Punchers from the Past: Tom Bogs

TOM BOGS

Born 21 November 1944 Copenhagen Denmark

Record 87 fights 77 wins (25 by KO/TKO), 8 losses ( 2 by KO/TKO) 2 draws

He comes from a family of athletes. His father Poul Bogs was Danish shot-put champion from 1947 to 1950 and his sister Maibritt was Danish discuss champion.

Tom went for boxing and fighting whilst making a living as a bricklayer and between 1961 and 1964 he was Danish champion at welterweight to middleweight.

He represented Denmark at the 1964 Olympics where he was beaten in the quarter-finals by Nigerian Nojim Maiyegun when he suffered a cut eye in the first round. As an amateur he won 69 of his 77 fights

After the Olympics Bogs turned professional with future Hall of Fame promoter Mogens Palle and had his first fight on 5 November 1964:

-Between 1994 and 1997 he scored 33 consecutive victories with wins over Fabio Bettini, Ernie Burford, Harry Scott, Gomeo Brennan, Milo Calhoun and Pascal Di Benedetto

-Between January and June 1968, he beat Henry Aldrich, Yoland Leveque, Doug Huntley, Charley Austin and Wally Swift

-September 1968 he stopped Lothar Stengel in one round to win the European light heavyweight title.

– January 1969 he defended the European light-heavyweight title by beating Piero del Papa. He relinquished the European light heavyweight title then scored wins over Antonio Aguilar and Les McAteer.

-September 1969 won the European middleweight title  by outpointing Carlo Duran

-1970 drew with Don Fullmer and stopped Les McAteer in a defense of the European middleweight title.

-June  1970 Bogs was floored twice and lost on points against Emile Griffth ending Bog’s unbeaten run after 54 fights.

-1970 He outpointed Chris Finnegan in a European title defence. December lost on points against Carlo Duran in European title defense

-1971 Beat Don Fullmer, Art Hernandez  and Domenico Tiberia. Lost then won against Juarez de Lima

-1972 Lost on a fifth round stoppage by Carlos Monzon in challenge for the WBA and WBC middleweight titles

-January 1973 to February 1974 at light heavyweight scored eleven wins beating Mike Quarry,  Vicente Rondon, Rafael Gutierrez and others

-1974 lost on cut against John Conteh, beat Bunny Sterling, lost to Pierre Fourie

-November 1974 lost on points to Tom Beathea and retired

– A incredible career for someone who as a child had to be sent to a specialist colony for weak children

– During his time as a boxer he was tremendously popular and appeared in films mixing with the jet set and at one time was married to the French-based fashion model and millionaire heiress Berit Trebbien. He has been married three times and has six children and numerous grandchildren

– He later worked as a prison guard and for 22 years as a garbage collector and is now retired

-His fight with Monzon remains the most prestigious fight held in Denmark and the greatest fight contested by any Danish fighter.