a double act making public appearances together and there was genuine affinity between the pair.
From the “Rumble in the Jungle” to Bruno v Mike Tyson, Carpenter’s iconic commentary supplemented the excitement of an event and his superior word-play captivated audiences. It’s impossible to remember the closing stages of that great Muhammad Ali and George Foreman tussle without thinking of Carpenter’s immortal words,
“Suddenly Ali looks very tired indeed. In fact Ali, at times now, looks as though he can barely lift his arms up . . . Oh, he's got him with a right hand! He's got him! Oh, you can't believe it. And I don't think Foreman's going to get up. He's trying to beat the count. And he's out! Oh my God, he's won the title back at 32!”
Of course Carpenter was first and foremost a boxing fan; he had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the sport and would often get caught up in the action. When his good friend Bruno was fighting Tyson, Carpenter had a moment of partiality and cried out "Get in there, Frank."
Carpenter also turned his microphone in the direction of tennis, golf and rowing among other sports. Like so many other commentators was prone to the odd faux pas with quite the comical effect. Some of his classic gaffs include,
“Magri has to do well against the unknown Mexican, who comes from a famous family of five boxing brothers.
“Ah, isn't that nice - the wife of the Cambridge president is kissing the cox of the Oxford crew.
“We haven't had any more rain since it stopped raining.”
The tributes have been led by the great and good of the boxing community and none were more poignant than the words of former world champion Foreman who stated: "We all knew if there was going to be some class in boxing, someone who really brought out boxing and the human being probably, it would be Harry - great Harry,"
Foreman has about summed it up, Carpenter was class personified and brought dignity and honour to a sport so often pulled through the mangle.
So boxing has lost one of its most iconic figures. Carpenter will be remembered as a true gent, a fine wordsmith and a world class orator. He was as enthusiastic in his first fight as he was in his last and he will forever be fondly remembered by boxing fans.
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