Can anybody tell me anything about this talented amateur fighter who tragically died in a plane crash. I was reading a little bit about him in the Tony Tucker chapter of The Long Round book and it sparked my interest. Did anyone see him fight? Is it possible to say if he would have a been a good pro? I think he beat Don Curry?
Babaluma You can try you tube. NBC Sportsworld has some video on Lemuel. The tape was aired on March 22, 1980 - 8-days after the airline crash in Poland. Lemuel Steeples was born in July 1956, and grew up in the same 'projects' as the Spinks Brothers. Height; 5' 10" - Stance; Orthodox - Style; Boxer-Puncher Lemuel was a strong, and a powerfullly built fighter. Muscular, with a thick chest and big strong legs. He was a 'workhorse' in the gym, and very disciplined. Great left jab, and a beautiful straight right hand. Defensively, he was a rock, and he couldn't be moved. Lemuel had been campaigning in the Light-Welterweight Division since 1975. There is film of Lemuel competing at the 1979 Pan Am Games, defeating * First Round ---- Luis Santana (Dominican Republic) * Quarter-Finals -- Benedicto Ferreira (Brazil) * Semi-Finals ----- Jorge Aguilar (Cuba) * Finals ---------- Hugo Hernandez -(Argentina) Lemuel won every bout by a 5:0 Decision, earning him the Gold Medal in the Light-Welterweight Division. He also won the Don Hull Trophy, for Outstanding Boxer. In 1980, Lemuel was 23 1/2 years-old, and most likely would have been one of the favorites to win the 1980 U. S. Olympic Trials at 139 lbs. Lemuel had a 'fantastic' box-and-move style for the amateurs, where clean punching (not power) is what earned you victories. How good of a professional would the St Louis native been. Since he was 23 1/2, Lemuel most likely would have stayed at Light-Welterweight had he turned professional after the 1980 Olympics, had he gotten there. Take a look at the 140 lb. Light-Welterweight Division in mid-1982, and the Top guys in the division at the time. Lemuel would have been 25+, and entering his 'prime'.
Babaluma,,,,,, Don't think that Lemuel Steeples would have had a 'cake walk' at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, especially in the (63.5 Kg) Light-Welterweight Division. If Lemuel had made it through the 1980 U.S. Olympic Trials and Box-Offs, the 140 lb. Divsion in the Olympics was 'stacked'. It was, without a doubt, the 'Toughest Division'. Hard to get amateur records, but it looked like as of March 1980, the 23 1/2 year-old Lemuel Steeples had a record of 203-19
More on Lemuel Steeples. November 12, 1979 At the World Cup Championships in New York. USSR Champion - Serik Konakbayev defeated Lemuel Steeples by a 3:2 Split-Decision in the Finals of the Light-Welterweight Division. The 20 year-old, 5' 11" Russian out-jabbed the 23 year-old, 5' 10" Lemuel over the first '2-Rounds', and held off Lemuel in his 3rd-Round charge. Serik Konakbayev went on to win a Silver Medal in the 1980 Moscow Olympics in the Light-Welterweight Division.
Yes May 1979 (U.S. National Championships) Lake Charles, Louisiana The 22 1/2 year-old Lemuel Steeples defeated 18 year-old Milton McCrory in the Finals of the (63.5 Kg) Light-Welterweight Division. He also beat Milton McCrory at the Pan Am Trials on June 2, 1979 in Toldeo, Ohio.
Flea Man,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,You are the too kind... On Lemuel Steeples,,,,,,, The thought was, that he had the potential to be the one that would have pushed Ray Leonard out of the way, when he 'planned' to turn professional after the 1980 Olympics. Lemuel would have been approaching age 24 when he would have turned 'pro', and he might have spent too much time in the amateurs. He really wanted the Gold Medal at (63.5 Kg) Light-Welterwight.
Babaluma 1980 Olympics in Moscow Lemuel, if he made it would have been in competition with; Patrizio Oliva (Italy) Serik Konakbayev (USSR) Ace Rusevski (Yugoslavia) Jose Aguilar (Cuba) Patrizio Oliva won the Gold Medal, and was also voted as the 'Most Outstanding Boxer' That was one 'Tough ******* Division'.
