Carter grew up in a racially-charged atmosphere in Paterson, New Jersey and had experiences growing up that affected him for the rest of his life. He eventually turned to boxing as a way to make a living, and turned pro in September of 1961. His aggressive style and frequent appearances in the ring (he sometimes fought twice a month), drew attention and he quickly established himself as a contender. When he decisioned perennial contender Holley Mims in 10 rounds on December 22, 1962, he entered Ring Magazine's list of the top 10 middleweights in the world.
The accolades for Carter, who was now known by his nickname of Hurricane Carter, continued in 1963. He fought six times, all against top-notch opposition, and won four. Still, he remained ranked in the lower regions of the top 10 until his last fight, on December 20 of that year, when he shocked everyone by flooring past and future world champ Emile Griffith in the first round.
That win made Carter the No. 1 contender for Joey Giardello's world middleweight title. He won two more fights and then challenged Giardello on December 14, 1964 in Philadelphia. Carter fought well by all accounts, and some observers believed he deserved the victory. However, Giardello retained his title on a 15-round unanimous decision. Carter was gracious in defeat and didn't protest the judging.
Carter's performance in 1965 was a mixed bag. He fought nine times that year and won five, all against contenders. But against the top middleweight contenders he faced, Luis Rodriguez, Harry Scott and Dick Tiger, he lost four of five. The next year brought more of the same, and by the summer of 1966, Carter's inconsistency had dropped him to a world ranking of ninth.
In June of 1966, Carter was arrested on suspicion of being involved in a triple murder at the Lafayette Grill in downtown Paterson. He was later convicted of the crime and sentenced to life in prison, but continued to maintain his innocence. He won a retrial on the charges in 1976, but he and his alleged accomplice, John Artis, were again convicted and Carter resentenced to life.
Carter and his supporters continued to fight the conviction, accusing the Paterson police of a racist conspiracy against Carter. Finally, in 1985, Carter was freed when an appellate judge ruled that he had not received a fair trial. This time, prosecutors chose not to try Carter a third time, and he has been free ever since.
In 2000, a movie about Carter's life, The Hurricane, was made starring Denzel Washington as Carter. The movie has become almost as controversial as the man himself, beginning with its opening scene where Carter's loss to Giardello is portrayed as a racist robbery. Giardello sued the movie's producers for libel and won a settlement.
In recent years, Carter has shied away from the controversy surrounding his life, and currently lives in Toronto, Canada.
His career record in boxing was 27 wins, 12 losses and one draw in 40 fights, with 19 knockouts.
Bob Dylan wrote a song about the incident called "Hurricane"