The Official Pete Sanstol Web Site
Second Title Defense: Eugene Huat

The World's Most Popular Norwegian Athletes
Sonja Henie and Pete Sanstol

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Huat was truly One of the Great "Golden-Age" Bantamweight Boxers of Yesteryear. He was born February 8, 1907, in Rheims, France. He had been fighting professionally since 1926. By the end of 1930, Huat had amassed a record of 30 wins (15 by KO), five losses, and one draw - according to the 1931 Everlast Boxing Record. He would continue for years to fight HIS best against many of the best fighters in the World. Eugene Huat deserves eventual induction into one of the two current world boxing halls of fame.

All the following accounts are from Montreal's The Gazette newspaper:

Just what Eugene Huat possesses in a boxing way will be on display Friday afternoon at Raoul Godbout's outdoor gymnasium.

The red-haired French bantam who fights Pete Sanstol for the bantam crown bestowed on the Norwegian dynamo by the Athletic Commission of Montreal at the Forum on Wednesday night next, will do his first boxing on that date. Arriving in Montreal yesterday, he limited his afternoon work at the east end emporium to calisthenics, bag punching, and light drill.

Huat arrived with one eye blackened around the outer fringe and badly bloodshot, the result of colliding with the hard head of Micky Walker in a sparring contest at Gus Wilson's Orangeburg training camp where Walker has been preparing for his battle tonight with Jack Sharkey.

The little challenger for Sanstol's title is of remarkable physical build. He has the broad shoulders of a lightweight and in these he undoubtedly packs the rugged punch which enabled him to knock out "Spider" Pladner, Frenchy Belanger, and other foemen. [Our Note: The New York City newspaper, The World, reported on June 21, 1929, that the former Flyweight World Champion, Emile "Spider" Pladner of France, was in a coma in a Paris hospital after Huat had knocked him down 18 times before the referee stopped the bout in the 15th round. Pladner would fully recover, and later challenged Al Brown himself in a title match, but lost. Pete was taking on another formidable challenger. "No easy fights for me!"] But he tapers down sharply from broad shoulders to a wasp-like waist and spidery legs.

With Huat came a sparring partner, Georgie Hackett, and the famous trainer, Gus Wilson. [Wilson had been the trainer for Jack Dempsey in the 1920s.] The latter has not been in Montreal since he came here years ago with Georges Carpentier and a little later with Charley Ledoux, world's champion bantam of the time, who knocked out Young Lewis in a sensational match at the Arena.

Heavy training for Pete Sanstol and Eugene Huat, boxers who battle tomorrow night at the Forum for the world's bantam crown awarded Sanstol by the Athletic Commission of the city of Montreal when he defeated Archie Bell here in May, ended yesterday. Working out lightly because of the terrific heat and humidity, both Huat and Sanstol were inside the titular weight limit of 118 pounds, and their battle tomorrow night will therefore be recognized as involving the championship.

This latter, of course, is dependent upon whether Dave Lumiansky, manager of Al Brown and now in the city, succeeds in stopping the championship aspect of the fight. Lumiansky has retained legal advisers to protect the interests of the colored star, claiming that Brown is the world's champion, and that the promoter has no right to advertise the bout as being such. Others assert, though, Lumiansky's real purpose in coming to Montreal is to get a line on the two battlers, recognizing that unless Brown defends his title, as he has promised the National Boxing Association, he will be deprived of it by default. [Our Note: The time had already expired; he should have been deprived of it months ago. The field should have been wide-open for all contenders, at least for the NBA title crown. It's beginning to look like politics were playing a huge role in the matter, and that Pete was getting the short end of it.]

Sanstol worked in dashing form against Harry Leibovitz and Robert Paulhus, giving every indication that he was completely ready to wage one of his typical whirlwind battles, depending upon speed to wear down the grim-jawed, broad-shouldered French slugger and nullify the deadly power of Huat's punch. Huat worked in a fashion that indicated he intended to try for an early knockout. He was walking into his sparring partners, slugging with both hands and crashing heavy blows to head and body. He is adept with a cork-screw left hook that does great damage at short range. He is one of the most punishing hitters among the lighter men ever seen here.

One minor change in the bill is announced by Promoter Vincent. Owing to a severely-injured hand, Tommy Palacio will not be able to go through with his eight-rounder against Harry Leibovitz and Taft Brower, flyweight champion of Bermuda, a boxer with an interesting and impressive record, has been secured to replace him. Brower comes here fresh from a victory just a week ago over Sanchez, the Panama champion.
 

The law courts may resound with the voices of lawyers and witnesses this week as to who should be designated bantamweight champion of the world, and street corner arguments may be hectic and rife, but what honors are bestowed in this matter by the Montreal Athletic Commission will be definitely at stake and settled for in the proper setting, the ring at the Forum on Wednesday evening, when Pete Sanstol, the Norwegian battler who was awarded the local commission's title some six weeks ago, will clash with Eugene Huat, of France, in a bout which carries with victory what reputation and titles the battlers have.

