Middleweight (≤75 kilograms), Men

After winning Olympic gold in Barcelona Ariel Hernández established himself as clearly the best fighter in the division and proved this by winning both the 1993 and 1995 World Championship titles. Hernández defended his title in Atlanta with ease and conceded an average of just over one punch per round throughout his five matches despite being drawn against a number of the weight category’s top contenders. The big surprise was the silver medal winner, Azerbaijan-born Malik Beyleroğlu who was now representing Turkey. Beyleroğlu was his adopted nation’s first Olympic finalist at the sport.

The lives of some of the competitions were marked by their diversity. Sven Ottke and Brian Magee made little impression in Atlanta but both went on to have long careers as professionals and both became world champions. Little more than a year after the Games Czech boxer Ľudovít Plachetka was sent to prison for the murder of his girlfriend’s mother and attempted murder of his girlfriend. He was released from prison seven years later but was later convicted of rape and incarcerated again. Bronze medallist Rhoshii Wells had a moderately successful pro career but his life was cut short in 2008 when, after what was believed to be an argument over a dice game, he was shot dead.