Boxing (Olympic)

Although highly touted USA heavyweight contender Michael Hunter ll caught a tough draw (per ESPN) when the field was set last week, the difficult draw could be a blessing in disguise for Hunter's journey to Olympic gold in London.

The heavyweight division begins with the Round of 16—as opposed to the majority of other divisions that have a Round of 32—so all Hunter has to do is win his first two fights to guarantee a podium position.

The first two bouts pit him up against two of the toughest opponents in the entire heavyweight division and would allow Hunter to get past the toughest opponents—on paper at least—before the medal round.

Hunter's first-round match on Wednesday against Artur Beterbiev of Russia, will prove to be a difficult bout, as Beterbiev has had previous success in big time amateur events—winning silver at 2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships and gold at the 2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships.

If Hunter is on top of his game he should get by Beterbiev, setting up a showdown with gold medal favorite, Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine—who has a bye in the Round of 16—in the Round of 8.

Usyk, winner of the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships, will be the toughest boxer Hunter will meet in the entire Olympic competition if he beats Beterbiev.

Although Usyk will come in to the possible bout the fresher fighter having a first-round bye, Hunter could use the momentum from a potential win in the Round of 16 and turn it into an advantage in the ring.

Since the Round of 8 bout will be Usyk's first of the 2012 Olympics, Hunter will have one bout in the books, most likely making him the less jittery fighter of the two. If Hunter can jump out to an advantage in the scores early on while Usyk adjusts to the pressure, he would set up the fight as his to lose.

Though it will be a difficult to beat the 25-year-old Usyk, doing so would make a gold medal performance that much more of reality, taking one of the favorites for gold out before the medal rounds.

With a tough start to Hunter's road to an Olympic gold, taking out two of the biggest threats in the heavyweight division first, will make the final stretch more of a scenic route, rather than a detour.

The Olympics used to be the launching pad for future world champions, but the trend has fallen a bit over the last decade. That is especially the case with the United States.

There has only been one American gold medalist in any weight class since 1992, and that was Andre Ward in 2004. 

Many of the boxers who have won gold medals recently have gone on to nondescript professional careers, or never made the jump to the pro ranks.

This trend is likely to continue after the London games, but there are three fighters that have a good to great shot at being solid professionals.

Lazaro Alvarez - Cuba - Bantamweight

Alvarez is the best prospect at the Olympics in my opinion. He has long arms, great feet and very good lateral movement. He won the 2011 World Championships and a gold medal at the Pan-American Games.

Take a look at the video below:

Alvarez is a southpaw that will bang the body and he has solid hand speed. He's only 21 years old, so he has some room for improvement, but he is the one to watch.

Anthony Joshua - Great Britain - Super Heavyweight

The heavyweight division in professional boxing needs a fresh face, maybe Joshua can become that in a few years.

He stands 6'6" and has a solid jab and good power. He shows the ability to counter effectively and his size is intriguing.

The Klitschkos may be gone by the time Joshua is ready to turn pro, but he could be in the mix with the next era of heavyweights.

Rau'shee Warren - USA - Flyweight

Warren will become the United States first-ever three-time Olympian in boxing this year. He has failed to capture a medal in his first two attempts, but he is one of the favorites to medal this year.

Warren has the lowest ceiling of the three fighters, but he is a grinder with tons of heart. He has showed the perseverance to chase his Olympic dream for eight years.

He's a sharp defensive fighter with excellent head and foot movement. He is difficult to solve for many opponents because of his southpaw stance and sharp reflexes.

He will be starting his pro career a bit late (he's 25 years old), but he has great amateur experience to fall back on.

I don't believe he'll win flyweight gold, but he will medal and have a decent professional career.

Follow Brian Mazique and Franchiseplay on YouTube and Twitter for reactions, analysis and news from the world of sports and sports video games.

Subscribe on YouTube

Follow @BrianMazique

Follow @franchiseplay

U.S. boxers no longer dominate the Olympics like they used to. International boxers now rule the sport, and the 2012 Olympic Games in London will highlight this point.

Long gone are the glory days of the 80's and 90's, when Pernell Whittaker, Evander Holyfield, Ray Mercer, Roy Jones Jr., Oscar de la Hoya and Antonio Tarver were but a handful of the myriad of U.S. stars that crushed the rest of the world.

The Americans are only sending a couple of boxers this year—one man and one woman—who are legitimate medal contenders.

Flyweight Rau'shee Warren will make his way back to his third Olympics, and though he's one of the most accomplished U.S. boxers in history with four national championships, he's never won a medal. According to team officials, via SI.com, he is more focused than ever before and will make a strong push for his first medal.

Middleweight Claressa Shields is America's best chance for a medal this year, according to the SI.com report, at the young age of 17. She earned her lofty status as gold-medal favorite after she beat up on Canada's Mary Spencer in the Women's Continental Championships in 2011.  

After Warren and Fields, though, the U.S. boxing team doesn't have much going for them.

Here are some of the top international boxers that will steal America's thunder in 2012:

Lazaro Alvarez, Cuba, Bantamweight

Alvarez burst onto the international boxing scene in 2011 by winning the World Championships at the age of 20, beating five top-10 seeds on his way to the final.

He also performed admirably and won the Pan American Games, and he's the favorite to win gold in his weight class.

Vasyl Lomachenko, Ukraine, Lightweight

Lomachenko could have turned pro, but he decided against it in favor of another Olympic gold-medal run. He won the silver medal in 2007 and gold medal in 2009 at the World Amateur World Championships, and he won gold at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.  

Lomachenko is the favorite to win this year's gold, as well, and it will be a shock if he fails to do so.

Ren Cancan, China, Flyweight

Cancan is the reigning World Champion, a feat she's now conquered three times in a row. 

She's focused on nothing short of a gold in London, according to ChinaDaily.com: "This (a third world championship) gives me a great confidence boost. The next big thing is the Olympics, and a gold medal will be my only target."

It's tough to see anyone defeating the determined boxer, and I expect her to take home the gold medal.

Savannah Marshall, Great Britain, Middleweight  

If Shields is going to lose this summer in London, Marshall is likely going to be the boxer that stops her. 

Marshall already beat her once, on her way to winning the World Championships in May. According to SI.com, Marshall is a relative newcomer to the sport and isn't exactly textbook when it comes to what you see in the ring, but there's no doubt she's a winner.

These are just a few of the multitude of talented international stars heading to London for the 2012 Olympic Games. The sport of boxing, once dominated by the United States, is now wide open to the rest of the world. 

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for more news, opinion and analysis as we get closer to the opening ceremony on July 27. 

Follow @JesseReed78