Andrew Maynard, a 1982 graduate of Suitland High School in Prince George's County, Maryland, joined the National Guard in 1985 after having competed in a limited number of amateur boxing contests in the year prior.

Encouraged to join by his wife, Susan, he enlisted in the United States Army in the winter of 1986 where he engaged in boxing while assigned to be a cook stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado.

Maynard was later reassigned to special duty with the Fort Carson boxing team after receiving the approval of his company commander to pursue his goal of competing in the 1988 Summer Olympics.

He won the bronze medal at the 1987 Pan American Games, where he first burst into international prominence beating up on Cuban world champion Pablo Romero only to collapse in the second round without being hit.

), International Center of the Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colorado, July 1987: In the United States Olympic Box-Offs held from July 16–17, 1988 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, Maynard had to earn a spot on the 1988 United States Olympic Boxing Team as the selected "most noteworthy opponent" by defeating fellow soldier Alfred "Ice" Cole in two bouts on consecutive nights.

Going on to obtain the highest prize in amateur boxing in Seoul was an amazing achievement for a boxer who picked up the gloves to train only four years earlier.

In typical Maynard fashion, and upon learning that a teacher in Arbutus, Maryland got up in the middle of the night to clean and repair the United States Olympic opening ceremony team jacket and pants that Maynard had damaged on the red eye plane flight from Colorado back to Maryland, he refused to attend the Annapolis celebrations scheduled later in the morning until he first paid a surprise visit to the teacher's special education school.

There, and with the theme song from "Rocky" resonating in the background, the gold medalist posed for photos with students in a makeshift boxing ring constructed with broom sticks and rope.

Following the Olympics, Maynard made the decision to move to Laurel, Maryland where he began his professional career by signing with the management team of "Sugar" Ray Leonard and Mike Trainer.

Maynard's classic one-punch "KO" of Arthur "Butch" Hall in August 1989, a punch described in the live telecast as a "freight train right", was featured on a video of "Boxing's Greatest Hits."

One of his following NABF title defenses of particular note came in June 1991 against Ed "Mac Attack" Mack (13–1–1), with Maynard eventually stopping the game Philadelphian at 2:41 of the tenth round.

Maynard accumulated a six-fight winning streak, stopping former world light heavyweight champion Matthew Saad Muhammad in October 1991 after a barrage of punches thrown over a little more than two rounds and setting up a bout with Frank Tate on January 10, 1992.

Maynard, who fought at 178 pounds as an amateur, had difficulty adjusting to the lower 175-pound light heavyweight limit on the pro level and eventually transitioned to the cruiserweight division.

Conceding five pounds at the weigh-in which occurred the day before, Maynard traded punches throughout the bout held the next night with what appeared to be a considerably bigger opponent and was effective at times in landing shots to the body of Wamba.