Juho Tolppola


Juho Tolppola is a Finnish professional boxer who has challenged twice for the European super-lightweight title in 2008. As an amateur he is a three-time Finnish national champion and a bronze medallist at the 2000 European Championships. From 2015 to 2017, Tolppola served a two-year ban from boxing due to doping.

Amateur career

In his amateur career, Tolppola scored 135 wins in 175 fights, including four consecutive medals at the Finnish national amateur championships: gold in 1998, 2000 and 2001, and silver in 1999. At the 2000 European Championships, he won a bronze medal in the flyweight division.

Professional career

Tolppola made his professional debut on 10 December 2001, winning a four-round points decision over Anton Vontszemu. His first opportunity at a regional championship came on 26 November 2004 against Michele Orlando for the vacant IBF International welterweight title. Fighting outside of Finland for the first time as a professional, Tolppola lost a narrow twelve-round split decision in Orlando's native Italy. Two months later, on 28 January 2005, Tolppola went on the road again, losing a ten-round points decision to David Barnes in Scotland.
Between 2007 and 2009, Tolppola challenged for both the European and European Union super-lightweight titles twice each, but lost all of these bouts. In his fourth attempt, against Giuseppe Lauri on 30 May 2009, the fight ended in a highly controversial manner when Tolppola was first disqualified after ten rounds due to repeated fouls, after which his father stormed the ring and punched the referee.
After taking a five-year break from the sport, Tolppola returned to the ring on 9 May 2014. He would score three consecutive wins by unanimous decision before challenging unbeaten Matias Laitinen for the vacant Finnish welterweight title on 23 May 2015. Tolppola won a wide ten-round unanimous decision, but in September the result was changed to a no contest after he failed a drugs test for the use of hydrochlorothiazide. The Finnish Professional Boxing Association subsequently handed Tolppola a two-year ban from boxing, effective from the Laitinen fight.
In April 2016, Tolppola announced his intention to appeal the decision, maintaining his innocence and calling into question the Association's testing procedures. This appeal was rejected by a court in June of that year, who determined that there were no sufficient grounds for lifting his ban. Boxing promoter Joona Jalkanen announced in October that Tolppola would return to the ring immediately after his ban was lifted, on 13 May 2017, and would be looking to challenge for a European title at some stage, but the fight did not take place.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
3325–6–1 Matias LaitinenUD1023 May 2015PowerPark, Kauhava, FinlandOriginally a UD win for Tolppola, later ruled an NC after he failed a drug test
32Win25–6–1Szabolcs SzaboUD625 Apr 2015Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland
31Win24–6–1Emanuele De ProphetisUD820 Sep 2014Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland
30Win23–6–1Suro IsmailovUD69 May 2014Urheilutalo, Helsinki, Finland
29Loss22–6–1Giuseppe Lauri10, 2:1030 May 2009Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, FinlandFor European Union super-lightweight title;
Tolppola disqualified for repeated fouls
28Win22–5–1Maurycy GojkoUD614 Feb 2009Pyynikin Palloiluhalli, Tampere, Finland
27Loss21–5–1Gianluca BrancoTKO9 19 Dec 2008PalaLido, Milan, ItalyFor European super-lightweight title
26Win21–4–1Walter Sergio GomezUD1018 Apr 2008Töölö Sports Hall, Helsinki, Finland
25Loss20–4–1Colin LynesUD1225 Jan 2008Goresbrook Leisure Centre, London, EnglandFor European super-lightweight title
24Draw20–3–1Alexander Saltykov4, 1:2122 Oct 2007Töölö Sports Hall, Helsinki, FinlandTD after Tolppola was cut from an accidental head clash
23Win20–3Arturs JaskulsUD618 May 2007Urheilutalo, Helsinki, Finland
22Loss19–3Michele di RoccoUD1230 Jan 2007Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, FinlandFor European Union super-lightweight title
21Win19–2Gabriel MapoukaUD106 Oct 2006Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland
20Win18–2Nikita ZaytsevUD105 May 2006Töölö Sports Hall, Helsinki, Finland
19Win17–2Arturs JaskulsUD625 Mar 2006Tervahalli, Kemi, Finland
18Win16–2Ariel Francisco BurgosUD1016 Jan 2006Töölö Sports Hall, Helsinki, Finland
17Win15–2Vadim GabrielyanTKO4, 1:2130 Sep 2005Studio 51, Helsinki, Finland
16Win14–2Ivo GolakovTKO3, 2:1618 Jun 2005Porvoo, Finland
15Win13–2Rozalin NasibulinUD64 Apr 2005Töölö Sports Hall, Helsinki, Finland
14Win12–2Adam ZadwornyKO4, 0:4319 Mar 2005Premi Nightclub, Helsinki, Finland
13Loss11–2David Barnes1028 Jan 2005Braehead Arena, Glasgow, Scotland
12Win11–1Deniss AleksejevsTKO4 10 Dec 2004Niiralan monttu, Kuopio, Finland
11Loss10–1Michele Orlando1226 Nov 2004PalaSegesta, Calatafimi-Segesta, ItalyFor vacant IBF International welterweight title
10Win10–0Alvaro Moreno GamboaUD84 Sep 2004Levi, Kittilä, Finland
9Win9–0Pavel NemecekTKO4 16 Jul 2004Helsinki, Finland
8Win8–0Leonti VorontsukUD823 Apr 2004Myyrmäki Sporthouse, Vantaa, Finland
7Win7–0Patrik ProkopeczTKO5 28 Feb 2004Hotel Lapinportti, Rovaniemi, Finland
6Win6–0Tibor Rafael2, 0:3713 Dec 2003Aladdin Bar & Night Club, Espoo, Finland
5Win5–0Andrei KomiaginTKO2 17 May 2003Jatuli, Haukipudas, Finland
4Win4–0Oscar BlancoUD615 Feb 2003Töölö Sports Hall, Helsinki, Finland
3Win3–0Konstantin Flachbart2 13 Sep 2002City Civil Defence Shelter, Kirkkonummi, Finland
2Win2–0Sergei LazarenkoUD47 Feb 2002City Civil Defence Shelter, Kirkkonummi, Finland
1Win1–0Anton Vontszemu410 Dec 2001Ice Hall, Helsinki, Finland