IN THEย summer of 1984,ย the gaze of the sporting world was on the Olympics that took place in Los Angeles.ย America aimed to deliver a spectacle thatย would strikeย anย ideologicalย blow in its Cold War with the communist,ย Soviet Union,ย whoย led aย boycott ofย the event in reply to America staying away from the Moscow games, four years before.ย Their withdrawal was followed by Cuba, East Germany,ย Bulgaria,ย and other Eastern Bloc nations.
Carl Lewis was the star-spangled superstarย whoย dominatedย theย headlinesย as Americaย got behind his audacious attempt to emulate the great Jessie Owens and win four gold medals in track and field. Lewis delivered in styleย and his countryย lavished praise on him, viewing his feat asย heroicย and best of breed, likeย Owen hadย beenย in theย face ofย Nazismย at the 1936 Olympicsย in Berlin.
On the boxing side there wasย the anticipation of moreย American dominance, especially with the absence of Cuba and the Soviet Union.ย It seemed most eyes wereย focused onย Mark Breland, whoย had been theย most celebrated amateur in the worldย for two years leading up to the Olympics. Such was Brelandโsย brilliance in the amateursย and the expectations that he would graduate to superstardomย so lofty, heย had already been cast in a Hollywood movie,ย Theย Lordsย of Discipline.
Global audiencesย alsoย got their first extended viewing ofย futureย legends, Pernell Whitaker and Evander Holyfield and world champions in waiting, Meldrick Taylor,ย Frank Tateย and Virgil Hill.
Amongstย suchย richย talentย the British team appeared to haveย little hopes ofย winning a medal, and so it turned out. Butย Iย kept a closeย eye onย theย progress of theย Britishย representative at super-heavyweight,ย a lankyย 23-year-oldย called Bobby Wells.ย The division has served as fertile ground for members of Team GB in the 21stย century; Audley Harrison and Anthony Joshua have won gold, while David Price, Joe Joyce, and Frazer Clarke, have bagged bronze, silver, and bronze medals. But it was Bobby that got the ball rolling for Britainโsย super-heavyweights on the Olympic stage.
Bobbyย and I had boxed in the sameย Southwestย Divisional Championships, in Battersea,ย fiveย months before the Olympics; Heย won itย beatingย Gary Mason, who was my Wandsworth ABC clubmate, and I lost in theย heavyweight finals by disqualification.ย Gary and Iย entered those championshipsย believing weย were the best and most dynamic heavy and super-heavyweights in theย country andย could make a late push for the GB Olympic team.ย Youthful hubrisย often provides the rosiest tinted glasses.
Afterย myย disappointingย lossย to Graham Best, a fighter who Iย had stopped in the first round, a few months prior,ย Iย was certainย thatย Garyย wouldย win his final,ย and for the first two roundsย itย seemed likelyย thatย heย would, asย heย droppedย Bobbyย heavily and battered him with rapid and heavy combinations. Butย to his creditย Bobby weathered the storm andย came firing back, andย in third roundย Garyย wasย bent over from exhaustion and gasping forย breath,ย unable to continue.
Thatย humbling eveningย served as a real eye opener for Gary andย me, evenย more soย when we sawย Bobby on televisionย fighting for a place in theย Olympicย final.ย Itย turned out that weย hadnโtย truly graspedย how close a place on the โ84 Olympic teamย actuallyย was. Back then an ABA title was enough to qualify for major tournament. Bobbyย went on to win the ABAsย that yearย and book hisย seatย on theย plane to Los Angeles.ย Gary and Iย were left toย spendย ourย summersย weighing up whether to turn professionalย or wait for another Olympic cycle. Weย made our professional debuts in October 1984.
Bobbyย didnโt have his first fight until the quarter-finalsย โ after receiving a byeย โ winningย it byย knocking outย Tongaโsย Viliami Pulu, whichย guaranteed him the bronze medal. I thought he mightย actuallyย go all the way, but theย ruggedย Italian, Francesco Damiani,ย who was the world number oneย going into the games,ย proved too strong in the semi-finals.
On reflection, Bobby didย manageย to go furtherย inย the tournament than Lennox Lewis (albeitย a very young version),ย who came up short in his quarter-final with eventual gold medal winner, Tyrell Biggs.ย Hisย bronze medal was the only British boxing medal in 1984 and the first ever Olympic medal of any description to be won by aย British super-heavyweight.
Itย wouldย likely haveย been aย struggleย for Bobbyย to makeย itย ontoย the podium if theย full quota of nations had been present. The super-heavyweight division wasย loaded:ย asideย from Damiani and Biggsย it included theย legendaryย Teofiloย Stevenson, who was aiming to win his fourth gold medal and his first in that division, prior to Cubaโs withdrawal.ย East Germanyโs Uli Kaden,ย who had won three out of nine fights against Stevenson, andย the Soviet Unionโs,ย Aleksandr Miroshnichenko, both ofย whomย registered wins overย Lennoxย Lewisย in the amateursย were established world top-10 talents.ย In spite of those hypotheticals,ย Bobbyโs bronze medal can never be denied.
Iย was delighted toย catch up withย himย at theย London Ex-Boxersย Association awards, last month.ย Weย probably havenโt seenย one anotherย since we were active boxers more than 30 years ago.ย Heย remainsย fiercely proud ofย whatย heย didย asย an amateur, achieving what he set out to do:ย follow in the footsteps of his late father,ย Billy Wells. Wells Srย was also anย ABA champion, winningย atย heavyweight in 1965ย โ representing my old club, Wandsworth ABC โย andย 1968. His second ABA triumph qualified him for the Olympics that year in Mexico โ at the ripe old age of 32.
Maybe emulating his dad as an amateur was near the limit of Bobbyโs aspirations in the sport, as he chose not to turn professional after the Olympics, even with a bronze medal in his back pocket. He only had five fights once he did turn over. Just two months after medalling at the Olympics he took on Lennox Lewis in an England v Canada invitational. Lewisโ trademark right-hand settled their duel brutally in the third round.
It wasnโt until January 1986ย thatย he made his professional debut. It was at Merton Civic Hall, a proper small hall show, and I was also on the bill. It would be unthinkable now for an Olympic bronze medallist from the UK to make their debut on the small-hall circuit and with such little anticipation surrounding them. Matchroom, Queensbury, or a reputable promotional outfit wouldโve signed Bobby andย had him fighting regularly. Nowadays, just being an Olympian,ย even without a medal, comes withย instantย marketability.
Bobbyโs lack of success as a professional is probably why his performance at the Olympics isย largelyย forgotten.ย Then again nearly 40 years have since passed.ย But in a single meeting we were back in 1984.