three Americans to capture gold for the 1988 United States Olympic Boxing Team in Seoul. He was the first American to win the Light Heavyweight Gold Medal since Leon Spinks in 1976. Maynard is one of seven Americans to win the Light Heavyweight Gold Medal in the history of the Olympic Games, including Muhammad Ali in 1960. Maynard received a hero’s welcome immediately upon his return to his home state of Maryland, as he was honored along with other Marylanders who participated in the 1988 Summer Olympics by both the Governor of Maryland and the Maryland Legislature at public ceremonies held at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland. In typical Maynard fashion, and upon learning that a teacher in Arbutus, Maryland got up in the middle of the night to clean and repair the United States Olympic opening ceremony team jacket and pants that Maynard had damaged on the red eye plane flight from Colorado back to Maryland, he refused to attend the Annapolis celebrations scheduled later in the morning until he first paid a surprise visit to the teacher’s special education school to pose for photos with students in a makeshift boxing ring constructed with broom sticks and rope and with the theme song from “Rocky” resonating in the background. Professional career Following the Olympics, Maynard made the decision to move to Laurel, Maryland where he began his professional career by signing with the management team of “Sugar” Ray Leonard and Mike Trainer. Maynard was one of five Olympic medalists making their professional debuts on February 24, 1989 in a boxing card held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He knocked out Zack Worthy at 2:49 of the first round. Maynard, competing in the light heavyweight division (175 lbs), quickly became known for his hard hitting along with his outgoing personality and trademark smile. Maynard’s classic one-punch “KO” of Arthur “Butch” Hall in August of 1989, a punch described in the live telecast as a “freight train right”, was featured on a video of “Boxing’s Greatest Hits.” His boxing monikers included “BAM” (“Boxing Andrew Maynard”) and “Smilin’ Drew”. Maynard beat Mike Sedillo for the NABF Light Heavyweight Title by a majority decision on April 1, 1990 in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Although knocked down twice in the sixth round, Maynard consistently landed punches with both hands throughout the 12-round bout — outpunching Sedillo by a whopping 1,046 to 355 margin.