3 of the best Olympic boxing fights of all time

The 2024 Olympic games are just around the corner. The Summer games will be held in Paris, begin on July 26, and run through August 11. For combat sports fans, one sport in particular has their eye: the sweet science. Boxing has had a longstanding history at the Olympic games. The sport was part of the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece and has been a staple at every modern Olympic Games since 1904. The lone exception was in 1912 when the sport was banned in Sweden. As of today, the United States holds the record for most boxing gold medals at 50, with a total of 117, including 27 silver and 40 bronze medals. 

Although the United States hasn't had an Olympic gold medalist in boxing since 2004, when Andre Ward won in the light heavyweight division, the anticipation that the next boxing superstar could emerge from the Olympic games hasn't waned. The 2024 U.S. Olympic Boxing team consists of eight fighters, four women and four men, fighting in the flyweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, and super heavyweight divisions. 

Some of the most significant names in boxing history participated in the Olympic Games and won medals. Fighters such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. walked away with medals. They went on to become some of the greatest professional fighters in history. For many fighters, winning an Olympic gold medal was one of their greatest accomplishments, even matching or surpassing their professional achievements. 

"It's been 20 years," stated Oscar De La Hoya to Ring Magazine about winning the gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. "Now, that 20 have years have passed, I didn't realize how big winning the gold medal could be, or how important winning the gold medal could be. The lives that I've been able to touch and impact over the years, and the lives that I've been able to chance over the years and motivated, it's all still a dream to me. It's all a memory that feels as if it had happened yesterday." 

While amateur boxing may not always be considered the most thrilling, the tournament-style format of the Olympic Games injects a unique level of pressure and intensity, often missing from professional boxing. It's not just a matter of personal pride at stake but also the rare opportunity to represent your native country, a motivation that is seldom matched. The level of boxing that comes from your country rests solely on one fighter's shoulders, adding an extra layer of intensity to the competition. 

Fansided MMA will examine three Olympic boxing matches that should be viewed by all boxing fans, from the casual to the hardcore. One is the prototype for the story of an underdog making a spectacular comeback, and the other showcases one of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time and, finally, one of boxing's current pound-for-pound stars.

David Reid vs. Alfredo Duvergel - 1996 Olympic Games

Sports and drama are bound together. There has rarely been a more dramatic ending to an Olympic gold medal match than in Atlanta in 1996. In the light middleweight finals, Philadelphia native David Reid was behind in points against his Cuban opponent Alfredo Duvergel. By the third round, Reid was down 15-5, and it seemed like Duvergel was on his way to victory and the gold medal. Throughout the contest, Duvergel got the better of exchanges and grew confidence by trading blows with Reid. This would be his downfall. 

With just over 30 seconds remaining in the third round, Reid delivered a right hand during an exchange that sent Duvergel to the canvas. The referee ended the bout, sparking a jubilant celebration from Reid. His come-from-behind victory is legendary in the annals of Olympic boxing history. Reid's triumph drew parallels to the previous Olympic gold medalist, Oscar De La Hoya, and he was hailed as 'The American Dream.' 

As unforgettable as Reid's gold medal victory was, it would, regrettably, mark the pinnacle of his boxing career. The Philadelphia fighter claimed the WBA junior middleweight title in his 12th professional fight, but his career was cut short due to complications with his left eyelid. He suffered a detached retina in a fight against Felix Trinidad in February 2000, a match in which he was knocked down four times. The eye injury, initially sustained at the 1995 Pan American Games, worsened over time. After the fight with Trinidad, Reid only stepped into the ring four more times, with his final fight taking place in 2001.

Lennox Lewis vs. Riddick Bowe - 1988 Olympic Games

Throughout the history of boxing, there have been numerous fights that should have taken place but simply didn't. In the 1990s, the heavyweight division was in a resurgence and at its strongest since the golden era of the 1970s, when fighters like Ali, Frazier, and Foreman ruled. The one fight, in particular, in the minds of fans that should have happened was between Lennox Lewis and Riddick Bowe. For various reasons, Bowe famously put the WBC heavyweight title in a trash can instead of facing Lewis, his mandatory challenger. However, the two did meet in the finals for the gold medal in the super heavyweight division at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea.

The match is often remembered for being one-sided. However, in the first round, Bowe displayed why a professional match between the two wasn't a foregone conclusion. Bowe barely missed with uppercuts on the inside, which could have been devastating. Lewis, representing Canada, knew it would benefit him to get rid of Bowe sooner rather than later and launched an attack in the second round. He landed a series of right hands that stunned Bowe, leading to the end of the fight. The Olympic gold medal victory would be Lewis's first of many accomplishments. It was indeed a missed opportunity for Lewis and Bowe to never meet in the ring as professionals, a match that could have been a legendary showdown.

Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Han Soon-Chul - 2012 Olympic Games

Boxing’s current IBF lightweight champion, Vasiliy Lomachenko, is often regarded as one of the greatest amateur boxers of all time. Only three boxers have won three Olympic gold medals: Laszlo Papp, Teofilo Stevenson, and Felix Savon. Lomachenko may not be part of this group, but his two gold medals and outstanding 396-1 amateur record put him in a category of few. At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Lomachenko won the Olympic gold medal in the featherweight division and earned the Val Barker award- a distinction given to the best boxer at the Olympics. 

Four years later, at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Lomachenko once again showcased his dominance in the ring. In the gold medal match, this time at lightweight, he faced off against Korea’s Han Soon-Chul. From the first bell to the final score, Lomachenko's performance was a display of sheer dominance, winning with a score of 19-9. His technique and mental acumen, which he would later demonstrate as a professional, were on full display. With this victory, Lomachenko joined just a handful of fighters to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals.