Editing Ray Mercer (section)

==Amateur boxing career==
Mercer started boxing at the age of 23 while serving in the U.S. Army in West Germany. Mercer said he had never even put on a pair of gloves until after he enlisted, "The Army taught me everything I know about boxing," explained Mercer. He first boxed in organized competition in 1983 at [[Schweinfurt, Germany|Schweinfurt, West Germany]]. He first won the brigade title after winning the battalion box-off. After that, Mercer claimed, "I won the VII Corps novice and open championships and finished second at U.S. Army, Europe.<ref name="Schad1989">{{cite journal |last= Schad|first= Dave|date= January 1989|title= Three Gold Medals|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112098031427&view=1up&seq=21|journal= Soldiers|volume= 44|issue= 1|page= 17|issn= 0093-8440|access-date= 2019-06-18}}</ref> While he had [[street fighting|street fights]] as a youth, it wasn't until he was offered a chance to avoid a 30-day field exercise in the winter of 1984 by serving as a [[sparring partner]] for the post's heavyweight champion that he found a sanctioned way to use his aggression. The beginnings were tough. "I came back from that first day of sparring with a bleeding nose and my lips swollen. For two months I got pounded. But then it became a challenge. I'm not a quitter. I figured the other guy learned the moves, so could I." He learned quickly enough, winning military titles and a [[United States Amateur Boxing Federation]] title.<ref name="Berger1991" /> He became 1985 U.S. Army and inter-service heavyweight champion, along with [[Wesley Watson]], who was inter-service superheavyweight champion<ref>{{cite journal |last= Garrett|first= George|date= March 1986|title= Army Boxers Win National Title|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015081927884&view=1up&seq=173|journal= Soldiers|volume= 41|issue= 3|page= 51|issn= 0093-8440|access-date= 2019-06-18}}</ref> (Mercer later beat Watson as a professional). But in 1985, when Army Coach Hank Johnson sought to recruit Mercer for a stateside training camp for the 1988 Olympics, Mercer turned down the offer. "I was in my prime at partying. The training was not a sacrifice I wanted to make. I told Hank, you won't see me until the Olympics", he said.<ref name="Berger1991" />  When he was reassigned to Baumholder, he won three USAREUR crowns while carrying the banner for V Corps<ref name="Rogers" /> (he won the USAREUR Championship less than a year after his first amateur fight.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Garcia|first= Elroy|date= June 1993|title= All-Army Athletes|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112005545378&view=1up&seq=339|journal= Soldiers|volume= 44|issue= 6|pages= 37–38|issn= 0093-8440|access-date= 2019-07-04}}</ref>) As he served with USAREUR, for that reason in 1986—1987 Mercer had several international bouts in Germany, he also competed internationally at Western Europe [[open tournament]]s.<ref name="Rogers" /> In summer of 1988 he again won the inter-service heavyweight championship.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Army News Service|date= June 1988|title= Army Takes 10 Titles|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112042557675&view=1up&seq=357|journal= Soldiers|volume= 43|issue= 6|page= 55|issn= 0093-8440|access-date= 2019-06-18}}</ref> His next step was to apply for the all-Army boxing trial camp and win a spot on the Army team.<ref name="Schad1989" /> "Right now, I want to be the 'woodwork' man. I'm 26 years old and relatively unknown. My plans are to stay healthy, and I need to do well in international competition prior to the Olympics to build confidence."<ref name="Rogers" />

He won the 1988 [[United States national amateur boxing heavyweight champions|United States amateur heavyweight championship]].<ref name="LATimes">{{cite web
  | url       = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-09-29-sp-6088-story.html
  | title     = Mercer Just May Be Sowing the Seeds for a High-Paying Career
  | date      = September 29, 1988
  | work=Los Angeles Times
}}</ref> At the USA vs. Cuba match-up, Mercer twice staggered [[Félix Savón]], but was impeded from doing further damage by questionable intervention by the Cuban referee, Alfredo Toledo.<ref>{{cite news |last= Berger|first= Phil|date= May 1, 1988|title= U.S. Outslugged By Cuban Boxers|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/01/sports/olympics-us-outslugged-by-cuban-boxers.html|work= The New York Times|page= 6|access-date= 2019-06-17}}</ref> At the USA vs. Europe match-up, Mercer with a hard right to the nose turned it into a "''No mas!''" fight for Yugoslavian [[Željko Mavrović]].<ref>{{cite news |last= Berger|first= Phil|date= June 6, 1988|title= Rout For Americans|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/06/sports/boxing-rout-for-americans.html|work= The New York Times|page= 11|access-date= 2019-06-17}}</ref>

