Olympic: The Hungarian rebel

After having turned pro in 1957, the southpaw Laszlo Papp remained undefeated in the ring. In fact his record was staggering: 27 wins, 2 draws, and no losses. Remarkably, 15 of his victories were achieved by knocking out the rivals.

Laszlo Papp took on the Communist authorities as well as the rivals in the ring with the same with the same vigour

Published: Mon 1 Aug 2016, 10:12 PM

Last updated: Tue 2 Aug 2016, 12:25 AM

Laszlo Papp tangled with Hungary's Communist authorities as well as opponents in the ring in a career which made him the first boxer to win three Olympic gold medals. The fluid, hard-hitting southpaw, known for his devastating left hook, totted up an astonishing 301 amateur wins against just 12 losses, with 55 of his victories ending in first-round knock-outs.
His Olympic career was equally as fearsome: in 13 bouts spread across London 1948, Helsinki 1952 and Melbourne 1956, Papp lost only one round - in the 1956 final, which he won 2-1 against America's Jose Torres.
That third and final title came at a highly emotional time for Hungary, as it coincided with the brutal crushing of an uprising against the Soviet-backed regime.
Olympic boxing had to wait 20 years to see another triple gold medalist when Teofilo Stevenson of Cuba won his third gold at the 1980 Moscow Games. Another Cuban, Félix Savón, achieved the feat at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
Budapest-born Papp turned professional at 31 in 1957 but had to train in Vienna to become the first professional boxer from the Soviet bloc.
In 1965, he was denied a shot at reigning middleweight world champion Joey Giardello in the United States when the Hungarian Communist authorities revoked his passport, concerned about the sensitivities of a boxer from the Soviet bloc fighting for money in the focal point of the capitalist world.
"This is my one big regret in life," Papp said later. He retired as European middleweight champion and was later awarded an honorary world title by the World Boxing Council, who also named him the best amateur and professional fighter of all time.
After having turned pro in 1957, the southpaw remained undefeated in the ring. In fact his record was staggering: 27 wins, 2 draws, and no losses. Remarkably, 15 of his victories were achieved by knocking out the rivals.
Papp was inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in 2001.
Papp László Sportaréna - home to the Hungarian national ice of hockey team in their capital city of Budapest - is named in Papp's honour. This multipurpose building also hosts concerts of popular singers.

OLYMPICKS

Advertising

Three-time Olympic gold medallist Laszlo Papp. — AFP file

Published: Mon 1 Aug 2016, 10:12 PM

Last updated: Tue 2 Aug 2016, 12:25 AM

Recommended for you

cricket

'When was the last time he played domestic cricket?': Irfan Pathan questions Virat Kohli's form

While Pathan acknowledged Kohli's immense contributions to Indian cricket over the years, he made it clear that reputation alone cannot justify a place in the team

cricket2 hours ago

world