The fact that Dave Lumiansky, manager of Al Brown, has arrived in the city threatening to ask the courts to restrain Sanstol from being billed world champion, merely adds flavor to the match on Wednesday. Ignorant, or maybe oblivious of the process of law, Sanstol has been working hard and effectively for his bout with the broad-shouldered French bantam. The Norwegian, who makes his home in Montreal, has been active in defence of his honors and appears to be in fine shape, working briskly with a number of sparring partners on Saturday.

Under the astute eye of Gus Wilson, Huat has been mixing it with alacrity over the week-end, making up for the lay-off in training necessitated by a cut on his eye resulting from a training bout with Mickey Walker, now something of a figure in heavyweight circles. Huat, too, looks to be in great shape.
 

The stakes will be high tonight when Pete Sanstol, smiling Norwegian battler, and Gene Huat, bantam champion of France, clash in a ten round encounter at the Forum. The fighters went through their final training grind during the past week; while their managers, various boxing commissions, a promoter and a world champion were involved in a fierce battle of the law courts, and last evening at ten minutes of eight o'clock, a contract was drawn up in the offices of Dr. Gaston R. Demers, chairman of the Athletic Commission of Montreal, which will place Al Brown, colored New Bedford boxer, and generally recognized as world bantamweight champion, in the same ring with the winner of the Sanstol-Huat bout within one month at the Forum.

Thus a troublesome situation has been definitely settled and Montreal fans will see the final outcome of a bitter struggle which has centred about the world's bantamweight crown for the past six months. Yesterday morning, David Lumiansky, manager of Al Brown, sought an injunction in the practice court before Justice Boyer, restraining Promoter Vincent and the principals from putting on tonight's boxing card at the Forum, and the case was scheduled to be decided this morning in court, but last evening's agreement assures the end of court proceedings and at once moves the scene of activities to their proper setting, the boxing ring.

In signing for Al Brown, manager Lumiansky assured his fighter of the biggest guarantee in the history of boxing in this city. The colored fighter was assured a purse of $7,500 with the privilege of taking 37½ per cent of the gate. Although Sanstol, should he win tonight, will enter the ring technically the defending champion, as he is still recognized by the Montreal Commission as the world's champion, he will only receive something like 12½ per cent of the gate. [Ultimately Brown would get $10,270 to Pete's $3,427.] Lumiansky also insisted that the referee be General John V. Clinnin, president of the National Boxing Association, and although General Clinnin does not regularly act as third man in the ring, it is understood that he has accepted the assignment at the request of Brown's manager.

While tonight's principals were going through light calisthenics to limber up for the battle, Lumiansky was appearing yesterday morning in the Practice Court. With the ...[the article is un-readable here for one line], President Demers and Promoter made the move that started a settlement. An appointment was made at Dr. Demers' office at two o'clock, and the gathering at that hour included several members of the commission, Promoter Vincent, David Lumiansky, Gus Wilson, Huat's handler, and Raoul Godbout, manager of Sanstol. For fully five hours the arguments were heated, but the situation was finally being unravelled, and shortly after seven o'clock the principals had come to an agreement and, in the presence of a city attorney, the contract was drawn up.

LUMIANSKY LEAVES

Following the conference, Lumiansky left for New York to instruct Al Brown of the developments and to make arrangements to bring the negro boxer here to training quarters. Brown has been fighting regularly in Europe and is reported in the best of shape. [Another Note: Since shortly after this whole controversy arose, Brown had been in hard training for over two months to make the bantam weight limit. He lately had been fighting in the vicinity of 125 pounds. But he had not had a fight since he lost on a foul against Johnny Cuthbert June 15 in England. Meanwhile Pete had been "taking on all comers."] Promoter Vincent invited Lumiansky to stay over for tonight's battle, but the manager wasn't interested in seeing either fighter and that he anticipated no difficulty in disposing of either challenger at the Forum. [Brown had already "disposed" of Huat the previous October in a title fight, as we mentioned earlier.]

Both Sanstol and Huat were reported in the finest of shape for tonight's battle. The betting is largely even. Sanstol has been training hard with a view to improving his speed and there is no doubt that his campaign will be waged in the direction of dazzling speed of hand and foot. Huat, on the other hand, has spent most of his training time keying up his punch, and he expects no difficulty in weathering Sanstol's reputedly-light punches as he wades in to floor Sanstol with the punch that put both Pladner and Belanger out for the count.

On the evening of July 29, 1931, the great Pete Sanstol again "gave his all" and his best to win the fight and to give the fans "a show." Also, he could taste that title bout with Brown. He had wanted that shot at Brown for years, and he was not to be denied. And so he won! But this fight with Eugene Huat resulted in the most unpleasant taste of victory Pete ever experienced.

