They saw him as a wrestler of world fame when acclaimed champion of the French nation, as "Ringer-class" who still climb during his youth to Europe's most important professionals. Raoul le Boucher is 16 years old when he in 1899 for the first time the stage of the World Championships in Paris entered, to compete with the sizes this time. Raoul competed now with his teacher Paul Pons, with his Belgian namesake Constant le Boucher or other significant wrestlers who made the French capital the stronghold of European wrestling to Greco-Roman style. regarding to the era before the First world war were all significant impulses and developments in classical style (gm Rom.) to French Ringer back. Even early German professionals like Carl Abs learned this new form with mixing of standing and ground wrestling in France training schools, then called high schools. Soon know had for this kind of struggle nor the label "French style" pronounced. Perhaps a tribute to the founder who belonged to this way of fighting once developed in the south of the Grande Nation and then by artist troops, the power people, Ringer, acrobats and fairground, also brought to Paris. Until the turn of the 19th century and the years to 1910 France saw already a number of excellent wrestlers fight. For Raoul le Boucher it was never enough to the world title, but he gained an amazing status and merit. If you believe the testimony of his contemporaries, he was probably one of the top earners in Europe. Raoul convinced with talent, success and strength.

 

Raoul le Boucher is not to be confused with his compatriot and contemporary Raoul de Rouen, who later fought as a wrestler in the US. He never appeared as Raoul de Rouen or took his identity at the tournaments. Le Boucher was in fact a pseudonym behind which Raoul Musson hid. In January 1883 Musson was born in Châtillon-sur-Loire, a small town between Orleans and Dijon located. During the apprenticeship for Battle Masters his athletic talent is recognized as a wrestler. Musson travel with 14 years to Paris and finally students in Ringer circle of Paul Pons. In "Gymnase Pons" he became one of the most successful wrestlers, as historian Adolf von Guretzki notes. The traditional weight and body measurements are 130kg at 1,86m. This Musson was predestined to be a wrestler and on average heavier than many of his opponents, at that time around 90 to 100kg placed on the scale. it is not surprising then that it was allowed to compete equally in the heavyweight class. Musson debuted under the name "Raoul le Boucher". His first major appearance was at the World Championships in Paris in November 1899, were held in two weight classes, light and heavy weight. They chose "le Boucher" in reference to his profession as a pseudonym because this epithet meant nothing more than "butcher". Raoul was the second major French wrestler with this name to Nicolas le Boucher, who died significantly in the year when he a name that a dozen more ringer Belgian and French origin was born. contributed. in those days, the Casino de Paris had Raoul as they say, still pay dues and leave its competitors in the field. the world championships were in early December 1899, the same three winners to end: Kara Ahmed ( "Champion of the world"), Laurent le Beaucairois (heavyweight) and Maurice Gambier (lightweight).

 

His dues paid Raoul still for another 12 months, then came in 1901 finally the breakthrough year. We already spoke of one of the most successful wrestler France. In January 1901 he reached his first dated placement as third best in a tournament in Grenoble behind Leon Dumont and Walford. The same in the tournament final in Dijon on 06 February and in Brest on 15 February 1901 where he also emerged as the third best. The brief career of Raoul le Boucher took up speed, because soon traveled one of the flagship athletes the Grande Nation by Europe. Shortly before yet started in Vichy, it was now on tour abroad. A Frenchman wins in Russia his first major tournament was the result of "championship" in Moscow in October. The young Raoul pointed tip Ringer as Michael Hitzler at No. 2 and Gabriel Lasartesse on place 3. The real "High Society" of the European wrestling but hit is still in Paris. So Raoul just had to be there at the next World Cup. This time, however, was no longer the inexperienced wrestlers of the past, but a now recognized Professional at the casino. With 18 years Raoul competed with top stars like George Hackenschmidt Constant le Boucher, Michael Hitzler and Jakob Koch. All these variables were present in most occupied tournament in Paris since the first world heavyweight championship in 1898. Almost the entire French and Belgian elite including the participants from Germany, Austria, Italy, Denmark, Russia and Turkey, the honor gave. On December 18, 1901 a day before the tournament concludes, defeated George Hackenschmidt 23 minutes into his rival Raoul le Boucher. The next day Hackenschmidt triumphed against Constant le Boucher in the final in front of around 5,000 spectators and was the second time world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling. Constant reached # 2, Omer de Bouillon Place 3. Raoul was fourth and got two bronze medals awarded. So an exciting year full of tournaments ended with a long applause from the audience at the Casino de Paris. At least now Raoul had established in the scene.

