Andrew Maynard (boxer) facts for kids
Maynard at the 1987 Pan American Games
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Andrew Maynard, born on April 8, 1964, is a former American professional boxer. He competed as a pro from 1989 to 2000. Before turning professional, he was an amazing amateur boxer. He famously won the gold medal in the Light Heavyweight division at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
Military Service and Boxing
Andrew Maynard graduated from Suitland High School in Maryland in 1982. He joined the National Guard in 1985. The year before, he had already started competing in amateur boxing.
His wife, Susan, encouraged him to join the United States Army in 1986. While serving as a cook at Fort Carson, Colorado, he continued to box.
Later, Maynard was given a special assignment to the Fort Carson boxing team. His goal was to compete in the 1988 Summer Olympics. He reached the rank of specialist in the military.
Amateur Boxing Career
As an amateur, Maynard was known for his non-stop fighting style. He would often throw as many as 1,000 punches in a single match!
He started his amateur career in late 1984. Many people were surprised when he won four fights in a row at a boxing tournament in Ohio.
Maynard became the United States Amateur Boxing Champion in the Light Heavyweight division (for boxers weighing up to 178 pounds) in both 1987 and 1988. He earned a bronze medal at the 1987 Pan American Games. There, he became known internationally after a tough fight against Cuban world champion Pablo Romero. Maynard later shared that he had a broken ankle from a basketball game the day before. He didn't tell anyone at the time.
He later said, "I figured that I owed myself some kind of a gold medal after that situation." So, at the 1988 Summer Olympics, he made sure to stay far away from any basketball courts in Seoul!
To make it to the 1988 United States Olympic Boxing Team, Maynard had to win two tough fights. He beat fellow soldier Alfred "Ice" Cole in July 1988. The judges scored both fights 4-1 in Maynard's favor.
He was one of three boxers who lost in the Olympic trials but still made the team. This was because they won their "Box-Off" matches.
Before the Olympic Box-Offs, Maynard had won nine out of ten boxing competitions since 1986. This included two national championships. He had a record of 35 wins and 5 losses. This showed he was one of the best amateur boxers in the U.S.
Maynard went on to win the Light Heavyweight Gold Medal for the United States at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He threw about 150 punches per round! In the gold medal fight, he completely outscored his Russian opponent, Nurmagomed Shanavazov. He dedicated his gold medal to his father, Theodore "Slim" Maynard.
This was not their first fight. Maynard had beaten Shanavazov before in a close match. Shanavazov was a very strong opponent, having been a European and World Cup champion.
Winning Olympic gold was an amazing achievement for Maynard. He had only started training in boxing four years earlier. In his four Olympic fights, he stopped two opponents and won two fights by unanimous decision.
His results were:
- First round: He got a bye (didn't have to fight).
- Defeated Mikaele Masoe (American Samoa) in the second round (RSC 2).
- Defeated Lajos Erős (Hungary) 5-0 (unanimous decision).
- Defeated Henryk Petrich (Poland) in the third round (TKO 3).
- Defeated Nurmagomed Shanavazov (Soviet Union) 5-0 (unanimous decision).
In his fight against Petrich, Maynard was knocked down. But he came back strongly in the next round to win. Against Shanavazov, Maynard kept fighting close up. He landed many left hooks to the body and a hard right to the head.
The light heavyweight boxing competition at the 1988 Olympics included boxers from 26 countries.
Maynard was one of three Americans to win gold in boxing at the 1988 Olympics. The others were "King" Kennedy McKinney and "Merciless" Ray Mercer. Maynard was the first American to win the Light Heavyweight Gold Medal since Leon Spinks in 1976. He is one of only seven Americans to win this medal in Olympic history. This group also includes Muhammad Ali, who won in 1960.
When Maynard returned home to Maryland, he received a hero's welcome. The Governor and the Maryland Legislature honored him. Maynard heard that a teacher had cleaned his damaged Olympic jacket. He refused to go to the official celebrations until he first visited the teacher's special education school. There, with the "Rocky" theme song playing, he posed for photos with students in a pretend boxing ring.
Professional Boxing Career
After the Olympics, Maynard moved to Laurel, Maryland. He started his professional career by signing with "Sugar" Ray Leonard's management team.
Maynard was one of five Olympic medalists who made their professional debut on February 24, 1989. He knocked out Zack Worthy in the first round. He stayed busy in his first year, fighting nine times.
Competing in the light heavyweight division (175 pounds), Maynard became known for his powerful punches. He also had a friendly personality and a famous smile. His knockout of Arthur "Butch" Hall in August 1989 was called a "freight train right." It was even shown on a video of "Boxing's Greatest Hits." His nicknames included "BAM" (Boxing Andrew Maynard) and "Smilin' Drew."
Maynard won the NABF Light Heavyweight Title on April 1, 1990. He beat Mike Sedillo by a majority decision. Even though he was knocked down twice, Maynard threw many more punches than Sedillo.
Maynard won his first 12 professional fights. His first loss came on June 24, 1990, against Bobby Czyz. During this time, there was talk about whether he was changing his fighting style from a puncher to a boxer.
He successfully defended his NABF title several times. In June 1991, he beat Ed "Mac Attack" Mack. Maynard stopped Mack in the tenth round.
Maynard then won six fights in a row. He stopped former world champion Matthew Saad Muhammad in October 1991. This led to a fight with Frank Tate in January 1992. Tate knocked Maynard down in the 11th round, and the referee stopped the fight. Maynard lost his championship belt to Tate after defending it four times.
Maynard found it hard to stay at the 175-pound light heavyweight limit as a pro. He had fought at 178 pounds as an amateur. So, he moved up to the cruiserweight division.
He challenged WBC World Cruiserweight champion Anaclet Wamba in Paris, France, on October 16, 1992. Maynard was knocked down in the first round. But he fought back bravely and lost by a unanimous decision after 12 rounds. One judge scored the fight very close.
The fight against Wamba was Maynard's only chance to win a world title. He was giving up five pounds at the weigh-in, meaning Wamba was a bigger opponent. Maynard still traded punches and landed good shots. After the fight, Maynard was invited to Wamba's victory party. He was well-received by the French fans.
After losing to Wamba, Maynard continued to fight. He had notable losses to famous boxers like Thomas Hearns and Brian Nielsen.
Maynard retired from boxing in 2000. He now lives in Harlingen, Texas. For several years, he worked as a youth boxing trainer there. He also worked for USA Boxing as an "Ambassador of Boxing." Maynard is a proud father of three children.
In March 1996, the country of Nicaragua honored Maynard by issuing a stamp with his picture. He was inducted into the "Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame" in 2001. In 2016, he joined the "Washington, D.C. Boxing Hall of Fame." In 2019, he was one of the first members of Texas' "Rio Grande Valley Boxing Hall of Fame."
See also
In Spanish: Andrew Maynard para niños
