Sam Berger won two bouts to win the gold medal, defeating Bill Michaels by a knockout in round three in the first match, and then defeating Charles Mayer by decision in the final. The verdict in favour of Berger over Mayer was not a popular one with the spectators and the local press labelled the Californian’s performance as one of the worst by an amateur heavyweight champion. Berger had a brief pro career but then served as a sparring partner and manager to future World Heavyweight Champion Jim Jeffries. The 1904 AAU Champion was William Rodenbach, who had also won that title in 1901, but was primarily a middleweight, having won that AAU title from 1900-04. He did not enter either class at the Olympics after suffering an arm injury. New York’s Joe Knipe, national amateur champion in 1899 and 1900, was heralded in the local press as a strong favourite for the championship until his entry was rejected due to his activities as trainer to professional boxers.
USA