James Walter Carter (December 15, 1923 – September 21, 1994) was a three-time Undisputed World Lightweight Champion between 1951 and 1955. His managers included Jimmy Roche and Willie Ketchum. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2000. Carter's loss to Lauro Salas in 1952 and his loss to Paddy DeMarco in 1954 were each named Ring Magazine upset of the year. His professional record was 80-31-9 with 32 knockouts.
Early life
James Walter Carter was born on December 15, 1923, in Aiken, South Carolina, but his family moved to New York when he was nine. Carter began to use his fists defending himself on the streets of Harlem, but later received training at a Catholic Boys Club, making his amateur debut at the age of fourteen.
In his first title defense before 7,251 fans on November 14, 1951, he went up against Art Aragon at the Olympic Stadium in Los Angeles, winning in a fifteen-round unanimous decision. Aragon was down in both the sixth and fifteenth rounds, but claimed after the fight that a left to his jaw in the twelfth is what finally did him in.
Taking the World Lightweight Championship for the second time, October 1952
Carter took the World Lightweight Championship for a second time on October 15, 1952, against Mexican national Lauro Salas in a fifteen around unanimous decision at the Chicago Stadium before a small crowd of 5,283.
On April 24, 1953, he staged a title defense against Tommy Collins before a substantial crowd of 12,477 at Boston Garden, winning in a fourth-round TKO. Collins' corner men ended the fight after their boxer had been knocked to the canvas ten times in the final two rounds. Both the TV audience and the crowd, who were largely fans of Collins, protested the continuation of such a brutal, and one sided bout. He next fought George Araujo on June 12, 1953, in a lightweight world title bout at Madison Square Garden, winning in a thirteenth-round TKO.
Taking the World Lightweight Championship for third and final time, November 1954
On November 17, 1954, Carter took the lightweight championship back from Paddy DeMarco in a fifteen-round TKO at the Cow Palace, in Daily City, California. DeMarco was down in the ninth and fourteenth rounds. Carter had lost his title to DeMarco only seven months earlier.
Carter died of a heart attack on September 21, 1994, at the age of 70.