Robert Lous Olin (July 4, 1908 – December 16, 1956) was an American professional boxer who held the world light heavyweight title in 1934. A former New York Golden Gloves champion, Olin began boxing at the Educational Alliance on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and turned professional in 1929.
Olin won the New York State Athletic Commission world light heavyweight title by defeating Maxie Rosenbloom at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 1934. He lost the title to John Henry Lewis the following year and unsuccessfully challenged Lewis in a 1937 rematch. Trained by Ray Arcel and managed by Harold Scadron, Olin retired from boxing in 1939 with a record of 55 wins, 27 losses, and 4 draws.Silver, Mike, "Stars in the Ring", (2016), Roman and Littelfield, Guilford, Connecticut, pgs. 209-10 He later served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II and operated restaurants in New York City.
Early life and career Olin was born on July 4, 1908, to a Jewish family in New York's crowded Lower East Side, and raised in Brooklyn. Like several outstanding Jewish boxers of his era, he began boxing at the Lower East Side's Educational Alliance on East Broadway, a settlement house for Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. After graduating from Erasmus High, he attended Fordham Law School for two years while working as a messenger for a Wall Street brokerage office. Early in his boxing career, Olin continued to broker the sale of bonds as a side line."Bob Olin Victor Over Champion", The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pg. 8, 17 November 1934Went to Fordham Law School in "Fatal Heart Attack Claims Bob Olin", Valley Morning Star, Harlingen, Texas, pg. 6, 17 December 1956
Boxing as an amateur, Olin won the New York City Golden Gloves Light Heavyweight Open Championship in 1928. On March 24, 1928, he competed in the Inter-City Golden Gloves Competition in Chicago. He won all 35 of his amateur fights, as well as the New York Metropolitan Amateur Athletic Union title, and turned professional in 1929.
Early career 1930-31 On April 10, 1930, Olin defeated George LaRocco in a six-round points decision at Lennox Sporting Club in New York."Fight Results", The Evening Times, Sayre, Pennsylvania, pg. 12, 10 April 1930
On June 3, 1930, Olin met Ralph Ficucello, a former 1929 New York Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion, at Queensboro Stadium in Queens, New York. Though outweighed by 12 pounds, Olin pulled off the victory of the fellow Golden Gloves champion in an eight-round points decision."Fight Results", The Evening Times, Sayre, Pennsylvania, pg. 8, 4 June 1930
On October 22, 1930, Olin bested Willard Dix in a hard-fought ten round points decision at New York's Madison Square Garden. Olin floored Dix for a nine count in the fourth and ninth rounds. In the rough match, Olin was down for nine in the fourth himself."Olin Decisions Dix in Ten Hard Rounds", Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota, pg. 17, 23 October 1930"Bout Stopped", The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio, pg. 15, 23 October 1930
Olin took a ten-round decision against Joe Banovic near the end of 1930 at Madison Square Garden. It was a dull, close, mauling bout with little boxing or long range blows, and the decision was unpopular with many fans, but Banovic was an accomplished opponent and the win helped pave Olin's path toward a light heavyweight championship attempt"Banovic Loses Tame Fight to Bob Olin", Press and Sun Bulletin, Binghamton, New York, pg. 14, 20 December 1930
On July 27, 1931, Olin defeated Al Gainer, a determined World Light Heavyweight Championship contender, in a ten-round bout at White City Stadium in New Haven, Connecticut. Gainer led in the early rounds, but Olin came through in the ninth and tenth to win the referee's decision. A light rain hampered the outdoor match in the fifth and sixth rounds. From his corner, trainer Ray Arcel assisted Olin in the strategically fought bout."Bob Olin Outpoints Al Gainer at New Haven", Hartford Courant, Hartford, Connecticut, pg. 13, 28 July 1931
1931 NBA Light Heavy tournament On December 18, 1931, Olin achieved a fourth-round knockout of Tait Littman in the opening round of the National Boxing Association World Light Heavyweight Tournament at Chicago Stadium. Olin's telling blow was a left hook delivered with Littman against the ropes."Tait Littman K.O. Victim at NBA Light Heavyweight Meet", The Post-Crescent, Appleton, Wisconsin, pg. 15, 19 December 1931 Twelve days later in the tournament's second round on December 30, Olin won over Cylde Chastain in a ten-round split decision. Though many in the crowd believed Chastain had outboxed Olin in the opening rounds, Olin was awarded the decision due to his strong finish in the closing rounds."Billy Jones Looks Good in Victory", Lansing State Journal, Lansing, Michigan, pg. 9, 31 December 1931 In his final round of the tournament, Olin lost a ten-round decision to Baxter Calmes on January 15, 1932.
