Featherweight (≤58 kilograms), Men

The featherweight division was blighted by more than a fair share of controversial judging decisions. The second round bout between the US’s Eddie Johnson and Basilio Álvez of Uruguay was awarded to the American amid howls of protest from Álvez’s supporters. For a quarter of an hour, the crowd expressed their displeasure, and the Uruguayan was carried around the hall on the shoulders of his countrymen. More protests followed in the last eight, with the American and Canadian teams convinced that their men had been unjustly treated, but things eventually came to a climax in the semi-finals. Argentina’s Francisco Núñez was defeated by Dennis Shepherd of South Africa, a decision that infuriated the Argentines in the hall. Like Álvez, Núñez was carried by the supporters around the hall but, this time, the rumpus reached the table of the Jury of Appeal. Stewards rushed in to defuse the situation and the Argentine fans ended their protest after an appeal from one of their senior officials.

Gold medalist Ernesto Formenti kept clear of any controversy and boxed with an accuracy others failed to approach. His left jab kept his opponent in the final, Dennis Shepherd, at bay. The South African fought with serious damage around his right eye, a legacy of fights over Johnson and Núñez, where he appeared lucky to get the verdict, but he was no match for the Italian.