 

Raoul's career went successfully with tournament wins and places. Here is an excerpt of his career: Winners in Dijon (Jan 1902), Bordeaux (Oct 1903), St. Quentin (Oct 1903), 3rd place in Roubaix (Feb 1902), 4th place in Munich (April 1902), No. 4 in Liege / Liege (april 1902), 3rd place in the tournament for the Golden belt in early December 1902 in Paris and 4th place in the championship of the South of France in Lyon also in December 1902. the same for the time until the end of career 1906: mostly it was not enough for a but tournament victory for numerous placings. With the multiple Danish champion Jess Pedersen Raoul contested the World Cup final in Paris on June 05, 1903. One of his career highlights such, the whole two hours and three minutes it took. At the end it was Pedersen who won the trophy and the World Cup title, again there was only space for 2 Raoul. His former teacher and impresario Paul Pons defeated him at the tournament for the Golden Belt end 1903 Parisian theater "Folies Bergére". Raoul was as often as the third best behind Pons and Pedersen. The same scenario in 1904 and 1905 in the Folies Bergére where it comes again Golden belt went. Pons defeated its 19 years his junior students on the final day of wrestling competitions. And yet Raoul could be proud to celebrate as the second best behind France Ringer icon. the fact that both tournaments. It was recently announced that Raoul a student of "great Pons" was and was naturally pushed accordingly. Both fought several times against each other, usually the winner was then Pons. The organizers of such tournaments (theater directorates and circuses) were interested in many more performances, and outside of France, where Raoul occurred most. In July 1904 tour of European wrestlers was organized to South America. Along with Paul Pons, Simon Antonitsch, Leon Dumont and Anastace Anglio traveled Raoul le Boucher across the Atlantic to Buenos Aires (Argentina). The local tournament ended for him with 2nd place, winner was again Paul Pons. Early 1906 Raoul's career seemed to push the development: Tournament winner before Pons in Nice, second best behind his impresario in Antwerp and then we went on tour to Italy together with Pons, Aimable de la Calmette Sr. and Laurent le Beaucairois. Yet once shone Raoul with perfect performance as a tournament winner in Palermo in February 1906. In the decisive battle at the price of Sicily, he defeated his opponent Pons after 22 minutes. His last position it reached during the subsequent tournament in Naples, where defeated in the final 48 minutes into him Pons. It was his last appearance, he withdrew from the ring stage.

 

Already these few years have obviously provided a high living, such as the Hamburger Fremdenblatt announced on 01 November 1906: "The well-known French wrestler Raoul le Boucher has provisionally retired and purchased a veritable castle in Maisons-Laffitte, that of a several kilometers large park is included. "Raoul's contemporaries report often of a" veritable "or" high "earnings during his short career compared to later Professionals. even for a car he had money left over and thus went to Paris. But in the duration of his career was Raoul then not an isolated case. There were few professionals ergo professional wrestler in Europe before the First world war, remained more than 10 years constantly the business faithful or even received a longer push. recently added was still the fact that Paris's status as Ringer stronghold forfeited from 1910. The big tournaments, sometimes up to three per year alone only in Paris, focused now on other cities such as St. Petersburg, Moscow, Hamburg, Vienna, Breslau (Wroclaw) and Berlin. Europe, with the exception of England, the Greco-Roman style dominated the professional wrestling until the mid-20th century. Raoul le Boucher has been one of his earliest and best-known representatives. Since his last appearances beginning of the year 1906, Raoul had retired from the wrestling, as the athleticism newspapers published an unexpected challenge to the multiple world champion Ivan Paddubny in December. The sender was the once famous and "rich" Raoul le Boucher from France. Quite forget it apparently had not, when even the General Sports Newspaper Wien wrote these days from one of the best French professional wrestler. This newspaper was then the most important and influential publication for European wrestling in the era before the First world war. It would have an exciting fight with the strong Paddubny can be, but the challenger fell ill with severe bronchitis. on February 13, 1907 Raoul le Boucher died at the age of only 24 years in Nice . with his death, the wrestling lost in Europe one of its largest flagship athletes of the early 20th century.

 

As is known he was still years later showed an auction in Paris in January 1911 at which the heirs of his accumulated wealth were auctioned. came under the hammer the unused for four years of automobile "so famous wrestler" Raoul le Boucher, as an Austrian newspaper headline. Maybe it has also brought luck and wealth its new owner.