Though the U.S. head to Rio as the most successful country in Olympic boxing history, their men have not won gold since Andre Ward took the light heavyweight title at Athens 2004, a record they will be looking to set straight in the coming days.
It might be stretching it to say that American amateur boxing is in crisis, but what's clear is that Team USA at the Rio Olympics is under pressure to bring that surprisingly long barren spell to an end when boxing starts on Saturday.
However, the team are drawing on the memory of the legendary Ali to power them to Rio Olympics boxing gold, team fighters said on Wednesday.
"Muhammad Ali paved the way for me and the rest of the team", said Charles Conwell, a teenage middleweight. "It's a real big inspiration and motivation for me to go and win a gold medal and fight even harder".
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| USA boxers drawing inspiration from "The Greatest" |
"I remember when I met Muhammad Ali, I felt this sense of pride".
"And the system itself when I got there. the system was just doing the same as they'd always done and were hoping for different results - like they say, the first sign of madness".
"He gave you that belief that you are attractive and you are pretty".
But the United States has not won men's Olympic gold since Andre Ward in 2004 and in London four years ago did not get one medal in the men's competition.
Olympic boxing contests are much shorter - just three rounds for men.
There will also be a new points-scoring system using judges - all created to bring Olympic boxing closer into line with the professional fight game. "Boxing is not a clean sport so people could do that (headbutt)".
"You will have some fighters who will intentionally try to headbutt you", he said.
"The same concept - it is still someone trying to knock your head off, point-blank".
