Acquiring gold from the Olympic Games remains one of the most coveted achievements known to man. The feat symbolizes the highest level of conquest.  Although the Olympic competitions have an array of highly regarded contests, one in particular still remains the definitive battle of all…boxing.

The thought of one individual trying to attain victory without the assistance of a team attracts a different level of attention. It’s a unique form of competitive nature that brings extraordinary gratification when triumphant, but extreme crippling consequences at the hands of defeat. To go out and perform at this level with so much to endure, both physically and emotionally, it is only fitting that these athletes be recognized for such fortitude.    The Olympics is the ultimate destination to prove you’re the greatest at your craft. It matches the best opposition in the world against one another, without the politics and money of professional sports. Those who prevail utilize their fame to help catapult their careers to superstardom and financial freedom. Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, to name just a couple, made use of these benefits and have gone on to become American Darlings.The American team has produced remarkable fight squads over the years, but one stable that stands out specifically is the 1984 team. What separates them from their predecessors and successors is that they were the largest group of Olympic graduates to become champions and develop into dominant forces of their era, some even making all-time pound for pound lists.From the very start endless opportunities were in the grasp of this young group of men.  

Below is the roster of this team that will be forever remembered:
​Fighter   Weight Class & Accomplishments

Paul Gonzales   106 – Would go on to challenge legend Orlando Canizales for the IBF bantamweight title

Steven McCrory 112- Would go on to challenge legend Jeff Fenech for the IBF bantamweight title

Robert Shannon 119- Went undefeated in first fifteen professional fights

Meldrick Taylor 125- Two division champion fought in match of the decade in the 1990s, coming within seconds of beating Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez

Pernell Whitaker 132 - Multiple division champion considered one of the pound-for-pound greatest fighters of the century

Jerry Page  139 - Went on to become a competitive professional fighter

Mark Breland  147- Held record for winning five New York Golden Gloves’ championships, compiled an amateur record of 110-1, and became two-time welterweight champion of the world

Frank Tate  156 - Won IBF middleweight championship and became a multi-division challenger

Virgil Hill  165 - Won and unified light heavyweight championship; Earned WBA cruiserweight title

Evander Holyfield 178 - Won and unified cruiserweight and heavyweight championships, along with holding all-time record of winning heavyweight championship four times;he is considered by some to be one of the best ever in the heavyweight division

Henry Tillman  201 - Fought for cruiserweight championship of the world              

​Tyrell Biggs  +201 - Former heavyweight contender; competed against heavyweight legends Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson

​The team went on to win 11 medals, nine of which were gold, which was an amazing feat. Critics speculate this accomplishment isn’t as astonishing as it appears, due to the absence of the Russian and Cuban teams. In rebuttal, I want to point out the majority of the fighters from the 84’ team remained on the top of their divisions in the pros for a number of years, long enough for any formidable challenge to arise from these countries.The majority of these men’s careers have come to a close and for some fans a distant memory. While some of these men found success after retirement, others have experienced tribulations in life outside the ring that have changed the public’s persona of them.  One fact remains:  Their legacies must be held to the highest level of respect.

​As I so often point out, boxing is one of the toughest challenges to endure as a human being, but also the most common practice of man trying to show his superiority.  Since this time in history, our Olympic boxing team seems to be gradually slipping into a fatal coma year after year. Although we’ve produced a number of great fighters since, as a whole, we have lost our dominance. The writing is on the wall, and boxing has been injected with the same pollution as the rest of our areas of life.Boxing represents one the oldest and traditional forms of showing a countries resilience. America has strived over the years in an effort to be the best in this field.  Lately, we seem to downplay the importance of this event because of the success other countries are experiencing.  It seems America would rather save face in front of its world audience and concoct another smoking mirror approach than to confront the fact that hungrier nations are out willing us by the day. This is not only obvious in the world of boxing, but apparent in many areas, including our financial and work sectors.

Now, after digesting that analogy, I hope the public realizes that this team represents more than a feel good Hollywood story. These men should be remembered as one of the last American generations that demonstrated the patience, work ethic, dedication and attitude to aquire and maintain renowned fame.I’ll take you even one step further. Evander Holyfield is the last man standing from this bunch of gladiators. He is an active example of this character I am referring too. Still fighting in the twilight years of his late-forties, Holyfield is driven to show today’s generation that Americans are still the strongest force in the world by trying to capture another world championship at his age.I recently had the opportunity to interview Mr.  Holyfield about these topics.We tip our hats off to Mr. Holyfield on his latest comeback and wish him luck on his endeavor to become five-time heavyweight champion.In conclusion, I hope this story will shed light on the importance this team stands for and will serve as an inspiration to generations to come.I would like to inform my dedicated readers that I have decided to proceed with a book on the 1984 Olympic Boxing Team. To assure this project receives the attention it deserves, I have partnered with veteran journalist Richard Mancuso, and novel-writer and photographer Taylor Hallman. There has also been a commitment of a forward by the legendary Bert Sugar.  I will continue to keep you posted as this project develops.