Eddie Peirce started boxing at around age 16. In 1930 he won the bronze medal at the British Empire Games and was South African Amateur Boxing Champion in 1930-32 as a middleweight, before he won the bronze medal at the Los Angeles Games in 1932, where he also served as team captain. Peirce turned professional just a few months later and became South Africa’s light heavyweight champion in 1933, beating 1932 gold medallist Dave Carstens. Though Peirce was never regarded as a particularly heavy puncher, he possessed exceptional durability. He ended his professional career in 1942 with a record of 64 wins, 26 losses, and 14 draws. In the early 1940s he was world ranked in the top 10 among middleweights. After World War II Peirce settled in Flint, Michigan. He is still regarded as one of South Africa’s best middleweights.
South Africa