Carruthers, Jimmy (1929-1990), was Australia’s first internationally recognized world boxing champion. In 1952, he won the world bantamweight title from the South African Vic Toweel at Johannesburg, in South Africa. Film of the fight shows that Carruthers landed 147 punches in the 2 minutes 19 seconds that the fight lasted. Toweel threw only one punch, and it missed. Carruthers retired as unbeaten world champion in 1954, after 19 professional fights and three successful title defenses. He returned to the ring in 1961 but lost four of his six comeback fights.
James Williams Carruthers was born on July 25, 1929, in Paddington in New South Wales. He was a member of the 1948 Australian Olympic boxing team. Carruthers fought his first professional bout in 1950 and won the Australian bantamweight championship in 1951. He had 21 victories in his career, including 13 knockouts. Carruthers died on Aug. 15, 1990.
