Boxing at the 1984 Summer Olympics took place in the Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California, United States. The boxing schedule began on July 29 and ended on August 11. Twelve boxing events were contested with the participation of 354 fighters from 81 countries. A Soviet-led boycott resulted in the withdrawals of the Soviet Union, Cuba, East Germany, Bulgaria and other Eastern Bloc nations from boxing competitions. At the 1980 Summer Olympics, that was impacted by an American-led boycott, Cuban boxers won 10 medals, with 6 of them being gold, and had again been expected to do well. However, the nation withdrew from the games following the announcement of the Soviet boycott. Teófilo Stevenson, who was going to try for his fourth Olympic gold medal before the boycott was officially announced, had previously defeated Tyrell Biggs twice and Hermenegildo Báez had previously defeated Henry Tillman. Soviet Alexander Yagubkin defeated both Biggs and Tillman during the USA–USSR duals. Cuban and Soviet boxers, however, were more seasoned than their American counterparts. While US athletes typically turned pro after the Olympics, while still in their early twenties, Cubans and the Soviets were not allowed to do so and stayed on in the amateurs, participating in multiple Olympic cycles. Journalist George Vecsey remarked after the conclusion of the games that "Despite all the flag-waving euphoria in the United States over all those medals in Los Angeles, the Summer Games were a made-in-Disneyland reproduction of the Games because there were no Soviet runners, no Cuban boxers, no East German swimmers." Soviet runners and East German swimmers decades later were revealed to have been part of their respective nations' state-sponsored doping schemes. Evander Holyfield was controversially disqualified in the semifinals for punching Kevin Barry after what seemed to be a stop. However, on a replay it is seen that the referee stopped the bout after his punches. Under IABA health regulation Barry was not allowed to box for 28 days, so he scratched from the final. During the medal ceremony, gold medalistAnton Josipović shared the highest step of the podium with Holyfield and raised his hand, thus acknowledging that Evander deserved to be in the final.
