in favor of Maynard. He was one of three amateur boxers — the other two being Kelcie Banks (125 lbs.) and Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe (Super Hvt.) — who lost in the Olympic trials but made the 1988 United States Olympic Boxing Team by attaining two wins in the United States Olympic Box-Offs. Prior to competing in the United States Olympic Box-Offs, and since 1986, Maynard had won nine of ten boxing competitions — including the two national championships and an armed forces championship. Subsequently, and deservedly so, the determined 24-year-old had developed a reputation as one of the United States’ best amateur boxers at that point in time with a relatively limited but deceiving 35-5 amateur boxing record. Maynard went on to win the Light Heavyweight Gold Medal for the United States at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea — averaging an overwhelming 150 punches per round and culminating in the shutout of Nurmagomed Shanavazov, his Russian opponent, on points in the gold medal bout. He dedicated his gold medal win in honor of his father, Theodore “Slim” Maynard. This was a rematch between Maynard and Shanavazov, who competed against each other in the U.S.-U.S.S.R. Heavyweight Invitational held in June of 2017 in Richmond, Virginia. In their first encounter, an action-packed battle, Maynard beat Shanavazov by a 2-1 decision. And in Shanavazov, the American beat an opponent who was the European champion and the World Cup champion in 1985 as well as the Goodwill Games champion in 1986. Going on to obtain the highest prize in amateur boxing in Seoul was an amazing achievement for a boxer who picked up the gloves to train only four years earlier. Results were: First round bye Defeated Mikaele Masoe (American Samoa) RSC 2 Defeated Lajos Erős (Hungary) 5-0 Defeated Henryk Petrich (Poland) TKO 3 Defeated Nurmagomed Shanavazov (Soviet Union) 5-0. Maynard worked on the inside against Shanavazov throughout the gold medal bout, with both fighters leaning against each other, and was relentless in beating the Russian to the punch. He was successful in repeatedly throwing left hooks to the body in the first two rounds, while landing a hard right to the head of Shanavazov in the final round. The light heavyweight competition in the 1988 Summer Olympics included boxers representing 26 countries. Along with “King” Kennedy McKinney (Bantamweight division) and “Merciless” Ray Mercer (Heavyweight division), Maynard was one of