Boxing at the 1908 Summer Olympics - Middleweight

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The middleweight was one of five boxing weight classes contested on the Boxing at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. Like all other boxing events, it was open only to men. The boxing competitions were held on 27 October. The middleweight was the second heaviest class, allowing boxers of up to 158 pounds (71.7 kg).

It was the only boxing event in which a non-British boxer won a bout. Reginald Baker from Australia (competing on the Australasia team) won three before losing to Johnny Douglas in the final.

Contents

[edit] Standings

Place Name Nation
1 John Douglas Great Britain Great Britain
2 Reginald Baker Australasia Australasia
3 William Philo Great Britain Great Britain
4 Ruben Warnes Great Britain Great Britain
5 William Childs Great Britain Great Britain
6 Gaston Aspa France France
William Dees Great Britain Great Britain
René Doudelle France France
Charles Morard France France
Arthur Murdoch Great Britain Great Britain

[edit] Bracket

Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
27 October 27 October 27 October 27 October
 
Great Britain Childs KO            
France Aspa Ret. (2nd)  
Great Britain Childs 0
  Australasia Baker 2  
Great Britain Dees 2nd
Australasia Baker KO  
Australasia Baker KO
  Great Britain Philo 1st  
Great Britain Philo 2
Great Britain Murdoch 1  
Great Britain Philo -
  None -  
None -
None -  
Australasia Baker 0
    Great Britain Douglas 2
Great Britain Warnes KO        
France Morard 2nd  
Great Britain Warnes -
  None -  
None -
None -  
Great Britain Warnes 2nd
  Great Britain Douglas KO  
France Doudelle 1st
Great Britain Douglas KO  
Great Britain Douglas -
  None -  
None -
None -  

[edit] Competition

[edit] Round of 16

The first round was characterized by knockouts, as all three Frenchmen as well as Dees were out before the start of the third round. Aspa managed to make it through two rounds before withdrawing due to a thumb injury. Doudelle went down the quickest, in the first round, while Dees and Morard were bested in the second rounds of their bouts. The one bout that did go all the way was between Philo and Murdoch, which was such a tight contest that the referee had to break the judges' tie.

[edit] Quarterfinals

Philo, Warnes, and Douglas all had byes in the second round. Baker and Childs had the only quarterfinal match. The Australian hit Childs with a powerful uppercut as well as managing to avoid a charge by Childs that caused the Briton to fall through the ropes. In a clear decision, Baker advanced to the semifinals.

[edit] Semifinals

Both semifinal contests were knockouts, bringing the middleweight event to a total of 6 knockouts to 2 decisions. Baker defeated Philo quickly, while Douglas took two rounds to put Warnes away.

[edit] Final

In a match that had the potential to break England's dominance of the boxing championships, Baker and Douglas went through a middleweight final that the Official Report described as the "best boxing of the day"[1] (and therefore the entire 1908 Olympic boxing competition). The two fought well, with Douglas's knockdown of Baker in the second a major factor in the Briton's win.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Official Report, p. 112.

[edit] Sources

  • Official Report of the Games of the IV Olympiad (1908).
  • De Wael, Herman. Herman's Full Olympians: "Boxing 1908". Accessed 8 April 2006. Available electronically at [1].


The 1908 Summer Olympics in London
Games of the IV Olympiad
Boxing at the 1908 Summer Olympics

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