The men's light middleweight event was part of the boxing programme at the 1972 Summer Olympics.

The weight class allowed boxers of up to 71 kilograms to compete.

The competition was held from 28 August to 10 September 1972.

34 boxers from 34 nations competed.

[1] The following boxers took part in the event:[1] Reggie Jones was controversially eliminated in the second round of the light middleweight division (– 71 kg) by Valeri Tregubov of the Soviet Union in a fight he was generally accepted to have won.