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Olympic Boxing: Team USA makes history with no heavyweights at Rio 2016

Dominic Breazeale suffered a first round loss at the 2012 Olympics
Image: Dominic Breazeale suffered a first round loss at the 2012 Olympics

For the first time in nine Olympic Games, the United States of America have no boxers competing for super-heavyweight, heavyweight or light-heavyweight gold.

No one in the latest 91kg+ competition that was brought into the games back in 1984. No one in the 81-91kg heavyweight where Deontay Wilder won bronze in 2008.

There is not even an American fighter in the 75-81kg light-heavyweight competition, won by Andre Ward, the nation's last Olympic boxing gold medallist, in 2004. 

Go way back and remember Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay), Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Leon Spinks struck Olympic gold. After that, the likes of Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe and Antonio Tarver won medals.

Andre Ward won the Olympic light-heavyweight gold in 2004
Image: Andre Ward is America's last Olympic heavyweight winner, back in 2004

In 2012, Dominic Breazeale - who was battered black and blue by Anthony Joshua in his IBF world title challenge in June this year - qualified for the London 2012 super-heavyweight contest but went out in the first round.

His team-mates, Michael Hunter (heavyweight) and Marcus Brown (light-heavyweight), suffered the same fate.

But with no American super-heavy, heavyweight or light-heavy fighters in Rio, their mere presence at London 2012 almost feels like an achievement.

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By the end of Rio 2016, the three divisions together will have given out 108 medals since 1984. There could have been 27 fighters flying the Stars and Stripes in those last nine games, yet even when Wilder won his bronze medal in Bejing, he was America's sole heavyweight representative.

The American big guns have been firing blanks for some time. At these Games, there is no one on the frontline in any of the three heaviest weights trying to inspire a nation that used to rule the boxing world.

America is in a place where they've going to have to take a look at their programme - and there programme for Tokyo needs to start now
Audley Harrison

Team GB certainly won't win medals in all three divisions after heavyweight Lawrence Okolie's brave second round loss, but even if Joshua Buatsi and big Joe Joyce don't either, we are still one step ahead of our boxing rivals.

Great Britain has a full squad of 10 male fighters. America has only six. The biggest of them is Charles Conwell who fights at middleweight.

It might be a depressing sign of the times for American boxing that, just over two months ago, they were at least expecting to raise a smile supporting their super-heavyweight hope, Cam F Awesome.

Boxer Cam Awesome of the United States
Image: Cam F Awesome is a stand-up comedian but American boxing isn't laughing

A vegan, a stand-up comedian and three-time Golden Gloves winner, Awesome was set to be the headline act. Yet in the American Olympic qualification tournament in Venezuela in June, he was beaten in the first round. Awesome was anything but that and American boxing certainly shouldn't be laughing.

Neither was Audley Harrison, a British Olympic super-heavyweight gold medallist in 2000, now based in America.

Harrison thinks he knows where American Olympic boxing is going wrong.

1 Oct 2000:  Audley Harrison of Great Britain celebrates winning Gold in the Mens 91kg Boxing Final at the Exhibition Halls on day 16 of the Sydney 2000 Ol
Image: Audley Harrison feels he set the ball rolling back in 2000

"In London we won five medals, in Beijing we won three and we have a full team of 10 - and two women - in Rio and we are there as medal contenders in all weights.

"That wasn't the case when I won. We were looked on as the paupers but now we have a world-class performance plan in place and that is what America needs.

"Winning that gold medal in Sydney saw £4.6m come into boxing and it became a Lottery-funded sport. All the athletes got paid, the trainers, all the support staff got paid and they became a professional organisation.

Gold medallist Anthony Joshua of Britain celebrates during the presentation ceremony for the Men's Super Heavy (+91kg) boxing at the London Olympics.
Image: Anthony Joshua became an instant inspiration to British heavyweights

"But ours is funded and America's isn't, so where is the incentive for them to stay amateur? They need to get funded because they still have a whole heap of talent out there.

"They just use the talent in other sports. If you are the parents of one of those talented kids, they can't get a scholarship in boxing. You can in basketball, American Football, soccer and more, so what are you going to tell them?

"Why are you going to go through boxing when you don't earn anything?"

Visit the Team USA boxing homepage and one of the main links sends you to 'fundraising athletes' - Harrison has a point.

Anthony Joshua successfully defended his IBF heavyweight title at The O2.
Image: Joshua successfully defended his IBF heavyweight title against Breazeale at The O2

Breazeale was a college quarterback before being 'fast-tracked' into the American boxing system, as was his compatriot Charles Martin, the man who lost his IBF world title to Joshua.

But have their professional achievements inspired young boxers Stateside? It doesn't appear so.

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Dominic Breazeale lost to Anthony Joshua but at least qualified for London 2012

Wilder is the closest thing America have got to a fighter capable of inspiring a future generation of young fighters. Harrison hopes he can do just that.

"Wilder is what they need. He is a world heavyweight champion and he is now making a name for himself and attending all the right events, getting out there.

"He is good and he is growing into just what they need. America need someone at the top, to show them what can be achieved.

 Deontay Wilder
Image: Can the Bronze Bomber's success in the professional ranks bring gold back to American boxing?

"But America is in a place where they've got to have to take a look at their programme - and their programme for Tokyo needs to start now," he said.

"They are just missing it. A little bit, but they are missing it."

American heavyweights are missing from Rio 2016. Unless something dramatic changes, history could well repeat itself in four years' time. Will American Olympic heavyweights ever be Awesome again?

American heavyweights at the Olympics

Games Super-H'weight Heavyweight Light-Heavyweight
2016 - - -
2012 Dominic Breazeale Michael Hunter Marcus Brown
2008 - Deontay Wilder (B) -
2004 Jason Estrada Devin Vargas Andre Ward (G)
2000 Calvin Brock Michael Bennett Olanda Anderson
1996 Lawrence Clay-Bey Nate Jones Antonio Tarver (B)
1992 Larry Donald Danell Nicholson Montell Griffin
1988 Riddick Bowe (S) Ray Mercer (G) Andrew Maynard (G)
1984 Tyrell Biggs (G) Henry Tillman (G) Evander Holyfild (B)

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