===1988 Olympics===
Going to the Olympic Team, he was one of the most highly regarded American Olympic boxers.<ref>{{cite news |last= Anderson|first= Dave|author-link= Dave Anderson (sportswriter)|date= September 17, 1988|title= Coach Calls U.S. a Contender|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/17/sports/the-seoul-olympics-boxing-coach-calls-us-a-contender.html|work= The New York Times|page= 48|access-date= 2019-06-17}}</ref> Of all the U.S. 1988 Olympians, [[Angelo Dundee]], a legendary trainer, chose Ray Mercer and [[Andrew Maynard (boxer)|Andrew Maynard]], as the most likely to develop into world champions after they would have turned into professionals: "Mercer's 27, but that's not too old. The maturity is there. And the punch. Give him 10 fights as a pro and he'd be ready to start moving up," Dundee said on Mercer's potential as a pro.<ref>{{cite news |last= Anderson|first= Dave|author-link= Dave Anderson (sportswriter)|date= October 2, 1988|title= Green to Gold, Now Green Again|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/02/sports/sports-of-the-times-green-to-gold-now-green-again.html|work= The New York Times|page= 2|access-date= 2019-06-17}}</ref> According to Kelvin Richardson of the '88 All-Army Team, Mercer was such a hard puncher, that even 16-ounce gloves weren't of much help for his sparring partners from being knocked off the ring, and his superheavyweight Olympic teammate, [[Riddick Bowe]], didn't want to spar with Mercer for that reason.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwXaTIbDRMM RAY MERCER and RIDDICK BOWE HAD VIOLENT SPARRING SESSIONS- KELVIN “BIG DAWG” RICHARDSON]</ref>

Before one of Maynard's fights, Mercer and [[Anthony Hembrick]] took off with their flags and good-naturedly dodged the people who tried to get in their way. A few tried to trip the pair, another tried to tackle the heavyweight Mercer, and one security guard even stopped him and tried to steer him back to his seat. Mercer would have none of it. "He didn't speak English, and I don't speak Korean, so he talked his stuff and I talked mine. I didn't think we connected, so I just kept on going." said Mercer. Soldiers from his unit back in Germany were rooting for him. Right before the Olympics they made a large banner with everyone's signature on it and shipped it overnight to Seoul. "They've been a big part of my support, and a gold medal would mean almost as much to them as it would to me. That banner really picked me up. I'm fighting for the people of the United States, but especially for the ones back in my unit," he told his audience during one of his post-fight interviews.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Schad|first= Dave|date= January 1989|title= Seoul Olympics: The Army Story|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112098031427&view=1up&seq=17|journal= Soldiers|volume= 44|issue= 1|pages= 17–19|issn= 0093-8440|access-date= 2019-06-18}}</ref>

Mercer knocked out all four of his Olympic opponents, winning Gold at the [[1988 Summer Olympics|1988 Olympics]] in [[Seoul]] as a heavyweight. When asked if he thought he needed to stop the South Korean in order to win the gold medal, he replied: "Definitely. Or I'll make him wish he was knocked out. One of the two."<ref>{{cite news |last= Anderson|first= Dave|author-link= Dave Anderson (sportswriter)|date= September 29, 1988|title= 3 Americans Reach Finals|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/29/sports/the-seoul-olympics-boxing-3-americans-reach-finals.html|work= The New York Times|page= 18|access-date= 2019-06-17}}</ref> He was the oldest member of the United States Olympic Boxing Team at 27.<ref>{{cite news |last= Anderson|first= Dave|author-link= Dave Anderson (sportswriter)|date= October 1, 1988|title= Mercer Stops South Korean|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/01/sports/the-seoul-olympics-boxing-mercer-stops-south-korean.html|work= The New York Times|page= 47|access-date= 2019-06-17}}</ref>

