As
the Olympic boxing competition steams into the medal rounds, it is a good time
to reflect on the only American boxing team not allowed to compete. Thirty-two
years ago, American politicians destroyed the life's work of hundreds of
patriotic athletes, crushing dreams and rendering years of training inconsequential.
Among them 11 boxers, their futures negatively impacted by not participating in
the 1980 Summer Olympics. Politicians decided America would not participate in
the Moscow Olympics because of Russia's invasion of Afghanistan. There was no “Miracle
on Ice” (where was the moral objection to competing against Russians at the
1980 Winter Olympics, hosted by America?)-type victory by American boxers
against formidable rivals from Russia and Cuba. Imagine how James Broad’s
career could have skyrocketed with an upset of legendary Cuban heavyweight
Teófilo Stevenson.
An
Olympic gold medal does more than elevate the fighter in the eyes of the
public; it is a virtual guarantee that the boxer is put on a higher pay scale
during the developmental phase of his career. Take the failed pro aspirations
of 2000 American Olympian Ricardo Williams as an example. The 2000 Olympic
silver medalist signed a million-dollar contract (reportedly 1.4 million),
after which his career sputtered out with a 19-3 (10) professional record. It
is easy for promoters to secure TV dates for a “former Olympian” vice a hard-working
kid on the way up named Marvin Hagler. Even communist boxer Slobodan Kacar, of
Yugoslavia, won a world title in the professional ranks, thanks largely to the
negotiating power his 1980 gold medal afforded him.
Sugar
Ray Leonard became an American hero at the 1976 Olympics and companies flocked
to him with lucrative endorsement deals as soon as it was announced Leonard
would turn pro. Evander Holyfield and Pernell Whitaker received similar career
boosts in 1984 despite not facing the available competition at the 1984
Olympics (which Russia, Cuba and other prominent Communist boxing nations
boycotted). Their histories leave no doubt that an Olympic medal greatly
influences the subsequent career trajectory of a boxer. Sadly, so do the
stories of the 1980 Olympic boxing team that did not get a chance to earn such
a head start.
The
era in which these fights would have taken place must be considered. The Cold War
was a hot topic around the world and the Russians were the sporting enemy that
Sylvester Stallone imagined for his sensationalistic “Rocky IV” movie. There
were only three national television channels and America’s sporting focus was
solely on the Olympics. Boxing was not limited to 3 p.m. replays on obscure and
hard-to-find cable channels. The boxing finals were prime time Saturday night
viewing (especially in view of the success of the 1976 American Olympic boxing
team) that gave Super Bowl-level exposure.
All
of this was lost by the 11 men of this team through no fault of their own. A recap
of their careers shows they sorely needed a positive push out of the starting
gate to ignite said careers. One should not generalize but maybe this whole
team was born under a bad star. Nearly the entire squad suffered ill-fated careers
of one sort or the other; even the boxers who fought and won world titles had
their worlds crash around them abruptly.
Here are their stories.
Robert Shannon (junior flyweight,
Seattle, Washington) - The baby of the team, Shannon was a
17-year-old who remained an amateur to compete at the 1984 Olympics.
Unfortunately, Russia boycotted those Olympics, affecting the competition and
thus the aura of the winners. A second strike against Shannon was getting
knocked out by future pro champion Sung-Kil Moon of Korea. In the pros, Shannon
faltered again; lacking a big punch, he was held to two draws in his first 13
fights. His management panicked and pushed Shannon into a fight with mirror-image,
but more mature, Greg Richardson to quickly lose a 12-round majority decision.
The fight broke Shannon, ending his career with an 18-6-2 (8) record and never
fought for a world title.
Richie Sandoval (flyweight,
Pomona, California) - This dynamo learned from the mistakes of his
older brother, star-crossed Alberto “Superfly” Sandoval, avoiding the pitfalls
Richard witnessed his brother fall into repeatedly. Sandoval won his world title
by beating the best bantamweight of the era in a torrid 15-round punch-up.
Sandoval used his all-around skills to knock out Hall-of-Famer Jeff Chandler
despite facing weak competition en route to the title shot. Sandoval’s career
came to an abrupt end, two years later, suffering a brain injury in his third
title defense. Everyone rejoiced when he survived the injury but Sandoval never
fought again and remains involved with boxing as the manager of the Top Rank Gym
in Las Vegas.
Jackie Beard (bantamweight, Jackson,
Tennessee) - Fought for 14 years as a pro but had the
unenviable task of facing Hall of Fame road warrior Brian Mitchell in his two
world title shots. A fantastic amateur, the 20-year-old decided not to wait for
the '84 Olympics though he would have been a medal favorite. Lost in his first
step up in competition, beaten by former title challenger Jose Caba, Beard
lacked consistency and struggled maintaining his weight. The Caba loss set a
precedent for the Kronk Gym speedster, losing his most important bouts when the
lights shone most brightly on him. After losing 10 of his last 11 fights, Beard
retired and still works as a trainer in the Detroit area.
Bernard Taylor (featherweight,
Charlotte, North Carolina) - A 23-year-old who waited
four years after failing to make the 1976 team, Taylor might have been the most
affected by the boycott. A stylish boxer, Taylor used speed and his legs to
defeat more physically imposing featherweights. This showed in his first title
fight when Taylor faded late and drew with rough-and-tumble champion Eusebio
Pedroza. After another winning streak, Taylor traveled to Ireland, losing to
another unrelenting banger in Barry McGuigan. If Taylor had known about the
1980 boycott, he would have surely turned pro at bantamweight in 1976, when his
style and body would have held up better allowing him to exploit quick
combinations.
