First up is Michael Hunter.
The super-heavyweight turned heavyweight is attempting to rebound from a crushing defeat in 2008 that kept him from making the team that year.
In the super heavyweight semifinals of the Americas qualifier in Guatemala City Guatemala, he suffered a 10-3 points loss to Venezuela’s Jose Payares Hunter's after becoming ill the night before, sapping his energy.
Mustafa Ameen, Hunter's business partner knows it should have been different.
“If we saw a healthy Michael Hunter, we can only guess what would have happened, but the 2012 version of Micheal Hunter easily beats the 2008 version of Michael Hunter. We can’t look back at 2008, and say would’ve, could’ve, should’ve.”
With that heartbreak in the rear-view, Hunter's focused on the opportunity at hand.
“It’s still a surreal moment; I know what I’m heading for and know where I’m going. I’m training right before the games. It still hasn’t fully hit me yet and it won’t until I get to the Olympic village and a lot of things going on with the pressure.
“I’m just going to block the world out and stay on my mission. But I am looking forward to being a part of the Olympic parade coming in, because I know the struggle it took everyone to get here. Once I step into the ring, I’ll be right back at home. It will go from a new experience, to boom, right back at work.”
One of the main differences this time around is the experience Hunter gained in training with Wladimir Klitschko recently, sparring with him as he prepared for David Haye.
“It’s definitely a confidence booster for me, and I learned a lot sparring against Wladimir.
"I don’t think anyone I face in the Olympics will have too many things that will give me a surprise."
Will Hunter's decision to hold off going professional to make a 2012 Olympic gold medal run turn out ot be the right one?
Stay tuned for the next installment of the '2012 Olympic Boxing Preview'.
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