===Highlights===
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USAREUR Boxing Championships (heavyweight), [[Darmstadt|Darmstadt, West Germany]], May 1985:
*Finals: Defeated Gregory Ellerbee
USA–USSR Duals (heavyweight), [[Troy, New York]], October 1985:
* Defeated Renat Trishev (Soviet Union) by split decision, 2–1
{{gold1}} United States Armed Forces Championships (heavyweight), [[Camp Lejeune, North Carolina]], November 1985:
* (no data available)
{{silver2}} Stockholm Box Open (heavyweight), [[Stockholm, Sweden]], January 1986:
*Finals: Lost to [[Magne Havnå]] (Norway) by split decision, 2–3
USA–FRG Duals (heavyweight), [[West Berlin, West Germany]], July 1987:
* Defeated Andre Hoth (West Germany) RSC 2
USA–FRG Duals (heavyweight), [[Peissenberg]], [[West Germany]], July 1987:
* Defeated Andre Hoth (West Germany) by unanimous decision, 3–0
USA–FRG & Austria Duals (heavyweight), [[Neuhausen (Enz)|Neuhausen, West Germany]], July 1987:
* Defeated Peter Neyer (Austria) by decision {{small|(Neyer was given a standing eight count twice in the 2nd rd)}}
{{silver2}} Copenhagen Cup (heavyweight), [[Copenhagen, Denmark]], December 1987:
*Finals: Lost to [[Maik Heydeck]] (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 0–5
{{gold1}} United States Armed Forces Championships (heavyweight), [[Naval Air Station San Diego]], [[San Diego, California]], March 1988:
* Defeated Leonard Conway RSCH 1 {{small|(1:57)}}
{{gold1}} [[United States National Boxing Championships|United States National Championships]] (heavyweight), [[Colorado Springs, Colorado]], March–April 1988:
*1/16: Defeated Mike Sharp KO
*1/8: Defeated Lyle McDowell RSC 2 {{small|(2:51)}}
*1/4: Defeated Ike Padilla RSC 2 {{small|(2:19)}}
*1/2: Defeated Carlton Hollis RSCH 1 {{small|(2:52)}}
*Finals: Defeated Jerry Goff by unanimous decision, 5–0
{{Col-2}}
USA–Cuba Duals (heavyweight), [[Caesars Atlantic City]], [[Atlantic City, New Jersey]], April 1988:
* Lost to [[Félix Savón]] (Cuba) by split decision, 1–2
USA–Europe Duals (heavyweight), [[Las Vegas Convention Center]], [[Las Vegas, Nevada]], June 1988:
* Defeated [[Željko Mavrović]] (Yugoslavia) RSC 1 {{small|(2:00)}}
Olympic Trials (heavyweight), [[Concord Pavilion]], [[Concord, California]], July 1988:
*1/4: Defeated [[Tommy Morrison]] by unanimous decision, 5–0 {{small|(one point deducted from Morrison twice in the 2nd rd for holding)}}
*1/2: Defeated Carlton Hollis by unanimous decision, 5–0
*Finals: Defeated [[Michael Bentt]] by unanimous decision, 5–0 {{small|(Bentt was given a standing eight count at 2:39 of the 2nd rd; one point deducted from Bentt in the 2nd rd for low blows, and in the 3rd rd for hitting after the break)}}
Olympic Box-offs (heavyweight), [[Caesars Palace]], [[Las Vegas, Nevada]], July 1988:
*Day 1: Defeated [[Michael Bentt]] by split decision, 3–2 {{small|(Bentt had his mouthpiece knocked off at 1:54 of the 1st rd; took 0:15 to replace)}}
USA–Canada Duals (heavyweight), [[Charlotte Coliseum]], [[Charlotte, North Carolina]], August 1988:
* Defeated Wayne Bernard (Canada) RET 2 {{small|(Bernard was given a standing eight count at 1:07 of the 1st rd; the bout was halted by referee at 2:46 of the 1st rd due to Bernard's allegedly damaged headgear, which took 1:16 to replace; Bernard was given a standing eight count at 0:22 of the 2nd rd; Bernard's corner threw the towel at 0:36 of the 2nd rd)}}
{{gold1}} Summer Olympics (heavyweight), [[Seoul, South Korea]], September–October 1988:
*1/8: Defeated [[Rudolf Gavenčiak]] (Czechoslovakia) RSCH 3 {{small|(0:35)}}
*1/4: Defeated [[Luigi Gaudiano]] (Italy) KO 1 {{small|(2:55)}}
*1/2: Defeated [[Arnold Vanderlyde]] (Netherlands) RSCH 2 {{small|(2:15)}}
*Finals: Defeated [[Baik Hyun-Man]] (South Korea) KO 1 {{small|(2:16)}}
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Mercer had a total of 70 fights as an amateur, competing all his amateur career in the 201-pound class, and compiling an amateur record of 64 wins, 6 losses (no stoppages.) Upon winning the Olympic Gold Medal, Mercer was approached by boxing promoter [[Bob Arum]], with whom he signed a contract to turn professional. Under the deal, he was to be trained in Las Vegas, Nevada, under Hank Johnson of Fort Bragg, who was the All-Army Coach, and the assistant Olympic coach. Also under the deal, Arum got the rights to promote a certain number of televised bouts, leaving the boxer free to fight for others.<ref>{{cite news |last= AP|date= October 16, 1988|title= Theories on Boxing|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/16/sports/sports-people-theories-on-boxing.html|work= The New York Times|page= 10|access-date= 2019-06-17}}</ref>

Upon winning the 1988 Olympics, he was named [[United States Armed Forces Athlete of the Year]] in November 1988 (which was quite an achievement, considering that the Army branch alone produced 19 Olympians in 1988.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Schad|first= Dave|date= January 1989|title= Army Olympic Athletes|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112098031427&view=1up&seq=25|journal= Soldiers|volume= 44|issue= 1|page= 21|issn= 0093-8440|access-date= 2019-06-18}}</ref>) In January 1989, being [[honorably discharge]]d, Mercer left the Army to pursue a professional boxing career.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Armed Forces Sports Office|date= February 1989|title= Ray Mercer Named Athlete of Year|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112098031427&view=1up&seq=67|journal= Soldiers|volume= 44|issue= 2|page= 3|issn= 0093-8440|access-date= 2019-06-18}}</ref>