Lead up to the Light Heavy title, 1933-34 On February 15, 1932, at New York's St. Nicholas Arena Olin broke his right hand placing three smashing rights to the jaw of Arthur Hittick in the first, and he lost the bout as a result. Though he managed to finish the bout, he was unable to use his right hand for uppercuts or to block as effectively, and Hittick countered with blows to the body in the remaining rounds."Broken Bone Brings Defeat to Bob Olin", The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, pg. 22, 16 February 1922
Al Gainer handed Olin a disappointing loss in their third meeting on September 1, 1932, in a ten-round points decision at West Haven, Connecticut. Gainer gave Olin a "terrific battering during the last two rounds". Gainer was an aspiring Light Heavyweight Contender and a Connecticut State Light Heavyweight Champion with a strong punch and may have outpowered the lighter punching Olin this match. Regardless, Olin won in two of their four meetings and drew one."Gainer Shellacks Olin", The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pg. 14, 2 September 1932 The battle was close until the ninth when a barrage of punches by Gainer left Olin nearly helpless, and with cuts below both eyes."Al Gainer Rallies to Defeat Olin", Hartford Courier, Hartford, Connecticut, pg. 16, 2 September 1932
Olin took a six-round points decision on October 9, 1933, at Madison Square Garden against Black boxer Ed "Unknown" Winston. A right cross to the head sent Winston to the deck for a no count in the first, and he connected with fewer punches than he received in the rough rounds that followed.Neil, Edward, J., "Unknown Gets Licked",The Wilkes-Barre Record, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, pg. 14, 10 October 1933
On November 17, 1933, Olin just managed to win the decision in a hard-fought eight round bout with Charley Massera at Madison Square Garden. There were no knockdowns in the close match, but the close victory bolstered Olin's confidence after he failed to win the NBA Light Heavyweight Tournament.Neil, Edward, J., "Hamas Cops Decision in Ten Rounds", Democrat and Chronicle, pg. 16, 18 November 1933
Olin lost to Lou Brouillard, former National Boxing Association World Welterweight Champion, on January 19, 1934, in a ten-round split decision in New York's Madison Square Garden. Broulliard had lost his World Welterweight Title only a few months before meeting Olin, yet a depression era crowd of only 4,000 saw the bout at the Garden. Brouillard lost the second and fourth rounds from low blow fouls, but in the remaining rounds, he took the offensive and Olin had to hold or back away at times to remain in the fight. Late in the eighth, Olin scored with a few smashes to the head of Brouillard that only made Brouillard's fight harder in the following round. In the ninth, Olin was nearly doubled over from Brouilard's powerful blows to the body. In the close decision, Judge Jack Britton, former Welterweight Champion, dissented from the other judge and referee, and cast the only score sheet for Olin.Dunkly, Charles, "Brouillard Hammers Olin's Body to Win Split Decision", Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, New York, pg. 14, 20 January 1934 On April 5, Olin lost to Brouillard for a final time in a ten-round points decision at the Arena in New Haven, Connecticut.
On May 25, 1934, Olin scored a TKO against Bob Godwin 50 seconds into the first round at Legion Stadium in Hollywood. Olin charged to the middle of the ring, and landed a left hook to the chin of Godwin only five seconds into the bout, immediately dropping him for a no count. Olin briefly floored him again after he arose. Godwin resumed fighting only to face a two fisted assault from Olin against the ropes that sank him to the canvas for the final time for a count of seven. After Godwin tentatively struggled to his feet, the referee stopped the bout. The win helped Olin recover his confidence from his losses to Brouillard."Bob Olin Stops Godwin in First", The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, pg. 21, 23, 26 May 1934First fall to the mat in five seconds in "Bob Olin KO's Godwin in First Round of Bout", The Daily Times News, Burlington, North Carolina, pg. 1, 26 May 1934
World Light Heavy title, 1934 On November 16, 1934, he won the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC's) World Light Heavyweight championship in a listless, fifteen-round match before a modest crowd of 7300 from Maxie Rosenbloom at New York's famed Madison Square Garden. After fifteen dull rounds, Olin won the decision to an opponent who many ringside believed was totally disinterested in maintaining his title. A small amount of contact in the first round probably gave the points advantage to Rosenbloom, particularly since Olin was called for a low blow. Though there was limited real fighting in the first thirteen rounds, Olin was responsible for most of it, usually going to the body of his opponent. Rosenbloom was on the defensive until the last two or three rounds, when he opened up with a few brief slugging attacks. Both judges agreed with the verdict for Olin giving no more than four rounds to his opponent, but the referee sided for Rosenbloom, giving him eight rounds in the close match."Olin Snares Title in Tiresome Match", The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pg. 17, 17 November 1934Hughes, Ed, "Ed Hughes Column", The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, pg. 6, 17 November 1934 The United Press added to the dissent from the boxing public by going against the official ruling, giving ten rounds to Rosenbloom, only four to Olin, with one even. The dullness of the bout caused some fans to suspect a fix, but the suspicion was never proven.The AP voted for Rosenbloom in "Bob Olin Victor Over Champion", The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pg. 8, 17 November 1934
Boxing as Light Heavyweight Champion, Olin humbled Henry Firpo in a third-round knockout at the Convention Hall in Asbury Park, New Jersey on September 20, 1935. Firpo was unable to mount a defense against Olin's consistent blows to the body which nearly downed him by the end of the second round, though he was saved by the bell. He answered the third round's opening bell, but went down for the count with another harsh round of body blows from Olin. Firpo had been an unsuccessful participant in the November 1931, NBA Middleweight Championship elimination tournament in Milwaukee, though he won his first two rounds."Bob Olin Stops Firpo in Asbury Park Ring", The Courier News, Bridgewater, New Jersey, 21 September 1935
Loss of Light Heavy title, 1935