Andrew Maynard (boxer) facts for kids
Maynard at the 1987 Pan American Games
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Andrew Maynard (born April 8, 1964) is a famous American former professional boxer. He competed as a professional from 1989 to 2000. Before that, he was an amazing amateur boxer. He won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division.
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Andrew Maynard's Early Life and Military Service
Andrew Maynard graduated from Suitland High School in Maryland in 1982. He started boxing as an amateur in 1984. In 1985, he joined the National Guard.
He later joined the United States Army in 1986. While in the Army, he worked as a cook at Fort Carson, Colorado. His wife, Susan, encouraged him to join.
Maynard was later moved to a special duty with the Fort Carson boxing team. This allowed him to focus on his dream. He wanted to compete in the 1988 Summer Olympics. His final rank in the military was specialist.
Andrew Maynard's Amateur Boxing Career
As an amateur, Andrew Maynard was known for being a very active fighter. He often threw many punches in each match. He started his amateur career in the fall of 1984. He surprised many by winning four fights in a row at a boxing tournament.
Maynard became the United States Amateur Boxing Champion in the Light Heavyweight division (178 lbs.) in both 1987 and 1988. He won a bronze medal at the 1987 Pan American Games. During this event, he fought against Cuban world champion Pablo Romero. Maynard was doing well but then collapsed in the second round.
He later shared that he had a broken ankle from playing basketball the day before. He didn't tell anyone about it at the time. He felt he needed to win a gold medal after that. So, at the 1988 Summer Olympics, he made sure to avoid all basketball courts!
In July 1987, Maynard defeated Joseph Pemberton at the Pan Am Box-Offs. This event was held in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Qualifying for the Olympics
To make the 1988 United States Olympic Boxing Team, Maynard had to win two tough fights. He faced fellow soldier Alfred "Ice" Cole in July 1988. These fights happened on two nights in a row in Las Vegas, Nevada. Maynard won both bouts with a score of 4–1 from the judges.
He was one of three boxers who lost in the Olympic trials but still made the team. He earned his spot by winning these two Box-Offs. Before the Olympic Box-Offs, Maynard had won nine out of ten boxing competitions since 1986. These wins included two national championships.
He had a record of 35 wins and 5 losses as an amateur. This showed he was one of the best amateur boxers in the U.S.
Winning Olympic Gold
Andrew Maynard went on to win the Light Heavyweight Gold Medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics. This happened in Seoul, South Korea. He threw an average of 150 punches per round. In the gold medal fight, he beat his Russian opponent, Nurmagomed Shanavazov, by a clear points decision.
He dedicated his gold medal win to his father, Theodore "Slim" Maynard. This was a rematch for Maynard and Shanavazov. They had fought before in 1987, where Maynard won by a 2-1 decision. Shanavazov was a very strong opponent. He had been a European champion and a World Cup champion.
Winning gold in Seoul was a huge achievement for Maynard. He had only started training in boxing four years earlier. In his four Olympic fights, he stopped two opponents. He won the other two by unanimous decision.
His results were:
- First round bye
- Defeated Mikaele Masoe (American Samoa) by Referee Stopped Contest (RSC) in Round 2
- Defeated Lajos Erős (Hungary) 5–0
- Defeated Henryk Petrich (Poland) by Technical Knockout (TKO) in Round 3
- Defeated Nurmagomed Shanavazov (Soviet Union) 5–0
In his fight against Eros, Maynard landed powerful punches. This caused the Hungarian fighter to receive two standing-eight counts. Against Petrich, Maynard was knocked down in the first round. But he came back strong in the next round. He stopped Petrich when his opponent could not continue for the third round.
In the gold medal bout against Shanavazov, Maynard fought close up. He was constantly hitting the Russian. He landed many left hooks to the body in the first two rounds. He also landed a hard right punch to Shanavazov's head in the final round.
Boxers from 26 countries competed in the light heavyweight division at the 1988 Olympics. Maynard was one of three Americans to win gold in boxing that year. 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 includes the legendary Muhammad Ali.
When Maynard returned home to Maryland, he received a hero's welcome. He was honored by the Governor and the Maryland Legislature. Maynard showed his kind heart when he learned a teacher had cleaned his damaged Olympic jacket. He visited the teacher's special education school before attending his own celebration. There, he took photos with students in a fun, makeshift boxing ring.
Andrew Maynard's Professional Boxing Career
After the Olympics, Andrew Maynard decided to become a professional boxer. He moved to Laurel, Maryland. He signed with the management team of "Sugar" Ray Leonard. He also trained with Jose “Pepe” Correa.
Maynard was one of five Olympic medalists who started their professional careers on February 24, 1989. This was at a boxing event in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He won his first fight by knocking out Zack Worthy in the first round. He had a busy first year as a pro, fighting nine times.
Maynard competed in the light heavyweight division (175 lbs). He became known for his powerful punches and his friendly smile. One of his knockouts, against Arthur "Butch" Hall in 1989, was even featured in a video called "Boxing's Greatest Hits." People called him "BAM" (Boxing Andrew Maynard) and "Smilin' Drew."
On April 1, 1990, Maynard won the NABF Light Heavyweight Title. He beat Mike Sedillo by a majority decision in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. He was knocked down twice in the sixth round. But he still landed many more punches than Sedillo throughout the 12-round fight.
Maynard won his first 12 professional fights. His winning streak ended on June 24, 1990. He was stopped in the seventh round by Bobby Czyz. People debated if his change in training style, from a puncher to a boxer, affected this fight.
He successfully defended his NABF title several times. One notable defense was in June 1991 against Ed "Mac Attack" Mack. Maynard won by TKO in the tenth round. He then had a six-fight winning streak. This included stopping former world champion Matthew Saad Muhammad in October 1991.
This led to a fight with Frank Tate on January 10, 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 had fought at 178 pounds as an amateur. He found it hard to stay at the lower 175-pound limit for professional light heavyweight fights. So, he moved up to the cruiserweight division.
In October 1992, Maynard challenged WBC World Cruiserweight champion Anaclet Wamba in Paris, France. He was knocked down in the first round. But he fought bravely and lost by a 12-round decision. This was Maynard's only chance to win a world title.
After losing to Wamba, Maynard continued to fight. He had a knockout loss to the famous Thomas Hearns. He also lost to Brian Nielsen in a heavyweight fight.
Andrew Maynard retired from boxing in 2000. He now lives in Harlingen, Texas. For several years, he trained young boxers in Harlingen. He also worked for USA Boxing as an "Ambassador of Boxing." Maynard is a proud father of three children.
In March 1996, Nicaragua honored Maynard by issuing a stamp with his picture. He was inducted into the "Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame" in 2001. His name is on a plaque at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. 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."
Professional Boxing Record Summary
Andrew Maynard's professional record was: 26 Wins (21 by knockout, 5 by decision), 13 Losses (9 by knockout, 4 by decision), and 1 Draw.
See also
In Spanish: Andrew Maynard para niños
