Remembering Tony Madigan
By Anthony Cocks
Olympic boxing bronze medallist Tony Madigan, perhaps best known for his two bouts against Muhammed Ali during his celebrated amateur career, passed away on the weekend. He was 87.
Madigan was Australia’s most successful amateur boxer, competing as a middleweight at the 1952 Olympics and a light heavyweight at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics where he finished fifth, fifth and third respectively.
Madigan is perhaps best known for his bronze medal performance at the Rome Olympics when he lost to eventual gold medal winner Muhammad Ali – then known as Cassius Clay – in the semi-final. Ali would famously go on to win the gold.
It was a close fight and many knowledgeable observers felt Madigan had done enough to win a decision against Ali. Bud Palmer, a presenter for American broadcaster CBS, said at the time that he felt Clay had been defeated by the formidable Australian.
Years later, Madigan reflected on the loss to Ali in Rome.
“No, I wasn’t concerned at all when I learned I had to fight him in the semi. I thought I’d beat him.
“You see, I thought I had learned how to beat him. In retrospect, it was the way for anyone to beat Clay. The tack was not to push him. I was always an attacking fighter. I think I quelled my instincts a bit in there and made him come to me.
“Attacking Clay, you are a beautiful target for a counter-punch. He’s a marvellous counter-puncher. You know how he throws batches of six or eight in a flurry. And a lot of that’s counter-punches.
“I thought my best chances, because he’s a straight puncher mostly, was it I could slip his straight punches and hook.
“Obviously, as his later career showed, he’s quite vulnerable to a left hook. His jaw was broken by Joe Frazier with a left hook, Henry Cooper put him down with a left hook, a lot of people have hit him with a left hook.
“And I hit him with a left hook. I shook him once. It was that close that a couple of good punches would have made the difference.”
It was the second time Madigan and Ali had met in the boxing ring. A year earlier the pair had boxed at an Intercity Golden Gloves championship in Chicago where Ali had won on points.
In addition to his Olympic exploits, Madigan also claimed three medals at the Commonwealth Games in the light heavyweight division – a silver in 1954 and gold in 1958 and 1962.
Madigan didn’t just excel in individual sports. Along with his boxing career, he was also a successful rugby player where he generally played breakaway or fly-half. He made 14 first grade appearances for Randwick Rugby Club in 1950, scoring two tries, and also competed for Eastern Suburbs Rugby Club in 1951, 1957 and 1963. As an ex-pat he played for Harlequins Rugby Club in London and for Westchester Rugby Club in New York. In 1960 and 1962 he represented the United States Eastern Rugby Union in a game against Quebec Province in Montreal.
Away from boxing Madigan capitalised on his rugged good looks with a part-time career in modelling and acting. Madigan was struck by wanderlust early in life and spent a lot of time traveling and living abroad. His later years were spent in France.
Madigan was inducted into the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame in 2010 in the Veterans category.
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