Boxing career
Stepulov took up boxing in 1927 and in 1933–37 won six consecutive Estonian titles. At the 1936 Olympics he won his first four bouts and dominated the first round of the final against Imre Harangi of Hungary. Yet Harangi performed better in the last two rounds, despite having both eyebrows swollen and cut open, and won by a close decision. Next year Stepulov narrowly lost the European final against Herbert Nürnberg. In 1938 he turned professional and fought in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany with a record of 5 wins (4 by knockout), 5 losses and 1 draw. His career was cut short by World War II. He attempted to return to boxing in 1945, but retired after placing second at the Estonian championships.World War II and after
During his boxing career Stepulov served in the Estonian Army as a private, and was promoted to corporal for his Olympic success. In 1937 he worked as a messenger at the Ministry of Economic Affairs. In 1940, when Soviet troops entered Estonia, he enlisted to the Soviet militia and was appointed as a group leader responsible for collecting weapons from the Estonian Defence League (EDL). On 21 June 1940, when an EDL group came to give up their weapons, he ordered to fire at them, killing 17 and wounding more than 12 people. The order was condemned both by Estonians and the Soviet authorities. Stepulov was arrested and spent most of the war in a Soviet prison. After that he returned to Estonia and took odd jobs as a factory worker, turf cutter,References
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* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stepulov, Nikolai 1913 births 1968 deaths Sportspeople from Narva People from Saint Petersburg Governorate Estonian male boxers Lightweight boxers Olympic boxers of Estonia Boxers at the 1936 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists for Estonia Olympic medalists in boxing Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics Estonian people of Russian descent Estonian communists Estonian people of World War II Soviet military personnel of World War II Burials at Metsakalmistu