Franz Dorfer
# Franz Dorfer

Franz Dorfer (20 May 1950 – 8 January 2012) was an Austrian boxer. As an amateur he won a bronze medal at the 1975 European Championships and competed at the 1976 Olympics, where he was eliminated in the first bout, to Iranian boxer Mohamed Azarhazin. After the Olympics he turned professional and competed in 36 bouts between 1977 and 1986, winning 23 of them.

Dorfer was born to a family of farmers, and was trained as a cheesemaker in his youth. Later he completed his military service in Sankt Pölten, and studied to become a gendarmerie in Mödling. In 1972 he become a member of the boxing club BC Schwarz Weiß in Vienna. Only one year later he won his first of four consecutive Austrian championship titles in light-middleweight (1973–1976). At the 1975 European championships he earned the bronze medal after he won against Kalevi Kosunen and Ilya Ilyev (BUL), but lost in the semi-finals against Wiesław Rudkowski, Up to 2012 this is the last medal won by any Austrian boxer at European championships. The following year Dorfer lost in the first round at the Olympics and turned professional in 1977. He had 36 bouts (23 wins – 11 losses – 2 draws) between 1977 and 1986. Two of his 19 knockout wins came against Edip Secevic who later became WAA world champion. Dorfer, who was married and a father of two daughters, died in 2012 after battling a long illness.