Joe Manley (lightweight, Toledo,
Ohio) - An Army boxer who defeated future champion Frankie
Randall to earn the spot on the team and waited another year to fulfill his
obligation to the Army before turning pro. Lacked the overall hand and foot speed
to become an outstanding pro but was fundamentally sound enough to win the IBF
title. Knocked out ordinary titlist Gary Hinton to win that belt, losing it the
same way in England against Terry Marsh in his first title defense. Manley was
a hard-working gatekeeper, hovering around the lower top 20, stinging
contenders or prospects if they came unprepared. A true blue-collar boxer who
got the most out of his abilities.
Johnny Bumphus (junior welterweight,
Nashville, Tennessee) - A stylish southpaw whose major flaw was
that he lacked a world-class chin. Known as “Bump City,” he quickly traveled up
the rankings under the tutelage of Lou Duva. Probably would not have won the
WBA junior welterweight title had Aaron Pryor's personal demons not derailed
his career, forcing Pryor to vacate the title. Bumphus survived a fourth round
knockdown against light-hitting Argentinean Lorenzo Garcia to win the title but
was stopped in the 11th round of his first title defense against
rugged Gene Hatcher. The fight was The
Ring magazine’s “Upset of the Year” and Bumphus rebounded with seven wins
before being knocked out in a title challenge of Lloyd Honeyghan. By that time,
Bumphus was addicted to cocaine and no longer a peak performer. Always a
fighter, Bumphus kicked his addiction and is now a successful trainer.
Donald Curry (welterweight,
Fort Worth, Texas) - This sensational boxer had the skill, style
and smile to be the next Sugar Ray Leonard. As it was, Curry had an excellent
career and, at one point, was considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the
sport. “The Lone Star Cobra” had a reported amateur record of 400-6, unified
the welterweight titles and was voted The
Ring magazine’s “Fighter of the Year” for 1985. Nothing was beyond Curry’s
capabilities in the ring and it is generally accepted that weight-making
difficulties lead to his downfall. While Curry moved up and won a junior middleweight
title, his body was no longer capable of absorbing the punishment needed at the
higher level, suffering stoppage losses to Terry Norris, Mike McCallum and
Michael Nunn. I can't help but wonder if Curry’s career might have been managed
better if he had come back from Russia with a gold medal.
James Shuler (junior middleweight,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) - Philly fighter earned the
moniker “Black Gold,” employing a blend of speed, power and a willingness to
engage opponents head on to unleash those attributes. In only his 13th fight, defeated aging 1976 Olympian Sugar Ray Seales, proving he was a top
contender by handing fellow prospect James Kinchen his first defeat. Had the
misfortune of being knocked out by a near prime Thomas Hearns in Shuler’s lone
fight on the big stage and died one week later in a motorcycle accident. The
James Schuler Memorial Gym in Philadelphia is a lasting memorial to Schuler's
unfulfilled life and potential.
Charles Carter (middleweight,
Yakima, Washington) - A volume-punching middleweight whose
whirlwind style was ideal for the short distance, three-round amateur format,
one that helped keep Carter’s vulnerable chin hidden as well. Carter was exposed
after only six pro fights; knocked out in his first pro test, Carter never
lived up to his “Machine Gun” nickname when it came to stopping opponents. He
suffered two more knockouts in 1983 but did manage to go 10 rounds against a
brawling Chong-Pal Park in South Korea. Fought valiantly for six years without
any notable victories, retiring with an 18-9 (8) record and six stoppage
losses.
Lee Roy Murphy (light heavyweight,
Chicago, Illinois) - Made the best publicity-related move as a
pro, giving himself the nickname of “Solid Gold” in lieu of actually winning
the gold medal. A powerful light heavyweight, Murphy’s punching power
diminished as he moved up in weight. No opponent was going to beat Murphy while
backing up. Those who could stand up to Murphy’s pressure found he could be
beaten by forcing a high pace or willing Murphy to move in a direction other
than forward. Murphy knocked out a past-his-prime Marvin Camel to win the newly
established IBF cruiserweight title, successfully defending it three times. The
equally powerful (and flawed) Ricky Parkey took the title from Murphy via kayo,
after which Murphy became a useful heavyweight trial horse.
James Broad (heavyweight, Greensboro,
North Carolina) - The second representative from the Army
boxing team whose defensive reflexes and pinpoint countering was ideally suited
for the amateur game. Beat Marvis Frazier, son of Joe Frazier, for the Olympic
berth, then waited a year-and-a-half to fulfill his Army contract before
turning pro. Dedication to the sport was not what it should have been, which a
25- pound weight gain between his pro debut and third fight indicates. Broad
rededicated himself to training and got his weight into the 220s for a rematch
with Marvis Frazier but lost the fight via close 10-round unanimous decision.
It was the last time Broad seemed focused or was within 20 pounds of his
optimal weight for a contest, losing bouts against Tim Witherspoon, Tony Tucker
and Razor Ruddock.
High
profile defeats, a brain injury, addictions and death followed in the wake of
the infamous 1980 Olympic boycott. Of course, not everything can be blamed on
the boycott but I find a good initial surge is a positive dynamic for any
venture, a factor politicians should investigate before they put their egos and
ambitions ahead of the athletes they should be representing.