Light-Heavyweight (≤81 kilograms), Men

In the 1970s and 80s Yugoslavia looked to the light-heavyweight division of the boxing tournament with a sense of pride. Three times in four Olympic Games the Olympic title was won by a Yugoslav fighter. The second of the three titles came in Moscow by the hands of Slobodan Kačar, a Bosnian Serb who was following in the footsteps of his elder brother Tadija Kačar, who was a medalist in 1976. Kačar defeated the representatives of East Germany and the Soviet Union on his way to meet Poland’s Paweł Skrzecz in the final. The final between the Pole and the Yugoslav was a wild affair with both men little behind in the ring. Rounds one and two were close affairs but in the final minute of the last round Kačar’s flailing fists caught up to his opponent and the referee gave Skrzecz two standing counts in quick succession. This seemed enough to give Kačar the verdict and four of the five agreed with only the Australian judge dissenting. Kačar followed the trial of 1972 champion Mate Parlov and begin a professional career. Like Parlov he also had a brief reign as world light-heavyweight champion in the pro ranks.