Light-Welterweight (≤63.5 kilograms), Men

Although this was one of the most talent-laden weight division at the 1964 Olympics there were two firm favourites in the shape of the previous year’s winner of the European Championships, Jerzy Kulej of Poland and the Soviet Union’s Yevgeny Frolov who had defeated Kulej in a Poland-Russia match early in Olympic year. Frolov’s campaign was nearly ended by American Charley Ellis in the last eight but three of the five judges voted in his favour and he survived the scare. He then had the luxury of a walkover in the semi-final. Kulej’s path to the final included a victory over the 1956 Olympic champion Dick McTaggart. The final started as a cagey affair but Kulej came to dominate from centre ring and used his jab to keep the Russian off balance throughout. For the first time in Olympic history the two bronze medallists came from Africa, from Tunisia and Ghana respectively.