Gert PUZICHA

In 1968 in Mexico City, boxer Gerd Puzicha participated in the light-welterweight category, but was eliminated in the second round by upcoming bronze medal winner Arto Nilsson from Finland. He was called the greatest boxer in Essen and earned five West German national titles (1966, 1968, and 1970-72). He won 237 out of 268 bouts in his amateur career.

Puzicha later built up a boxing section at TuSEM Essen and coached young talents. By profession he was a fireman. In his later years he suffered from severe depression and committed suicide by drowning in the Ruhr in 2012. Only a few days earlier he visited the Knappschaftskrankenhaus in Essen for unknown reasons.