Lillen Eklund (“Tiny Eklund”) turned professional after the 1980 Olympic Games, and fought through 1990. He fought for the European heavyweight title in 1985 against Steffen Tangstad, winning the bout by a TKO in the fourth round. He lost the title later that year when knocked out by Frank Bruno in the fourth round. Eklund again won the European Heavyweight Championship in 1987, knocking out Alfredo Evangelista in the seventh round. But he again lost the title in his next bout against Italy’s Francesco Damiani. In 1989 Eklund won the Americas Heavyweight Championships, defeating Philipp Brown by unanimous decision, after getting off the mat in sixth round. Eklund fought twice more, losing to Tim Witherspoon later in 1989, and then ending his career with a unanimous decision over Garing Lane in May 1990. After his boxing career, Eklund worked in various trades, touring as troubadour, counseling troubled youths, and working as a carpenter.
Sweden