# Waldemar Holberg

Waldemar Birger Holberg was a Danish boxer. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark on May 29, 1883, he won the World Welterweight Championship on January 1, 1914, defeating Ray Bronson in Melbourne, Australia in a twenty round points decision. He was a fierce boxer with a KO percentage of 40% in the virtually complete boxing record displayed on BoxRec.

## Boxing career

Prior to his entry into the Olympics, Holberg was a five time amateur champion of Denmark. He won the featherweight division in 1902, and the lightweight division in 1903, 1905, 1907, and 1908. He qualified for the 1908 Summer Olympics, but was eliminated in the first round after losing to future welterweight world champion Matt Wells.
After the Olympics, Holberg turned professional making his debut in Denmark. He had a number of wins in Denmark and Germany but moved to England in 1912. After losing two bouts on disqualification, Holberg moved to Australia in 1913 fighting for the Australian lightweight title.

## Taking the Australian version of the world welterweight title

He had limited success in Australia, losing 6 out of 9 matches but on New Years Day, 1914 met American Ray Bronson in Melbourne in a bout recognized by the Australian boxing authorities as a World Welterweight title. Holberg won easily on points after 20 rounds. He held the title for only twenty-three days, losing it in Melbourne to Irishman Tom McCormick in a sixth round foul on January 24. By several accounts, Holberg sometimes fought with questionable tactics, and had lost five previous fights to fouls. For some reason, McCormick is more often recognized as a world welterweight boxing champion than Holberg.
After having lost the world title, he returned to Denmark only to lose two matches in Copenhagen to Danish veteran Dick Nelson on December 2, 1914, and February 14, 1915, one for the Scandinavian Welterweight title. Holberg had his last professional fight on August 29, 1921 when he was stopped in Vienna by Austrian Hans Hirschberger.
Holberg retired from professional boxing in 1921 after his loss to Hirschberger. He died in Vienna on March 18, 1927, at age 43.