In one of the fiercest fights witnessed in Montreal since the revival of boxing almost twenty years ago, Peter Sanstol, popular Norwegian battler now making his home in Montreal under local management, was given a decision that was distasteful to the majority of the nine thousand who crowded the Forum last night to see Sanstol and Huat battle for the right to meet Panama Al Brown for the world's bantamweight championship here August 25. The decision, in the opinion of many, did not add to the popularity of Pete Sanstol and it brought forth arguments, boos and hisses until long after the fighters had reached their dressing rooms.

Paul Lahaye, who for some time has served as a judge for the commission and at one time a champion fighter, created a great deal of excitement when he took his judge's licence out of his pocket, walked up to Dr. Gaston Demers, chairman of the commission, and tore it up in front of him, expressing disgust at the decision rendered in favor of Sanstol.

Many in the vast throng were willing to concede a draw to Sanstol, which would not have been giving him any the worst of it and would also have enabled him to retain the alleged world's title bestowed on him by the local commission. Such a decision would not have been unfair to a battler who came to Montreal and gave his best, earning for himself the friendship of hundreds who witnessed his exhibition of skill and cleverness.

There is no blaming Sanstol for the decision. He was there to do his part and even when it looked bad for him he never lost his smile and fought throughout the ten rounds in a courageous manner. There is no blame attached to any but the judges and when they handed in their slips each was for the blonde battler. There was a shock in store for many when Dr. Demers took the slips from the announcer and pointed to Sanstol. A victory must have even surprised Sanstol himself.

Before the announcement could be made many had seen the chairman point to Sanstol's corner and the rumpus started immediately to be carried on for a lengthy session. Many rushed to the corner from which the slips were taken and then followed a series of arguments while Huat, who was nearest to that corner, was loudly acclaimed and cheered as his manager discussed the decision with members of the commission. He did not hesitate in expressing his surprise and found a large following of fans with him. As one walked through the crowd to the exits of the building, right and left could be heard the same remarks and expressions of surprise, many pointing out that a draw should have been the worst given to the little French fighter.

Although the decision was rendered against Huat he made many friends for himself and there is no doubt that he will be a welcome visitor should he ever return to fight here. Huat is one of the cleverest boxers seen in a local ring in a long time. He gave his best and in the opinion of three local officials that was not good enough to dethrone Sanstol and take away from him the crown awarded by the local commission when it was alleged that Al Brown could not make the bantamweight limit.

When the fighters left the ring last night they presented a vastly different sight. Sanstol was cut under both eyes while his face was swollen, showing the result of the hard blows landed by Huat. On the other hand the French fighter had few marks, although he was bleeding at the nose in the eighth and ninth rounds.

Arguments were advanced by two of the judges that Huat had missed more blows than he had landed. That may be true, but those landed had a telling effect and left their marks. In the eighth round Huat had Sanstol in a bad way and on one occasion sent him to one knee.

The bout was one of the most interesting ever witnessed here. There was no letting up in the pace set by the battlers, each realizing that the stakes were high and that they must not falter at any stage of the ten rounds. The lads fought at almost entirely different styles. In the early stages, it was apparent that the boxers had determined on victory at any style of boxing and they never missed a chance to take advantage of opportunities offered.  Both changed their tactics frequently showing all the tricks in the bag.

Both showed an anxiety to fight from the centre of the ring and to avoid clinches as much as possible for at infighting they never made much headway. Their cleverness to smother blows and tie one another up when in a clinch detracted from chances of clean blows being struck and only on one or two occasions were the lads called on to break by Referee Bert Schneider.

Both depended largely on their right crosses. They would feint with their lefts and then follow with right crosses that frequently were wild. The misses made by the fighters were easily accounted for by their over-anxiety to land a knock-out blow.

While Sanstol carried his best blow in a right cross, Huat did most damage with a right uppercut that frequently found its way under Sanstol's guard. The boxers alternated at carrying the fight and both showed smart footwork in avoiding punishment. They fought toe to toe the greater part of the bout, proving that either would be a worthy opponent for the world's champion of their division, Al Brown, who holds the title under the recognition of the National Boxing Association.

The match attracted one of the largest gatherings at a prize fight in Montreal in a long time. The crowd outnumbered that at Sanstol-Bell battle which was also said to be for the championship. It was estimated that nine thousand witnessed the encounter.

Because Eugene Huat lost this title fight, Pete Sanstol got the shot at Al Brown for the so-called official title. But don't feel too sorry for Mr. Huat. As mentioned before, he had already fought Brown for the title the previous October. He would get another shot at Brown for the title in a few months, October 27 in Montreal, to be exact.

Pete and Eugene would meet once more in the near future. That "grudge match" would -- in the minds of many contemporary fight fans -- settle the matter once and for all between these two of the greatest bantamweight boxers who ever lived.