Middleweight (≤160 pounds), Men

The boxing tournament of the 1928 Olympics was a golden age for Italian amateur boxing. In the space of an evening, three Italians were crowned as Olympic champions: bantamweight Vittorio Tamagnini, stylish lightweight Carlo Orlandi, and the 24 year old Milanese middleweight Piero Toscani. Toscani’s passage to the final took him past Ingvard Ludvigsen (DEN) and the Swede Oscar Kjällander in the early rounds, then on to a semi-final meeting with Belgian Léonard Steyaert. Winning the decision over Steyaert, he found himself pitted against the Czech Jan Heřmánek. Heřmánek had reached the final with a victory over Fred Mallin, brother of the double gold medalist Harry Mallin.

Reports suggest Toscani was extremely lucky to have been awarded the decision over Heřmánek in the final, and the Czech contingent in the hall were convinced an injustice had occurred. The losing fighter’s supporters picked him up, carried him round the hall, and eventually put him down in front of the judge’s table. Heřmánek then had a frank discussion with the judges, whilst the demonstration turned to a violent protest in the arena. Not for the first time at the tournament, the police had to step in to restore order.