## Professional boxing record

| 70 fights | 39 wins | 27 losses |
| By knockout | 28 | 7 |
| By decision | 10 | 12 |
| By disqualification | 1 | 8 |
| Draws | 4 | 4 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
| 70 | Loss | 39–27–4 | Hans Hirschberger | TKO | 9 (15) | Aug 29, 1921 | Sportplatz, Vienna, Austria-Hungary | |
| 69 | Loss | 39–26–4 | Willi Spoeri | TKO | 7 (10) | Jul 7, 1921 | Sportplatz, Vienna, Austria-Hungary | |
| 68 | Win | 39–25–4 | Holger Hansen | PTS | 12 | Feb 22, 1921 | Circus, Stockholm, Sweden | |
| 67 | Loss | 38–25–4 | Emanuel Jacobsen | DQ | 5 (15) | Sep 13, 1919 | Cirkus Variete, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 66 | Win | 38–24–4 | Johan Ekeroth | DQ | 15 (20) | Aug 1, 1919 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 65 | Loss | 37–24–4 | Georg Brustad | PTS | 15 | May 26, 1919 | Trondheim, Norway | |
| 64 | Win | 37–23–4 | Johan Ekeroth | PTS | 10 | Feb 2, 1919 | Oslo, Norway | |
| 63 | Win | 36–23–4 | Holger Hansen | TKO | 7 (?) | Dec 15, 1918 | Oslo, Norway | |
| 62 | Win | 35–23–4 | Fred Boston | KO | 6 (?) | Nov 2, 1918 | Oslo, Norway | |
| 61 | Win | 34–23–4 | Dick Nelson | PTS | 15 | Apr 9, 1918 | Turnhallen, Oslo, Norway | |
| 60 | Win | 33–23–4 | Frithjof Hansen | KO | 3 (15) | Feb 26, 1918 | Turnhallen, Oslo, Norway | |
| 59 | Win | 32–23–4 | Sam Brown | KO | 11 (?) | Jan 22, 1918 | Turnhallen, Oslo, Norway | |
| 58 | Win | 31–23–4 | Willy Carlsen | KO | 2 (?) | Nov 18, 1917 | Oslo, Norway | |
| 57 | Win | 30–23–4 | Johan Ekeroth | TKO | 11 (?) | Jun 6, 1917 | Oslo, Norway | |
| 56 | Win | 29–23–4 | Calle Svensson | TKO | 7 (?) | Sep 24, 1916 | Stockholm, Sweden | |
| 55 | Win | 28–23–4 | Calle Svensson | PTS | 10 | Sep 10, 1916 | Stockholm, Sweden | |
| 54 | Win | 27–23–4 | Emil Kjellberg | TKO | 7 (12) | Aug 11, 1916 | Idrottsplatsen, Råsunda, Sweden | |
| 53 | Loss | 26–23–4 | Jack Kid Greenstock | PTS | 10 | Feb 21, 1916 | Golders Green Hippodrome, Golders Green, London, England | |
| 52 | Loss | 26–22–4 | Willie Farrell | TKO | 7 (15) | Jan 3, 1916 | Hoxton Baths, Hoxton, London, England | |
| 51 | Loss | 26–21–4 | Willie Farrell | PTS | 15 | Oct 7, 1915 | Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England | |
| 50 | Loss | 26–20–4 | Billy Williams | PTS | 20 | Jul 19, 1915 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England | |
| 49 | Loss | 26–19–4 | Jim Prendy | PTS | 20 | Jun 12, 1915 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England | |
| 48 | Loss | 26–18–4 | Dai Roberts | KO | 7 (?) | Apr 24, 1915 | London, England | Location unknown |
| 47 | Win | 26–17–4 | Young Nipper | PTS | 10 | Apr 12, 1915 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road Matinee, Southwark, London, England | |
| 46 | Loss | 25–17–4 | Sapper McNeil | DQ | 13 (?) | Mar 20, 1915 | London, England | Location unknown |
| 45 | Loss | 25–16–4 | Dick Nelson | KO | 15 (20) | Feb 14, 1915 | Cirkus Bech-Olsen, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 44 | Loss | 25–15–4 | Dick Nelson | PTS | 20 | Dec 6, 1914 | Cirkus Bech-Olsen, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 43 | Loss | 25–14–4 | Tom McCormick | DQ | 6 (20) | Jan 24, 1914 | Baker's Stadium, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Lost world welterweight title |
| 42 | Win | 25–13–4 | Ray Bronson | PTS | 20 | Jan 1, 1914 | Baker's Stadium, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Won vacant world welterweight title |
| 41 | Loss | 24–13–4 | Alf Goodwin | DQ | 14 (20) | Dec 20, 1913 | Baker's Stadium, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | |
| 40 | Win | 24–12–4 | Frank Picato | TKO | 11 (20) | Nov 29, 1913 | Baker's Stadium, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | |
| 39 | Win | 23–12–4 | Len Porter | TKO | 8 (20) | Nov 15, 1913 | Baker's Stadium, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | |
| 38 | Loss | 22–12–4 | Young Nipper | PTS | 20 | Nov 1, 1913 | Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 37 | Loss | 22–11–4 | Hock Keys | PTS | 20 | Oct 18, 1913 | Olympic Stadium, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | |
