Gogea Mitu
Dumitru Stefanescu (September 15, 1909 – June 8, 1936), better known as Gogea Mitu,[1] was a Romanian professional boxer and the tallest Romanian in history (followed by Ghita Mureșan). Mitu is also listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the tallest professional boxer.[2]
| Gogea Mitu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Dumitru Stefanescu |
| Nickname(s) | Giant of Mârsani, Goliath of Romania |
| Weight(s) | Heavyweight |
| Height | 2.36 m (7 ft 9 in) (unverified) |
| Nationality | Romanian |
| Born | September 15, 1909 Mârsani, Dolj County, Sud-Vest Oltenia, Romania |
| Died | June 8, 1936 (aged 26) Bucharest, Bucharest-Ilfov, Romania |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 2 |
| Wins | 2 |
| Wins by KO | 2 |
| Losses | 0 |
Biography
Mitu was born in Mârsani, near Craiova, in 1909, the oldest of eleven children, his mother being only 16 when she delivered him.[3] Mitu became world-famous because of his enormous stature. He is listed with various heights, among them 2.36 m (7 ft 9 in),[4] 2.42 m (7 ft 11 1⁄2 in),[5] 2.44 m (8 ft 0 in) and 2.49 m (8 ft 2 in).
Because of these characteristics he was very sought after by doctors and scientists who wanted to know the reason for his gigantism and by people who wanted to profit from his stature. It was said that he was highly intelligent; despite not going to school, he learned to read by himself at the age of three, as he had the stature of a five — six year old child.[3] By age 17 he had become so famous that a circus owner from Prague offered him a job, to be presented as a human rarity.[3] He also presented shows at the Globus Circus in Monaco. His circus career was brief, but very fortuitous, because he was spotted by the successful Italian boxer and talent scout Umberto Lancia, who taught Mitu how to box and later became his manager.[3] Gogea Mitu went to Paris to attend the famous Paris School for Boxing and after graduating he started his boxing career. He also had a brother named Tudorel, but he died at the age of seven. He was 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) tall.[4]
Boxing career
His first boxing match took place on the Stadionul Venus in Bucharest and his opponent was the experienced Italian boxer Saverio Grizzo. Mitu won by knockout in the first round.[3] His second fight was against former Romanian heavyweight champion Dumitru Pavelescu, which Mitu won again by knockout in the first round. It was also Mitu's last fight as a professional boxer.[3]
Death
Returning from Istanbul to Bucharest by train, he caught a cold and his manager suggested that before going home to Mârșani, he should remain in Bucharest for a few days to recover, but his condition got worse, and he was taken to "Filantropia" Hospital, where he later got poisoned.[3] On June 8, 1936, he died due to tuberculosis at the age of 26.
Professional boxing record
| 2 fights | 2 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 2 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Win | 2–0 |  |
KO | 1 (10) | Oct 27, 1935 | |
|
| 1 | Win | 1–0 |  |
KO | 1 (6) | Jun 7, 1935 | |
References
- Jay, Phil (January 15, 2020). "Iranian Hulk, Taishan, Mitu, Valuev - Boxing Fascinated with the Freakish". World Boxing News. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
- Donald McFarlan, David A. Boeh, Norris Dewar McWhirter (1990). Guinness Book of World Records 1990 (28 ed.). Sterling. p. 464. ISBN 9780806957906. Retrieved 2009-02-02.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
- "GIGANTUL ROMÂNIEI". Venera Dumitrescu-Staia (in Romanian). Agero magazine. Archived from the original on 2008-11-07. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
- "Cine a fost cu adevărat Gogea Mitu?" (in Romanian). Retrieved April 14, 2014.
- "Misterul mortii celui mai inalt roman din istorie! Gogea Mitu a trait in 4 ani cat altii in 100! A fost UCIS de mafia din box?" (in Romanian). Retrieved April 14, 2014.