Eddie Blay

Edward " Eddie" Blay ( born November 9, 1937 in Accra, † October 15, 2006 ) was a Ghanaian welterweight boxer.

Amateur career

At the inaugural African Championships in Cairo in 1962, he won the lightweight class. He repeated in 1964 in Accra as Halbweltergewichtler success. 1966 in Lagos, he lost the final of the welterweight category Joseph Bessala from Cameroon. Furthermore won Blay also at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth in 1962 and 1966 in Kingston.

In 1964 he won at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the bronze medal in the light welterweight, he lost in the semi-final against Poland Jerzy Kulej on points.

Pro career

In 1967 he became a professional. His career came only after the third fight he lost against the Italians Aldo Mondora for points in motion. He put down a series of nineteen victories, but then lost in September 1970 in Italy on points against Silvano Bertini. In February 1973, his first title fight was for the vacant Commonwealth light-welterweight title. Blay lost to Canadians Clyde Gray on points.

His two attempts to become African champions failed. In March 1974, he lost to Salam Ouedraogo from the Ivory Coast by TKO in round thirteen. In November of the same year Blay suffered a point defeat against the Cameroonian Joseph Bessala. After another two fights he hung in May 1975 his boxing gloves on the nail.

Honors

• Grand Cross of the National Order of Ghana, one of the highest national honors in Ghana