Lemuel Steeples

[MightyWarrior]

1980 - Tony Tucker and best friend Lemuel Steeples are sitting in the airport departure lounge, waiting for Tucker's father Bob to arrive.

They have just returned from a Polish amateur boxing tournament, and have been talked into going straight back out to Warsaw, for the USA vs. Poland Box-off as part of “USA vs. the World.”
Tucker says he'll only go if there's a seat for his Dad too. It’s agreed, but Bob Tucker doesn’t know this, as he drives the long journey to the airport, to pick up his son.

Last call for the flight and still no sign of his dad. Tony decides he’s not going,
and says his goodbyes to Lemuel, wishing him luck.

A few hours later Bob Tucker arrives, hugs his son and drives them home.
When they arrive at the house, his mother and sister rush out of the house crying hysterically.

Tony is then told that the plane to Warsaw crashed, killing everyone aboard.
Killed on that flight were Steeples, Calvin Anderson from Connecticut; Paul Palomino—Carlos Palomino’s brother; George Pimentel, New York and others, including trainers and Olympic Coach, Sarge Johnson.

Alex Ramos would have been on that flight too, but had just upset Mike “The Body Snatcher” McCallum in the NY Golden Gloves, going through to the semi-finals, so decided to give Warsaw a miss.

Tony Tuckers reckons Lemuel Steeples would have been a future world champion, and he’s probably right. To earn his place in Warsaw, Lemuel had just knocked out two fellow amateur stars:
Milton McCrory and Don Curry.

[knockout]

shame it had a negative effect on Tucker.... had he been able to take it in a positive way ie " my boys died, but i am gonna be world champ for them for a long"

instead he wasted is considerable talent by messing around with drugs and staying inactive...

He could have burst Tysons bubble if he hadnt hurt his hand.......

[Ulysses]

A terrible tragedy, around March 1980. There was no survivors the full US team wiped out.
Steeples at 23 was the reigning Pan Am champion as well as US Golden Glove. He was a superb talent.

[knockout]

really tragic for sure as is any loss of life like that....

to put it into perpective if it had happened in another olympic year the following people would have been dead

1976 Sugar Ray Leonard, Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks, Howard Davis, John Tate

1984 Meldrick Taylor, Pernell Whittaker, Mark Breland, Vigil Hill, Evander Holyfield, Henry Tillman, Tyrell Biggs

1988 Roy Jones, Riddick Bowe, Ray Mercer, Kennedy McKinney, Michael Carbajal

[MightyWarrior]

really tragic for sure as is any loss of life like that....

to put it into perpective if it had happened in another olympic year the following people would have been dead

1976 Sugar Ray Leonard, Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks, Howard Davis, John Tate

1984 Meldrick Taylor, Pernell Whittaker, Mark Breland, Vigil Hill, Evander Holyfield, Henry Tillman, Tyrell Biggs

1988 Roy Jones, Riddick Bowe, Ray Mercer, Kennedy McKinney, Michael Carbajal

Yeah makes you wonder. There but for the grace of God.........

I'd love to know Steeple's record, but amateur records are near impossible to track down.

Tucker broke his right hand in the first round against Tyson, after nearly flooring Mike with a left uppercut, and then went the next 11 rounds one handed.
Shows you the type of talent he had.

[stone76567]

hi everyone..
btw im new here anyone can give some info about Lemuel Steeples..
so that i can join in your discussion..
thanks a lot and God Bless..
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[bennie]

He was regarded as the next Sugar Ray Leonard.