John Lepak
8/17/2007

Through the years in boxing circles, there has always been and always will be “who was the greatest US Olympic Team”?  Well, when you line up the boxers side-by-side, its an interesting debate.  I have had many of these debates with friends in the sport like Mark Breland and Mike Tyson.   While the US has produced some great teams through the years, 99 out of 100 conversations about Olympic Boxing will come down to the 1984 and 1976 teams.   Lets take a closer look at the 76’ and 84’ teams side by side. 

 

1976 -- Montreal, Canada                                         1984 -- Los Angeles, California, USA

106: Louis Curtis, Washington, D.C.                 106: Paul Gonzales, Los Angeles, Calif. (Gold)
112: Leo Randolph, Tacoma, Wash. (Gold)      112: Steve McCrory, Detroit, Mich. (Gold)
119: Charles Mooney, Army (Silver)                 119: Robert Shannon, Edmonds, Wash.
125: Davey Lee Armstrong, Puyallup, Wash.    125: Meldrick Taylor, Philadelphia, Pa. (Gold)
132: Howard Davis Jr., Glen Cove, N.Y. (Gold)           132: Pernell Whitaker, Norfolk, Va. (Gold)
139: Ray Leonard, Palmer Park, Md. (Gold)    139: Jerry Page, Columbus, Ohio (Gold
147: Clinton Jackson, Nashville, Tenn.              147: Mark Breland, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Gold)
156: Charles Walker Jr., Mesa, Ariz.                156: Frank Tate, Detroit, Mich. (Gold)
165: Michael Spinks, St. Louis, Mo. (Gold)      165: Virgil Hill, Williston, N.D. (Silver)
178: Leon Spinks, St. Louis, Mo. (Gold)                      178: Evander Holyfield, Atlanta, Ga. (Bronze)
+178: Johnny Tate, Knoxville, Tenn. (Bronze)   201: Henry Tillman, Los Angeles, Calif. (Gold)

+201: Tyrell Biggs, Philadelphia, Pa. (Gold)

 

Before we get down to the “dual meet”, a couple of important notes.   The Cuban and Soviet boxing teams did not enter the 1984 Olympic Games due to boycott so a strong argument can be made that the 76’ team may have had the tougher fights in Montreal.  Also, we will matchup John Tate versus both Tillman and Biggs with the 201+ pound weight class in 84’.  Biggs may have captured Gold in 84’, but Teofilo Stevenson had already defeated Biggs in February of that year.  It is safe to assume that Biggs would have come up short earning a Silver and Stevenson would have won his 4th Gold Medal.  Now, the matchups!

 

106 lbs.  Curtis vs Gonzales.  Curtis was defeated in the first round by the Polish boxer and Gonzales went on to capture Gold.  I have to go with Gonzales. 

112 lbs.  Randolph vs McCrory.  Randolph earned Gold by beating the Cuban in the final match.  McCrory was an awesome amateur and may be one of my favorite Kronk fighters of all time, but Randolph has to get the edge in this one based on the thick competition with the Ruskies and the Cubans! Randolph was also able to capture a belt in the pro ranks as McCrory failed in his only attempt against Jeff Fenech.

119 lbs.  Mooney vs Shannon.  Mooney battled a severe cold and made it to the final match before losing to the North Korean.  Shannon was no push over, but the nod goes to the Army Sgt Mooney on this one.

125 lbs.  Armstrong vs Taylor.  Armstrong was a tough lil guy, but Taylor was special.  The youngest to capture Gold.  Taylor’s blazzing hand speed and lighting fast reflexes earn him the win in this battle.

132 lbs.  Davis vs Whitaker.   This fight would cost you $49 on PPV and would be worth it! (Unlike so many others today!!)  Howard Davis Jr, motivated by the death of his mother, fought his way to Gold and was named the most outstanding boxer.  Whitaker was as cool under fire as any fighter to ever be in the Olympic games.  201-14 as an amateur, Whitaker was as good as any to ever lace up the gloves. This would prove to be the Main Event of the Dual Meet.  I think this fight could easily be split 50/50.  After going back and forth several times, and reviewing tape, I will give the close nod to Whitaker!

139 lbs. Leonard vs Page.  Two Gold Medal winners face off in a great matchup!  Leonard faced the tougher of competition en route to his Gold.  Leonard fought with a swollen right hand and a left he could barely clintch into a fist (As he did for most his entire career and it never stopped him from going in for the KILL!).  The Cuban came in with 5 straight KO wins before facing Leonard.  Leonard gave him a boxing lesson and with no disrespect to the tallented Page, but Leonard wins this great battle of Gold Medal winners. 

147 lbs.  Jackson vs Breland.  Breland is without question, the greatest fighter in the history of USA Amateur Boxing.  I would bet the house that no other fighter in the future will EVER come close to matching his record of 110-1.  Jackson may have had the goods to make the 76 Bicentenial Team, but he would have needed an army to battle off Breland.  Breland by KO.

156 lbs.  Walker vs Tate.  Frank Tate earned his degree from the Kronk Gym, and in 1984 the Kronk Gym was the toughest gym in the World!  Tate beats Walker. 

165 lbs.  Spinks vs Hill.  Spinks Jinx versus Quick Silver.  After drawing a bye and winning twice on forfeits, Spinks had fought just once en route to the final against the Soviet Union, the reigning world champion. Eight months earlier Ruskie had beaten Michael in an Olympic tune-up. This time, however, it was Riskiev who needed a prayer. At the opening bell, Michael unleashed a vicious inside attack, dazing the Soviet in Round 1, dropping him in Round 2 and finally making him cry about fouls after a solid blow to the body.  The Soviet World Champion chose to quit in the third round.  Spinks would have been too much for the talented Hill.  Hill would have hung in there brave and not went out like the Soviet, but Spinks would have had too much fire power and World class experience.  Spinks gets the W. 

178 lbs.  Spinks vs Holyfield.  PPV mathcup of Gold Medal Winners will cost you $49.95 today with meaningless undercard that might put you to sleep!  Wow, what a great matchup.  Holyfield earned his spot on the 84’ team by beating off Detroit’s Rickey Womack in the trials.  Holyfield was a rough and tough customer and could have fought with the Cubans or the Russians if needed.  That being said, Spinks was the man in 76!  The New York Times called it "the most explosive (fight) of the night.”  Spinks floored the Cuban favorite Sixto Soria twice, once flat on his face, before the bout was halted at 1:09 of the third round.  Neon Leon would be too much for the Real Deal to handle.  Spinks.

178+ lbs.  Tate vs Tillman / Biggs.  Tillman held off the attack of a young Mike Tyson in the Trials but Big John had a better amateur style than the young bull Tyson.  I think Tate could have done enough to earn a points win over Tillman.  Biggs was no big dummy and he would have gotten on his toes and stuck and moved his way to a points win.  I have to say this matchup could have gone 1-1. 

 

6 to 5, 1984 wins the Dual Meet, or was it 6-5 1976 wins the Dual?  Can you imagine the follow-up promotion, Leonard versus Breland? That would become boxing’s first ever $99.95 PPV card!  And you know what, you can bet that both guys would give you your money's worth! Wish I could say the same for most of the garbage we get over-hyped and over-priced today!