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| Event type

Lightweight (≤62 kilograms), Men

Date9 – 13 August 1948
StatusOlympic
LocationWembley Arena, Wembley, London
Participants27 from 27 countries
FormatSingle elimination tournament.

With an outstanding American in Wallace “Bud” Smith and a strong challenge from a number of European fighters the lightweight division was not short of quality. Belgium’s Jos Vissers won the European Championships in 1947 whilst the wiry Dane, Svend Vad , had won the bronze medal. Ireland’s Maxie McCullagh was also reckoned to be a prospect for honours.

All the major challengers reached the quarter-finals where Wad had the better of McCullagh and Visser struggled before edging Canada’s Haddad in a contest which many thought the Canadian deserved to win. Bud Smith had been the most impressive fighter in the tournament but a much improved Visser edged their semi-final and was joined in the final by the South African teenager, Gerard Dreyer. Dreyer had surprised Wad in the semi-final and continued to impress in the final. Visser played the aggressor but Dreyer’s solid defence held sway until a momentary lapse from the Belgian left him open to a left hook. Although Visser recovered from the second round knockdown, the course of the fight was decided and Dreyer took the gold for South Africa.

Bud Smith became world lightweight champion in 1955 and held the title for over a year. He retired with a career record of 31 wins from 60 fights although a run of 11 losses at the end of his career distorts that record slightly. Smith was shot and killed in 1973 whilst in conversation with a woman who was the intended target of the gunman. Dreyer and Vad also enjoyed success as professionals but not to the same extent as Smith.

PosCompetitorNOC
1Gerald DreyerRSAGold
2Jos VissersBELSilver
3Svend VadDENBronze
4Bud SmithUSA
=5Øivind BreibyNOR
=5Maxie McCullaghIRL
=5Ralph ZumbanoBRA
=5Eddie HaddadCAN
=9Ernesto PortoPHI
=9Gang In-SeokKOR
=9Ron CooperGBR
=9Alberto BoullosaURU
=9Auguste CauletFRA
=9Manuel LópezARG
=9Eddie GraySRI
=9Edy SchmidigerSUI
=17Tauno RinkinenFIN
=17Jan RemieNED
=17Gene RaymondIND
=17Agustín ArgoteESP
=17Fränz EhringerLUX
=17Mario MinatelliITA
=17Eduardo CornejoCHI
=17Masoud RahimihaIRI
=17Ezz El-Din NasirEGY
=17Alois PetřinaTCH
=17Billy BarberAUS
DNSÁngel ArriagaMEX
DNSAli ZakiEGY
DNSCerra Bachir CherakaFRA
DNSChuck DaveyUSA
DNSLászló VajdaHUN
DNSLeif MadsenDEN
DNSLuis GutiérrezPER
DNSManuel MartínezARG
DNSRoger DelabasséeBEL
DNSTot GlanvilleGBR
DNSUmberto Del CarloITA
DNSVictoriano OlivaresESP
DNSPál BudaiHUN
DNSRobert CranstonIND
DNSAnwar Pasha TurkiPAK

Round One

Date9 August 1948
FormatWinner of each match advanced to the second round.
MatchDate/TimeCompetitorNOCResultCompetitorNOC
Match #109 AugGerald DreyerRSA
Match #209 AugErnesto PortoPHI
Match #309 AugØivind BreibyNOR
Match #409 AugGang In-SeokKOR
Match #509 AugMaxie McCullaghIRLDecisionTauno RinkinenFIN
Match #609 AugRon CooperGBRDecisionJan RemieNED
Match #709 AugSvend VadDENDecisionGene RaymondIND
Match #809 AugAlberto BoullosaURUDecisionAgustín ArgoteESP
Match #909 AugRalph ZumbanoBRAKnock-outFränz EhringerLUX
Match #1009 AugAuguste CauletFRADecisionMario MinatelliITA
Match #1109 AugBud SmithUSADecisionEduardo CornejoCHI
Match #1209 AugManuel LópezARGDecisionMasoud RahimihaIRI
Match #1309 AugEddie HaddadCANDecisionEzz El-Din NasirEGY
Match #1409 AugEddie GraySRIDisqualifiedAlois PetřinaTCH
Match #1509 AugEdy SchmidigerSUIWalkoverLuis GutiérrezPER
Match #1609 AugJos VissersBELDecisionBilly BarberAUS

Round Two

Date10 August 1948
FormatWinner of each match advanced to the quarter-finals.
MatchDate/TimeCompetitorNOCResultCompetitorNOC
Match #110 AugGerald DreyerRSADecisionErnesto PortoPHI
Match #210 AugØivind BreibyNORDecisionGang In-SeokKOR
Match #310 AugMaxie McCullaghIRLDecisionRon CooperGBR
Match #410 AugSvend VadDENDecisionAlberto BoullosaURU
Match #510 AugRalph ZumbanoBRADecisionAuguste CauletFRA
Match #610 AugBud SmithUSADecisionManuel LópezARG
Match #710 AugEddie HaddadCANDecisionEddie GraySRI
Match #810 AugJos VissersBELDecisionEdy SchmidigerSUI

Quarter-Finals

Date11 August 1948
FormatWinner of each match advanced to the semi-finals.
MatchDate/TimeCompetitorNOCResultCompetitorNOC
Match #111 AugGerald DreyerRSADecisionØivind BreibyNOR
Match #211 AugSvend VadDENDecisionMaxie McCullaghIRL
Match #311 AugBud SmithUSAKnock-outRalph ZumbanoBRA
Match #411 AugJos VissersBELDecisionEddie HaddadCAN

Semi-Finals

Date12 August 1948
FormatWinner of each match advanced to the final match.
MatchDate/TimeCompetitorNOCResultCompetitorNOC
Match #112 AugGerald DreyerRSADecisionSvend VadDEN
Match #212 AugJos VissersBELDecisionBud SmithUSA

Final Round

Date13 August 1948
MatchDate/TimeCompetitorNOCResultCompetitorNOC
Match 1/213 AugGerald DreyerRSADecisionJos VissersBEL
Match 3/413 AugSvend VadDENWalkoverBud SmithUSA