Hugh Roddin
Encyclopedia
Hugh Joseph Roddin (March 10, 1887 – March 3, 1954) was an Olympic
boxer
from Scotland
. He was the first Scottish boxer to win an Olympics boxing medal when he took home the bronze
in 1908.http://www.olympic.org/en/content/All-Olympic-results-since-1896/?AthleteName=roddin&Category=&Games=&Sport=&Event=&MenGender=false&WomenGender=false&MixedGender=false&TeamClassification=false&IndividualClassification=false&Continent=&Country=&GoldMedal=false&SilverMedal=false&BronzeMedal=false&WorldRecord=false&OlympicRecord=false&TargetResults=true
Roddin was raised in the Newbigging district of Musselburgh
in East Lothian
. He won a silver trophy in an open boxing championship at the Pavilion Theatre in Musselburgh in 1906 before he moved to the United States
. The building that he trained and fought in is being refurbished and used as a museum of Scottish boxing, including a display of Hugh Roddin memorabilia.
Hugh Roddin won his bronze medal at the 1908 London Olympics. He was a featherweight
(57 kg). They had not originally planned to include boxing in the 1908 Olympics, so it was held after all of the other events, in October. His fight was a 37 bout marathon session that started at 11:25 am and went until 10:30 pm. Because of its being held after all other summer Olympics events in 1908, 32 of the 42 entrants were from Great Britain, including all of the featherweght medalists. Of the ten overseas entrants, nine were defeated in their first bout.
Roddin had a 23 win and no defeat record, according to Brian Donald of Arran Crescent, Kirkcaldy in his research for a book on Scottish boxing history entitled "The Fight Game in Scotland". This book devotes a complete chapter to Hugh Roddin. One of the fights was held in the old Vanderbilt Athletic Club in the Ninth Ward before World War I
.
He was the boxing coach at the American Legion in Rosedale
, Long Island
, New York and he taught his nephew Harold (Sonny) and many other boys the finer points of boxing. Sonny would go from Bayside to Rosedale many a Saturday night, go to the Legion and then home.
Hugh Roddin (Hugh's nephew) tells a story that when Hugh Roddin was in his late years he was approached in the park by a mugger to give up his wallet. Hugh reached into his coat as if to grab the wallet - and came out with a punch to knock the young man down. The young man was so stunned he got up and ran away. An old boxer never loses his punch is what Hugh had said.
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He was the first Scottish boxer to win an Olympics boxing medal when he took home the bronze
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in 1908.http://www.olympic.org/en/content/All-Olympic-results-since-1896/?AthleteName=roddin&Category=&Games=&Sport=&Event=&MenGender=false&WomenGender=false&MixedGender=false&TeamClassification=false&IndividualClassification=false&Continent=&Country=&GoldMedal=false&SilverMedal=false&BronzeMedal=false&WorldRecord=false&OlympicRecord=false&TargetResults=true
Roddin was raised in the Newbigging district of Musselburgh
Musselburgh
Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre.-History:...
in East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
. He won a silver trophy in an open boxing championship at the Pavilion Theatre in Musselburgh in 1906 before he moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The building that he trained and fought in is being refurbished and used as a museum of Scottish boxing, including a display of Hugh Roddin memorabilia.
Hugh Roddin won his bronze medal at the 1908 London Olympics. He was a featherweight
Featherweight
Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:...
(57 kg). They had not originally planned to include boxing in the 1908 Olympics, so it was held after all of the other events, in October. His fight was a 37 bout marathon session that started at 11:25 am and went until 10:30 pm. Because of its being held after all other summer Olympics events in 1908, 32 of the 42 entrants were from Great Britain, including all of the featherweght medalists. Of the ten overseas entrants, nine were defeated in their first bout.
Roddin had a 23 win and no defeat record, according to Brian Donald of Arran Crescent, Kirkcaldy in his research for a book on Scottish boxing history entitled "The Fight Game in Scotland". This book devotes a complete chapter to Hugh Roddin. One of the fights was held in the old Vanderbilt Athletic Club in the Ninth Ward before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
He was the boxing coach at the American Legion in Rosedale
Rosedale
- Australia :* Rosedale, New South Wales* Rosedale, Queensland* Rosedale, Victoria* Rosedale, South Australia. The former Rosenthal.- Canada :* Rosedale, British Columbia* Rosedale, Calgary* Rosedale, Manitoba, rural municipality in the province of Manitoba....
, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York and he taught his nephew Harold (Sonny) and many other boys the finer points of boxing. Sonny would go from Bayside to Rosedale many a Saturday night, go to the Legion and then home.
Hugh Roddin (Hugh's nephew) tells a story that when Hugh Roddin was in his late years he was approached in the park by a mugger to give up his wallet. Hugh reached into his coat as if to grab the wallet - and came out with a punch to knock the young man down. The young man was so stunned he got up and ran away. An old boxer never loses his punch is what Hugh had said.