Marijan Beneš

Marijan Beneš was a Yugoslavian boxer from Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is considered one of the best boxers in Yugoslav history. After a brilliant amateur career, culminating in the gold medal in European Amateur Boxing Championships in Belgrade, he turned professional in 1977, and won the European Boxing Union title in the light welterweights in 1979. Next year he fought for the WBA World super welterweight title but lost to title holder Ayub Kalule on points. Beneš withdrew from the ring in 1983, after a severe eye injury. In 2020 he was named as the best Bosnian boxer in 20th century.