Pavle Sovljanski, Yugoslavian Stars of '40's-50's

[williefromrichmond]

PAVLE SOVLJANSKI

Born November 3, 1927

Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now, Serbia)

1946

xxxx - Yugoslavian national 61.2kg champion

Sept. - Milos Kralicek W
Yugoslavia vs. Czechoslovakia (62kg); Prague, Czech Republic.

Sept. - Zygmunt Koziolek W
Yugoslavia vs. Poland (62kg); Prague, Czech Republic.

Sept. - Anatoli Greyner L
Yugoslavia vs. Soviet Union (62kg); Prague, Czech Republic.

1947

xxxx - Zaharoski (Hungary) W
Balkan Championships 60kg champion; Bucharest, Romania.

xxxx - Yugoslavian national 57.2kg champion

1948

June 10 - Gheorghe Fiat W
Yugoslavia vs. Romania (58kg); Belgrade, Serbia.

xxxx - Yugoslavian national 57.2kg champion

1949

June 13 - V. Gianluppi (Italy) W pts

June 14 - W. McNeilly (Scotland) W pts

June 16 - M. Ammi (France) L pts
European (lightweight __________) semifinalist; Oslo, Norway.

June 17 - L. Madsen (Denmark) W
European (lightweight _________) third place finisher; Oslo, Norway.

xxxx - Yugoslavian national 61.2kg champion

Nov. 13 - Rene Delabesse W
Yugoslavia vs. Belgium (62kg); Belgrade, Serbia.

1950

xxxx - Yugoslavian national 61.2kg champion

Sept. 17 - Schwab W
Yugoslavia vs. Austria (62kg); Belgrade, Serbia.

1951

Mch. 24 - “The entire [European] team worked out this morning in Stillman’s famous gymnasium for almost two hours.... Said the Irishman, Peter Crotty, after three fast rounds with Sovljanski: ‘Do they come any better than this lad in Chicaagoo.’ As a matter of fact, they don’t. And you can take the word of one who knows - Whitey Bimstein, professional boxing trainer and second, who saw the boys put through their paces. ‘There is one of the finest amateur boxers I have ever seen,’ said Bimstein of the Yugoslavian. ‘He knows more than most of the professionals. His ability to slip a punch, get inside, or get away, and still punch with power and precision the way he does, is remarkable’” (Chicago Tribune 3-24-51:pt. 3, pg. 1).

Mch. 28 - Pavle Sovljanski, welterweight champion of Yugoslavia and all the Balkan countries, last night was elected captain of the [European] team. The honor is the highest compliment that the visitors could pay a teammate, and none is more deserving than the 23-year-old lad from behind the Iron Curtain. Sovljanski, who has a wife and two children in Belgrade, served four years in Marshal Tito’s Yugoslavian army fighting against the Germans. He was wounded twice” (Chicago Tribune 3-28-51:pt. 3, pg. 1).

Mch. 30 - Willard Henry L pts
European team vs. USA/Chicago Golden Gloves team (International Boxing Championships) [66.7kg]; Chicago, Illinois, USA. “Henry’s unorthodox style, coupled with the height that made him the tallest member of the Chicago team, proved too much for Sovljanski.... Pavle tried hard, but Willard hit him sufficiently for an easy decision victory” (Chicago Tribune 3-30-51:pt. 3, pg. 1). “Henry had an advantage in height and reach. Pavle danced in and out and scored points early, but Henry walked into his foe with determination and had him bleeding from the mouth with left jabs at the end of the first round. Sovljanski moved under Henry’s lead in the second round to pound a right to the body. However, the Slav did not carry his attack consistently and frequently sidestepped and turned to escape the counter-punch. Pavle’s blows cut Henry’s lips. The Slav received a cut over his left eye and almost went to the floor from body punches. Sovljanski tired in the third round and went on defense. Henry kept on op of his rival. When Henry slipped in his own corner near the end of the round and came up immediately, the crowd roared. There was no count. Boos greeted the decision” (Chicago Tribune 3-30-51:pt. 3, pg. 1). Attendance: 15,859.

Apr. 5 - Bobby Leeper W pts
European team vs. USA/Washington, DC Golden Gloves team (International Boxing Championships) [66.7kg]; Washington, DC, USA.

May 14 - Pal Budai (Hungary) L pts
European 63.5kg participant (lost in first series of the competition); Milan, Italy.

June 15 - Steiner Draw
Yugoslavia vs. Austria (60kg); Vienna, Austria.

xxxx - Yugoslavian national 63.5kg champion

Sept. 1 - Poggi W
Yugoslavia vs. Italy (63.5kg); Belgrade, Serbia.

Sept. 3 - Poggi W
Yugoslavia vs. Italy (63.5kg); Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

1952

June 6 - Vlahopoulus W
Yugoslavia vs. Greece (63.5kg); Belgrade, Serbia.

July 28 - Bela Farkas (Hungary) W 3-0

July 29 - Rene Weissmann (France) L disq 3
Olympic Games 63.5kg prticipant (lost in second series of the competition); Helsinki, Finland.

xxxx - Yugoslavian national 63.5kg champion

Oct. 4 - Schalek W
Yugoslavia vs. Austria (63.5kg); Belgrade, Serbia.

1953

Jan. 6 - Rigamonti W
Yugoslavia vs. Italy (63.5kg); Bologna, Italy.

Jan. 8 - Rafael Menunni W
Yugoslavia vs. Italy (63.5kg); Milan, Italy.

May 17 - Frantisek Witoviec (Czechoslovakia) W pts

May 19 - Terry Milligan (Northern Ireland) L pts
European 63.5kg participant (lost in second series of the competition); Warsaw, Poland.

Aug. 1 - Zvonko Tkalcic L
Yugoslavian national 63.5kg finalist; Belgrade, Serbia.

Sept. 8 - Darweesh Mustafa Nassim Draw
Yugoslavia vs. Egypt (67kg); Belgrade, Serbia.

Sept. 12 - Darweesh Mustafa Nassim W
Yugoslavia vs. Egypt (67kg); Skopje, Macedonia.

1954

1955

June 1 - Marian Ponanta (Poland) W rsc 2

June 3 - Nicholas Gargano (Great Britain) L pts
European 67kg semifinalist; West Berlin, Germany.

xxxx - Yugoslavian national 67k champion

1956

xxxx - Vlado Balantic W
Yugoslavian national 67kg champion