Fred Tiedt, whose death has taken place in Dublin at the age of 63, fits comfortably into any list of the finest amateur boxers this country has produced.
A supreme stylist who was at the centre of the sport in the 1950s, he will be best remembered for his achievements during the Olympic Games at Melbourne in 1956.
Ironically, he was beaten in the national championship earlier that year by his arch rival Harry Perry but, to the surprise of many, the IABA ordered the two to box in a trial for the welterweight position in the Olympic squad. Tiedt vindicated his supporters' faith by reversing the championship result, one of three decisions he held over Perry in a six-bout series which captivated the public over a number of years.
With Perry dropping down to the light welterweight division Tiedt put together some outstanding performances in Melbourne to reach the final against the Romanian Nicholai Linca. Unfortunately his luck ran out at that point and in a decision which was rated as one of the worst of the championships three of the five judges voted against him.
Two years later, he followed Freddie Gilroy and John Caldwell, both bronze medallists at the Melbourne Games, into professional boxing, but after some impressive performances he was beaten by Boswell St Louis.
Although he later avenged that defeat, it had an inhibiting effect on his professional career. Reluctant to adjust to the different priorities of the paid game, he never made his expected impact as a professional and retired in the mid-1960s.
One of four brothers who all enjoyed success as amateurs, Fred continued to fill an influential role in his chosen sport after his retirement, first as coach to the Dublin University club and later as a referee in professional boxing.
A supreme ambassador for boxing, with an endearing facility to understate his substantial achievements, Fred Tiedt will be recalled as one of those who gave the lie to the theory that gentlemen have no place in one of the most physically demanding of all sporting disciplines.