| 36 | Win | 22–10–4 | Harry Puie | KO | 6 (20) | Oct 1, 1913 | Baker's Stadium, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | |
| 35 | Loss | 21–10–4 | Harry Thomas | DQ | 20 (20) | Sep 13, 1913 | Baker's Stadium, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | |
| 34 | Loss | 21–9–4 | Herb McCoy | PTS | 20 | Aug 30, 1913 | Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 33 | Loss | 21–8–4 | Hughie Mehegan | KO | 17 (20) | Jul 12, 1913 | Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 32 | Loss | 21–7–4 | Paul Brevieres | DQ | 11 (?) | Dec 20, 1912 | Élysée Montmartre, Paris, Paris, France | |
| 31 | Loss | 21–6–4 | Bill Johnson | DQ | 11 (?) | Dec 16, 1912 | Birmingham, West Midlands, England | |
| 30 | Loss | 21–5–4 | Bill Johnson | DQ | 10 (?) | Nov 4, 1912 | Sparkbrook Stadium, Birmingham, West Midlands, England | |
| 29 | Win | 21–4–4 | Jack Ward | KO | 1 (?) | Sep 30, 1912 | Birmingham, West Midlands, England | |
| 28 | Draw | 20–4–4 | Dick Lee | PTS | 10 | Aug 24, 1912 | The Ring, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, England | |
| 27 | Loss | 20–4–3 | Dick Nelson | PTS | 20 | Jun 33, 1912 | Cirkus Bech-Olsen, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 26 | Win | 20–3–3 | Bobby Dobbs | PTS | 20 | Feb 3, 1912 | Vienna, Austria-Hungary | |
| 25 | Win | 19–3–3 | Jerry Peterson | KO | 10 (?) | Dec 9, 1911 | Vienna, Austria-Hungary | |
| 24 | Win | 18–3–3 | Billy Gordon | KO | 15 (?) | Sep 17, 1911 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 23 | Win | 17–3–3 | Holger Hansen | KO | 4 (?) | Sep 3, 1911 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 22 | Draw | 16–3–3 | Jack Slim | PTS | 15 | Aug 22, 1911 | Berlin, Germany | |
| 21 | Win | 16–3–2 | Jimmy Butler | KO | 4 (?) | Aug 20, 1911 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 20 | Win | 15–3–2 | Paul Mond | KO | 4 (?) | Jul 23, 1911 | Berlin, Germany | |
| 19 | Win | 14–3–2 | Kid McGordon | PTS | 15 | Apr 23, 1911 | Vienna, Austria-Hungary | |
| 18 | Win | 13–3–2 | Eugen Legard | KO | 7 (?) | Dec 19, 1910 | Berlin, Germany | Location unknown |
| 17 | Win | 12–3–2 | Erik Mosuk | KO | 2 (?) | Dec 15, 1910 | Berlin, Germany | Location unknown |
| 16 | Win | 11–3–2 | H Paullian | KO | 4 (?) | Dec 5, 1910 | United States of America | Location unknown |
| 15 | Win | 10–3–2 | Alf Elreich | KO | 6 (?) | Sep 12, 1910 | Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany | |
| 14 | Win | 9–3–2 | M Lechleitner | KO | 2 (?) | Sep 9, 1910 | Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany | |
| 13 | Win | 8–3–2 | Alf Elreich | KO | 4 (?) | Apr 7, 1910 | Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany | |
| 12 | Win | 7–3–2 | M Muller | KO | 3 (?) | Apr 28, 1910 | Hamburg, Germany | |
| 11 | Win | 6–3–2 | E Van Dyk | KO | 5 (?) | Feb 7, 1910 | Location unknown | |
| 10 | Win | 5–3–2 | Billy Jackson | KO | 5 (?) | Jan 27, 1910 | Budapest, Austria-Hungary | |
| 9 | Loss | 4–3–2 | Dick Nelson | KO | 5 (15) | Jun 25, 1909 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 8 | Win | 4–2–2 | Frank | KO | 1 (?) | May 29, 1909 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 7 | Win | 3–2–2 | Emil Hemming Hansen | KO | 5 (?) | May 29, 1909 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 6 | Draw | 2–2–2 | Holger Hansen | PTS | 10 | Apr 25, 1909 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 5 | Win | 2–2–1 | John Jordan | PTS | 10 | Feb 21, 1909 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 4 | Loss | 1–2–1 | Jim Smith | PTS | ? | Dec 15, 1908 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 3 | Win | 1–1–1 | Johannes Hindsberg | PTS | ? | Dec 5, 1908 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 2 | Draw | 0–1–1 | Holger Hansen | PTS | ? | Dec 2, 1908 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 1 | Loss | 0–1 | Jim Smith | PTS | ? | Dec 1, 1908 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |